New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-08-09
Il UNIQUE SOCIETY.
Sirtu-nine Thousand Bible Students
Who Read the Same Chapter Daily.

The present generation is supposed TO be la
mentally ignorant OF the Bible. and probably
is so; but nevertheless there are more than
$4,000 persons in these United States who are
known 20 read the Bible every day. They be-
Tong 20 the American branch of the Bible and
Prayer Union. and all pledged TO read one
and the same chapter every day. reading con-
secutively from Genesis TO Revelation. The
headquarters OF the union is in Washington and
the members pay four cents a year in postage
stamps One-cent stamps preferred. for the priv
ilege Of belonging TO it.
Miss A. E. Cathcart the secretary. conducts
the American branch and her labor is one purely
OF love- for the unions income barely meets its
only two expenses-printing and postage. and
the printing is done by the blind people Who
have the famous shop in Washington
The cards Of membership are little calendars.
giving on one side the readings for year. and
on the other some helpful hints. They may be
had at any time on application to the Bible and
Prayer Union. Washington.
The Bible and Prayer Union was founded on
yaEuary 10. 1876. in London England, by band
OF fifty workers connected with St Benet s
Church. Within a year the membership had
grown 20 lssc0. II now has 3600O0 members
and has extended not only beyond Great Britain
but beyond the English speaking countries.
There are branches in the Argentine Republic.
Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, CeylOn, Denmark,
Finland Germany, India New Zealand. Persia,
South Sea Island, Sweden, Syria, Tasmania,
turkey and the United States The organiza-
ton is entirely undenomnational and besides
every section OF the Protestant Church includes
members Of the Armenian, Greek. MOravian,
HISTORIAN, and even Roman Catholic churches,
with a few Jews
Speaking OF the unions plan of reading the
Bible cOnscientiOusly from cover TO cover, one
OF the American members says:
How many OF those who admit that the
Bible is the Book of Books have really read II
through? II is, in fact, not so much a book as
q library a library of sXty-siX volumes.
Genesis, the first volume, contains history
vastly more ancient. well as more trust
worthy, than that of Herodotus. In Leviticus
have laws which the Jurisprudence of all
civilized nations has been founded. Ruth is an
sdyl iovelier even than TennysOn's own. Job is
a drama more thrilling than any written by
s4Sschylus or Sophocles. In the Psalms we have
poetry submer and sweeter even than Milton s.
Proverbs contains nuggets Of wisdom richer
than Franknns. In the writings Of St John Is
philosophy profounder than Plato's. In the four
Gospels we have the very pearl of biography
Time fails to characterize the other volumes IN
this matchless library.
But who OF turns away from newspaper
and novel TO read this wonderful Book OF Books!
Well, let us be thankful that at least 69OOO
persons in the United States do that very thing,
and do IL every day"
The organ Of the society, Monthly Notes. is
published IN London at subscription price OF
so cents a year, postage included. 1t contains
chiefly suggestions as 10 the daily readings.