The Washington herald., 1908-03-26
THE oPTIMIST.

everything, every influence that helps a
man TO make his life stronger, sweeter.
and better will gratefully be siezed upon
by the optimistic soul and brought into
use. Most good OF all It is 70 know and
cherish human companionships. for there
rs an Incompatible joy and strength in
the vigorous hand-clasp and friendly light
IN the eye Of a friend But at other sea
sons. when cur friends have failed US.
perhaps. there is nothing that can offer
such comfort and fine. silent friendship
and help as good books.
To use books rightly Is 10 20 TO them Tor heiu. n
appeal 10 them when cur knoUledge aud to.er of
thought fails: 10 be led by them into wider sight
fslrer conception than osr own and receive from
them the united sentence Of the judges and councils
Of all tine againstou solitary and unstable opnon
1t is through books that we OF the pres
ent age are bound by wonderful debt 10
the great minds OF former ages. II we
have gained any knowledge Of the truth
it is through the guidance Of good books.
They iii the minds OK ourselves and our
fellows with noble and graceful images.
Good books are friends that viii stand by
one through all vlcissltudes: they will
prove comforters in sorrow. nurses in
sickness. companions in solitude Moth
ing can change them: nothing can make
them less our friends, and II we have but
grace 10 learn from them. though the
friends themselves be taken. their souls
will remain behind to cheer us on. They
are the old friends who are never seen
with new faces. who are the same in
wealth and in poverty. in glory and OBJ
scurity."
The fact that there are books in the
world books that hold the wisdom and
the experience Of the past; that books are
making now that shall-we know nos how
influence vitality the generations yet 10
come. is but one more proof Of the power
Of God In the world. You remember how
this thought is expressed in Aurora
Leigh"
| rad books bad and good-some had and good
At once good aims not always make good books;
Wen tempered spades turn up ill- smelling soils
In digging vineyards evenl books. that Prove
Cod being 50 deanitely. that mans doubt
GroFs seli-deined the other side the liue
Made aiheis By suggestion; moral books
Exaspcrsting 20 Hcense genial books.
Disc louuting nom The human dignity.
And merry books which SET you weeping when
Thc EIn Ehiues-ay. and melanCholy books.
Which make yOu iaugh thst anyone should weep
.
In this day and age when the oId saw
'of the making Of new books there is no
end" seems literally true. there are many
things that pass Tor books that have only
the outward seeming No book Is worth
anything in its influence that is not worth
great deal and few are the books that
VIII prove Of real value 70 a man unisss
they are such that viii bear reading and
rereading until one makes their contents
part OF himself Not that one needs q
know its lines and passages by note. but
II one IS 20 get good out Of books one
must be able 10 refer to its passages. as
Ruskin says. -'as q soldier can sieze the
weapon ne needs in an armory."
Light reading. sO-called. IS very often
no sort Of reading AZ all, il is a mere
occupation OF the eve. not Of the mind OF
heart, and is, for the most part. a sheer
waste Of time. It serves. perhaps. 10 take
mans mind of present worries. but he
could do IS much with game OF soli-
taire or mumble-the-peg or what-not-l
mean ne gains nothing thereby but a sort
OF numb fOrgetfulness. Life is too short
for such lavish waste of its precious
hours. Why should a man associate with
the little penny-a-liners OF the world
when the same may be spent with the
greatest men who have ever lived2 That
is one test Tor A book. and a good one
for
man who lives in the irnueriai society o. IRA,
authors WI walk through The world Nith the opcr
eyes n wouder and the recerfTc mind of inteiigenc
he wiz believe m God. he VIII believe in Man he
VIII believe IN Conscience; be vin believe IN duty
and while he believes ii these no darkness without
can ever wholly 0uench that light within which is
reflection q the light Of God himself n Inc human
soul