Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-11-10
THAT F1yE.F0oT SHELF.

Theodore Roosevelt's strong person
ality will never fail to interest the
world. The public uusally thinks of
the ex-President as man of quick
impulses and strenuous action. He
has been much given to the spectacu-
lar, and during his incumbency of the
presidential Office he often startled the
nation by setting aside precedent and
doing things in a way peculiar to his
own unconventional make up. His
hunting expedition to Africa is char
acteristically spectacular, but in the
jungle, as in everyday life, there is
something about him that is distinct
ly human and that appeals readily to
hardy, vigorous, high-minded young
men.
Mr.. Roosevelt has always had the
reading habit, and long before he
achieved national fame he was fre-
quent contributor to magazine litera-
ture. His literary taste is varied and
the older he grows the more catholic
seems to be his reading.
The 'f1ve-foot book shelf which Mr..
Roosevelt carried to Africa with him
is more helpful and far more enjoyable
than DIR. Eliot's. It is, in fact, more
than a five-foot shelf. It contains
about fifty volumes. It is a pigskfn H.
brary, so styled because the books are
bound In pigskin. A few of the vol
umes were selected by Mr.. Roosevelt's
son, Kermit, but there is hardly one
that a man, and especially a man of
the ex-President's broad taste, would
not enjoy and profit by.
DR.. Efiot's five-foot shelf contains
neither the Bible nor Shakespeare
but Mr. Roosevelt, as might be ex-
pected, in telling of his list, puts the
Bible first. Shakespeare and Bacon
have conspicuous places. Then comes
Spencer's "Faerie Queen" Macaulay's
essays, poems and History of Eng
land" One of the few warlike works
in the list is Mahan's "Sea Power"
The modern poets are well repre-
sented by Tennyson, Shelley, Keats,
Longfel1ow, Edgar Allen Poe and
Browning. Millions Paradise Lost" is
there, and so is Bunyan's Pilgrim IS
Progress" Homer's "Iliad" and Ho-
mer's Odyssey" Carlyle's "Frederick
the Great" and Carlyle's translation OF
Dante's Inferno" are included and
will stir and stimulate the mind when
coffee or wine fails. Mark Twain and
Bret Harte are to be enjoyed by Mr.
Roosevelt and son Kermit between
them. DIR. Holmes "Autocrat of tax
Breakfast Table" and cover the Tea
cups" will while away little odds ant
ends of Mr.. Rooseve1t's leisure. An.
here are some Of the ex-President'i
favorite books of fiction: "Thackary'
vanity Fair" and "Pendennis," Dick
ems Mutual Friend" and that mos
mirth-provoking of all of Dickens
books, "Pickwick Papers; Scott
Legend Of Montrose," Guy Manner
ing" 'Waverly," "Rob Roy" and can
tiquary"; Cooper's pilot" and "tTw'
Admirals."
It is likely true of Roosevelt, as
is of most good readers, he re-read
one or two of SCOTS novels every year
The rugged, unframed American
youth doubtless admires Theodor
Roosevelt chiefly for is "scrapping
proclivities, but all c1ean-minded
manly young fellows will do we'll t,
emulate him in his solid virtues AM
read the books that he reads. It will
be observed that no psychic work o.
so-called New Thought" Literature
found place among his fifty volumes
Roosevelt is the last man in the worlt
who would waste time on new-fanglet
religions or mental rubbish.