The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-11-17

corner, and that comes at even less
cost through the mails to any boy
who can write his name and muster
half dozen postage stamps All
such and much even that is costly
deserves not to be called literature
but trash-trash, which like the tip
piers cup weakens intellect, creates
desire for its own kind, and des-
troys every vestige of that finer
sentiment by which alone mankind
rises above the brute.
Three Glasses
In every community there are three
classes of individuals-the non-read
ers, the readers of trashy literature
and the true readers. And of these
three classes the first is the most
numerous, the second, II not already,
may be the most worthless, and the
last, so far as numbers are concern
ed, is rather Insignificant. These
are strong, even disheartening terms,
but true. Indeed there are neighbor-
hoods where there are eight or ten
families that have nothing whatever
to read, three or four that have a
few phamplets and, perhaps, a news
paper of the worst class. and not
single Individual that has studied
the literature Of our language or
knows any thing about the term in
its strictest sense.
The Best Free to All
But why should not all enjoy the
rich fruit of the intellect Of the ages?
No one would be considered an iu-
truder for the invitation is to all;
neither would he enter the realm
unprovided for. as some one long ago.
knowing his pecularities, and antici-
pating his arrival made ample pre-
partitions for him.
A Pleasant Company
Surprising him to enter, the dig
nitaries of state of the departments
of Fiction, Poetry, Biography and
History, four vast assemblies, confront
him. Here sit the great in story,
there the MINISTRIES, the bards and
the muses.; here the great of every
cline whose lives are recorded; there
the hoary headed sages contemplating
the lapse Of the centuries, their work
done, all at leisure, and ready and
willing To spend days and even weeks
and months picturing to him their
iondest hopes, their most beautiful
ideals, their brilliant discoveries and
the marvellous incidents and exper-
fences connected with their lives. And
shall ne not listen? Shall he not sit
az thei feet and learn of their wis
dom?
But will he find the company
very different from others? No ne
shf his TIL hands of all; enjoys their
conversation; says 81 am glad to
have met you;" passes on; then per-
ceives that some have made deeper
impressions than others, and that only
few have a real place in his life.
And what do these, the most interest
ing. have to say?
What Dickens Offers
When the snow is falling, the winds
are whistling. aud all are seated
around their cheerful fires. Dickens
joins the circle and with his subtle
humor, his drollery, and the very
awfulness of his characters holds the
attention, while before their eyes
marches the common herd Of the
earth cast in every mould of sin; yet
in every case they are but following
the fortunes of some poor and dis
tressed one to whom II seems by
their sympathy, II by nothing more.
they are giving assistance; and over
whom, when the end comes they re-
ioice, whether 1t be the death Of lit
lie Nell" a little Paul Domby, or a
Smike crying Spare me, spare me-"