The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-01
(New Yorl. Evening Post.)

Despite the insistence of advertise
ments naturally seeking to make each
season serve their purposes, the term
summer reading has become next 70
meaningless. If it signifies anything, IT
means more light fiction that at 9TH
er times; but that is a poor distinction
considering the numbe OF gauzy
stories which are issued and consun1-
ed the year round. The average reader
would find it difficult to say in n
way his summer reading differs from
that of the winter. Summer eadlnS
is no longer a problem, if it ever was.
Some may recall the time when they
debated with themselves at his sea
son of relative relaxation. whether TO
turn to the volumes Of Thackeray
which they had never read or to at
tack aurora Leigh" to follow the
reasoning of The Origin Of Species
or to plunge into Gibbon. Taking for
examples such works is not to impute
to former generations greater con-
science about reading THAI we poss-
ess today. At all times summer a
ing, like that for the rest Of the year,
has been prescribed by custom. The
difference is that formerly custom i'm
posed upon intelligent persons the
duty. apart from keeping up with the
perennial light literature" Of fill
ing in notable gaps in their reading.
Perhaps a few professors and their
wives still maintain tais manner; we
doubt if many others do.
Reading has largely ceased to be
seasonal. and more and more is be-
coming timely-that is, reflective Of
the events of the day. even the great
energy Of the publishers at the Christ
mas season does not swerve US from
fhiC 3at%ar n10r Gift hNolc tharn ovo
then in plenty, reissues Of the old
Stand-bys; but these are meant to
be given. and are too handsome to
read. A powerful influence is the pol
icy of our periodicals, which have
taken to keeping the public Informed
on current happenings as never be-
fore. The progress Of the Panam
Canal. the methods of u great mon
ey-masters, the approaching Corona
ton with the traditions which have
attached TO such a ceremony, the
opium trade and the attempts to re-
form it, Frances rights and obliga-
tons in Morocco, woman suffrage, the
currents of SociaIism-these. with
perhaps a few more stories than at
other times of the year, constitute
the reading which the magazines Of
fer in summer. 1t is not especial sea
sonal. And the same thing applies
to u choice of whole volumes. Per
haps a few more novels are read, but
otherwise the summer reading is ir
no respect peculiar.
This we may we'll regret. If the
classics Of all ages are not turned ov-
er in the summer. when shall we have
time for them? One would think tina
the retreat of summer homes anC
the country might easily Undue tina
detachment which is necessary for N
tering into the moods and thoughts O.
the olden time. and that the expert
ence would give relief from the week.
a-day world. 1t is, at any rate, easy
for those of US who have no intention
of following in the plan to grow en-.
thusiastic over it. The picture is ir
reSistable of a veranda look GU
upon a strip of water. perhaps On {
sail. or upon hills or stretches Of law
and meadowland. the whole settins
gtorified by the feeling that one Il
reading What one ought to read. But
alas. the prosaic fact. The sea o
hills or meadow is there: so is. tn,
veranda. but so are the periodicals
Not one or two. such as most me,
used to be content with. but a dozel
or two, some Of them with remarka