Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-03-29
SATURDAY MIGHT
SERMONS 49,
BY ~
REySAMUEL ". pURvIS.D.D
PAUL BOOK LOVER.

", H.
This man Paul was tenimakef
plus something else-hc was a book
lover lie had few books-Do "fy.
foot shelf" just a few wrapped mp In
his cloak. would like In this year uf
grace 1913 10 have this first century
book loger select my hundred best
books" Here's man who once hnc
been caught up into the very heavens
heard things unlawful for q man C
utter yet he wants books. He hao
seen the Lord. yet he asks for books
And for why; Because. 20 use the old
but deathless phrase Of Milton n good
book IL the precious iifcblood Of q
master spirit" II Paul couldn't meet
men In the flesh while he was In prisoi
he could meet their spirits. He had sal
Mt Gamaliels feet. n Mark Hopkins
and Garfield on n log. and that was 81
great university for two But the lar
ger one Is open TO all. The true uni
versity Of these days" said Carlyle. Il
a collection OF books" Tuition is small
curriculum is large II has been safe
that every day one should talk witt
his mental superior. Here's the chance
The great men OF all ages chat with ~
In our room-historians. musicians. po
cts, philosophers. They talk their best
too-best diction. best grammar. best
style. best thought.
A Serpent Among the Flowers.
"Thc companion OF fools shall per
ish." says Scripture. | do not know
what II would say of bad book com
panions We forbid the sale OF co
caine. opium joints are raided. the
pure food law compeis the label TO tell
what per cent Of alcohol IS used. but
we allow an unrestrained trade In
vicious books. Criminal stories are
on the newsstand In which law is rep
resented to be an oppressive institu
ton and those who break II are he
roes The mother warns her pre-
cious" not TO go with those common
boys from "the hill" but her boy as
aociatcs with a lower class than that.
"Biily the Bandit" secretly insinuates
tales OF robbery. oaths and indecent
innuendoes from the story book loaned
BY a schoolmate His sister reads one
that she hides under the mattress at
night. That fiashy girl at the office
got II from drummer. II Is coarse
and revolving. Every situation Is sug-
gestive. Its stock in trade IL intrigue.
lust. domestic infide,ity and divorce.
After the books returned the memory
remains. Its filthy fingers leave a
scar imbedded In the soul Here's
the smell OF blood still. and all the
perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten
this little hand" says Lady Macbeth.
A book Is immoral II II commends i'm
moral actions-not II II tells evil only.
but II II paints evil 10 look like good.
Do Small Interests Make Small Men?
Remember the old story OF the paint
or and the inquisitivc visitor? with
what do you mix your colorsi' with
brains The recipes as good for
readers rs for painters. One needs
brains In reading. Twenty minutes a
day with newspaper may make Il
wise man: sixty minutes may make
a fool. The schoolgirl who makes
fudge her lunch Is poorly nouriShe'l
physically. If she makes the hest
seller" her staple mental diet she will
be starved another way. We Aneri
cans are greedy readers Of whipped
cream literature We want little.
scrappy. piquaut magazine articles that
have neither intellectual grasp nor So
rious moral purpose. The editor who
would give Us mental fodder that re.
quired vigorous mental assimilation
would lose his job. This generation
Is impatient with adam I,edr" and
lies MiSera blcs." with their great IN.
depreciation of life There Is reading
that stultifies the spirit and dwarfs
the mind. Such reading is not an cx
cuse for thought. but AN excuse for
thinking. one good book that makes
you think Is worth n thousand that
merely lure you on from chapter To-
chapter to reach an unsatisfying con
clusion.
Vines Of Engaddi.
"lf you are extravagant In anything
let II be In fertilizer" says the depart
tutlit VI h-TltuAtHIt 10 AbuIE ldTllltlN
1T brings back big returns Good.
Ike that, Empty much OF your purse
into your head Invest In knowledge
II don't have time" Then stay home
from the dance or card party aud read
book. You may learn something.
Read Arnold BENEFITS How 90 Live
on Twenty-four Hours a Day" or Ed
ward Grlggs' Use Of the Margin.
Heed paul's injunction. Give attend
ance 10 reading There's n whole
world OF wholesome reading open for
you Read the history of your own
country or that Of your forbcars across
the sea. Buy an elementary book nn
natural history or natural science \
primer on astronomy will enlarge your
sky line nightly The earth. air aud
sky are fun of wonders Get book OF
travel. visit the remote corners OF the
earth Every great man IN the world
has been influenced by biography Read