Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-03
Gems From My Reading
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD w. TOMKISS.
Text, Proverbs II. 1-I2.

ton OF the intellect and the consc-
quent usefulness of the man or woman,
Is Christian duty. Gofha given us
our minds, and we must use them that
tho world may be better for our knowl-
edge and our service. In this genera
ton there Is little excuse for any one
who does not read. With our public Ii
braries. our books and magazines and
our lectures In many quarters stImulat-
ing the reading habit we surely have
opportunity enough, in spite Of the fact
that we are busy people, To I'LL our
minds with good knowledge and to learn
of many things in many directions. The
chief trouble lies in knowing what to
cad when the material Is so abundant
and when some of 1t Is harmful rather
than helpful Discrimination Is not an
easy acquisition. 1t has to be cultivated
and in these busy days It Is not light
matter to decide what is good and what
is bad In literature. Many things have
to be taken Into consideration: the Ian
suage OF the books We read whether Ii
* pure English or not; the topics treat
ed, whether they timely and profit
able or not; the character OF the au-
thors, which is q matter we cannot af-
ford to disregard-all these questions
come up to us the moment we think OF
reading. and they must not be lightly
thrown aside.
WOULD MAKE LIST OF
hooks WHICH IMPRESS ONE
think the subject of our meditation.
Gems From My KeadinH," suggests AT
least one line OF profit which II is well
Tor us to consider. IF we find I'm our
reading special books which impress us,
or special passages which help us We
should note them and pass them on,
AS well as give them a place in our
memories, tn M. To lfcf
OF books which have helped us, and to
collect high sentiments or passages
winch strike US and have them ready.
FOR us. The fine thing about President
t.hois suggested list of books is that
II gives us a guide In reading and also
opens UP field in which We may feed
10 our hearts content. y good review
OF BOOKS In some reliable magazine
IL also helpful. and most of our period
icais are accustomed to comment upon
new publications with crcdItablc sanity
SENS In books or parts of books are
what We should seek for: they are the
jewels OF thought which can well adorn
me nina and give us the power to help
instead OF giving list OF quotations
today, let US rather indicate some lines
OF profitable reading and some methods
whereby We may improve our reading
hours. We must not be too narrow in
our selection of books. for while we
may rightly be Interested In some spe-
ciai line, We need the broad culture
which shall keep our brains balanced
The man who reads only scientific
books and neSlects poetry and history
soon becomes bigoted, and thinks only
one study Is worthy. And he who
confines himself to fiction, and thinks
history stupid and poetry weak can
hardly be n thoughtful student.
GENERAL. READING SHOULD
HE ASIDE FROM SPECIAL STUDY
TO my thinking there are at leas,
nj rnaA Iol,
should give himself. aside from his
special study az lawyer or doctor
or theoloEian: 81 poetry. ca history,
90 hction. 60 the Bible and books OF
devotion. Poetry kindles the imagi-
nation and helps us to endure the hard
things OF daily living while We grasp
the ideal History enables us to know.
the world as II has struggled on
through the centuries toward nobler
power. Fiction carries us out amongst
people, and makes US know humanity:
while the soul. hungry for God and for
comfort which shall endure, needs that
which shall lead It nearer to the Christ
OF us all and make us true to His
teachings. And from all of these we
Sather jewels which shine in the sun
light and reflect their richness upon the
i'te we are living and upon the lives
OF others. What gems poetry has.
Thc| come. throbbing with beauty, to
our memory as We call them little
treasures and whole clusters of dia-
mondS. here a line and there a verse
so full of life that 1t seems as II
they leaped from the very heavens
heard man pray the other day,
ana he Wcavcd into his petition in
such fashion ayto make the words lift
us All nearer TO God. those wonderful
lines or Tennyson OH prayer. | think
never realized before how near to
tho Almighty the great English poet
must have been, and how the HOLY
"a
tray for my soul. More things are
wrought by PRAYER
Than this world dreams Of Wherefore
let thy voice
Rise like fountain for me night and
day.
For what are men better than sheep or
goats
That nourish blind life within the
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of
prayer
Both for themselves and those who call
them friend?
For so the whole. round earth is every
Bound by gold chains about the feet of
God.
HISTORY HAS IT'S
TREASURES OF THOUGHT
History also has its treasures of
thought, words spoken by great lead
ers which have become the watchwords
of nations, and declarations of cour-
age which still ring with enthusiastic
power. No student of history can fail
If he seeks for messages from the past
They form the golden threads of the
doings and struggles of men which
bind them together one and make
human life continuity In spite of
varied language and hostile conten-
ton. But II is to fiction that we esre-
cially turn for happy sayings. Scott
and Thackeray and Dickens are crowd
cd with sentences and variations which
bring tears of sympathy or n hot flush
of heroic determination. Who can
read the story of the death of poor
little Joe in Dickenss "Blealz House"
and not go out with human heart to
care for little wanderers? And who
can read that most beautiful Of all
apostrophcs i'm which Agnes is adj
III nx.il 49, -