The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-08-12
Wayside MeditatiOns
By "Optino."
Books and Apples.
By "Opti1sao.
Books and Apples.
.@S(J&M.

lesser degree of merit. merely fam
iliarlzing themselves with the names
of authors and the titles of books,
that they may be able to talk glibly
OF this author. or that book, thus i'm
pressing their friends as being per-
sons OF a wide range of reading.
They are not able, however, to dis
cuss the contents of the volumes
they have read. You cannot thus
become versed In literature; for
such methods of reading do but bring
on acute mental Indigestion and
literary dyspepsia. One has said that,
1t is not the reading of many books
that tendeth to make man good
and wise; but the we'll reading of a
few, could We be sure to have the
best" In connection with this thot,
[ am inclined to think that DIR. FL
hot used better judgment than we
generally concede to him, when he
prescribed his Five foot shelf" of
books, for the masses. At any rate
it would be an act of wisdom for us
to select fewer and better books I'M
til We have mastered the art of lit
erary digestion. Moreover, let us
not become merely infatuated with
books, for it is questionable class
OF literature that merely infatuates;
just as it is person of questionable
character the opposite sex with
whom one becomes infatuated. In
fatuation is as distinct from LOVE, as
black is distinct from white, many
a man has had a splendid home, a
loyal, faithful, devoted wife and low
ing, innocent children; comfortably
situated in every respect, and yet
Notwithstanding all of this. has be-
come INFATUATED with pretty
face and graceful figure which COW
cred dissolute character. seething
in moral putrefaction. Hearts have
been broken, homes have been
wrecked, and society has been out.
ragged, because of infatuation. So
then, in things literary, do not allow
yourself to become infatuated with
books of questionable char acter, for
they leave an indellible stain on the
mind and character of the reader.
But, lest you deem the writer fan
atical extremist, and think our de-
nunciation of yellow" journalistic,
or literary efforts, too sweeping; [
would add that all fiction is not
harmful. Shakespeare, Milton,
Dante, and many other lumlnaries
in the literary armament, were
writer's of fiction, either poetry or
prose; but there is no one of any lit.
erary culture, who would class either
them or their works as Yellow"
A writer may take a concrete truth
and clothe it in the garb of abstract
fiction, with a girdle of poetic elo.
quence, and we will at once fellow
ship that truth, while if the same
truth was presented to us in the nude,
there are many who would deem it
a dry morsel. Hence, the poetry of
the Old Testament, and the parabolic
statements of Christ, in the New
Testament, gave to the truths pre-
scented, firmer rootage.
If there is any orthodox hell, aud
if it is inhabited by an army of devils,
l cannot think of anything they are
laboring at with a greater vim and
ghoulish gusto. than that of inspiring
the space writing pen pushers in
their multitudinous productions of
blood and thunder" fiction. Such
reading matter as is found in these
yellow" booklets and magazines,
poison the minds of the youth of
the world. Such books engender
a wrong concept of morality and of
life in general. The youth vino
begins the formation of his ideals,
by low class reading matter is lay
ing the foundation for a worthless
vagrant life. Such reading mater
II