The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-02

l 'kiplings Captains Courageous is to
 me one of the best books ever written
 and not nearly so well known as it should
 be. l have read it over and over again
 and always find it refreshing. | I'd like to mention Jane Ave- the
 thrills it gave me which I'll probably
 never get again from any book.
 And Coopers Stories, supposed to be for boys, but which make a girls eyes near, 7
 fall out as we'll, but you said six. So
 here they are. Would that we had writers
 today who could match these six.
 DR E. H. SHOLL. l ''Excluding the pre-eminent Bible and | Pilgrims Progress my choice of the
 Six Best Books" comes as follows: | Dickens David Copperfield" for it's
 homely and vivid touches of human na-
 ture and the tears that will come as you | read
 Thackeray's ''vanity Fair for it's
 keen insight into human nature and it's rare humor.
 John Halifax, Gentleman" for it's
 power and pathos.
 l "Glenzany School Days" by Ralph
 Connor, for it's vivid description of school l days.
 Far From the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy, for it's strong and truth
 full deliniation of human nature. Adam Beve," by George Eliot. It
 truthfully runs the gamut of human na- | ture and is virie in it's strength. MRS. FLORENCE EARLE BUEK.
 Tt is a great trial to mention only six
 books, when so large a number have played part in my well-being, but this l is my selection off hand, as I really , have no time to think "Tess of The D'Urbeville Arabian | Nights" Robinson Crusoe," Tales of Two Cities" Vanity Fair Tom Saw ] yer.'
 | After single reading I have never been able to forget poor Tess" and | there are times when I seem to feel the moose about my own neck. through sym pathy with her great, loving, suffering heart-caught in the web of destiny! Scarlet Letter. deals with the same | sex problem, but it is as moonlight unto sunlight" compared to Tess" Arabian Nights" because of imagina- tive charm and sensuous, Oriental splen- dor, has power to charm me on, just as In the days of my childhoow. Robinson Crusoe," because I have always liked stories about shipwrecks on desert islands, and because MT Crusoe was man of infim;e resource, and every girl likes a man who can do things!
 "Tale of Two Cities is my pronounced favorite in the Dickens family, because it is a story of war, intrigue, and strong mans love.
 "Vanity Fair is a masterpiece, and treats of high society in a masterly way ssTom Sawyer must illumine the list. as he had numerous adventures but always came out on the right side and he had the wonderful l1nack of getting he glory, while another fellow did most Of the worl-only to be commended in the cause of genius!
 Kipling's 'Light That Failed is one of my favorites, but these have longer perspective which must ever lend value l to any decision.
 REV. JAMES E. COYLE. PASTOR OF ST. PAULS "aThe Six Best Books Ever Written Dear me- what a subject! Sure, you do not, in all seriousness, expect a serious l answed to that request, since, alas, the words of Juvenal. true when Rome l ruled the world, are more true today: | =" Tenet insanabile multo Scribendi cacoethes ct aegro Tn corde senescit
 l "The old schoolmen, wise and cautl- | ous in their day. before assaillng any 1 difficult thesis. insisted as a prellm- : mary sine qua non. the laying doWn or
 the status questionis.' Admiring much,
 these much maligned scholars, I would
 then, before aught else nave a oennl-
 tion of the word book The Bible,
 what of it? It is a book Nay, 1t is
 composed of books. We'll as it is unioue. let us lay it reverently aside since | in any comparison of books, 1t IS, from
 every viewpoint. facile princeps, The Book of Books What then IS meant by the Six Best Books Ever Written?
 Does that mean that must make se-
 lection of all the books of all the world, | nf days of
 ".The blind old man of scio's rocky isle.'
 'sWho sang in verses immortal the beauties
 "'Of the face that launched thou sand ships
 l And burned the topless towers of Iliun,' "To the locust plague of writers, who | today are turning out verltahle de- luge of books on every conceivable top l ic, on shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings l "Indeed and indeed. I stand appalled, | at the task. and must needs decline
 Who am I. that I should so place my l self or an eminence and pass judg- l ment on the products of master minds?
 hope have more modesty, more com mon sense, than to rush in where
 angels would fear to tread. and human | intelligence to angelic knowledge. "'As moonlight unto sunlight is, | As water unto wine.'
 I "No, I absolutely cannot say, and in- l deed no one in the world would dare
 say with the assurance that his asser-
 tion was incontrovertible which are, | The Six Best Books Ever Written
 And yet. I cannot thus summarily
 dismiss your request 'Twere ungrai- ous and rude so to do. Will you graci- l ously permit me then to modify it thus, l What Six Books Are Your Favorites?' | Now we have something that l can an-
 proach without the fear and awe that
 the caption. The Six Best Books Ever l Written inspired. If it interests you. i then I will briefly state which books ! of all my books. and being a book lover ] l have a goodly number, serve me best I which are. before the others. my friends and favorites. I never really asked my 1 self that question before but I will 1 ask myself now. and will eudea vo, 70 give an honest answer to an honest l query
 Robinson Cruso.' Yes. that old
 book has never lost it's charm. It was l the first book I read in that distant 1 boyhood past. and now in the sa>e@ and
 yellow leaf, going down the valley Of | the shadow, now approaching the sey-
 enth Shakespearian age. I can still en-
 joy the immortal work of Defoe.
 David Copperfield' A favorite per-
 haps because it so contrasts with the
 modern. too realistic @~'oo- --.. !,