The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-09-21

munity life be so arranged-if neces-
sary, so drastically rearranged-as to
give cur teachers more leisure for
cultural reading This is as important
from the literary viewpoint as time
allotment for meditation is from the
spiritual viewpoint. We don't expect
ideal conditions, and we are content
to make bricks without straw; but at
least suffer us to have clay and water
And insofar as the individual teacher
is permitted to arrange his own pro-
gram of free time, he might we'll see
to it that there be less frittering and
Tuning and fussing over nOn-essen-
tials and more whole-hearted devotion
to the things of the mind. Many
promising teacher of English has been
spoiled - self-spoiled = through the
habit of literary Irritation in lieu of a
grand passion for books.
And thirdly, let me suggest, with
bated breath and with deepest reVer-
ence for those who sit in the seats
of the mighty, that the problem of
English teaching will never be solved
until superiors, principals, inspectors,
directors of study, superintendent Of
schools and all similarly potent, grave
and reverend SigniorS realize and eX-
emplify in their own proper persons
the Joy and the wealth and the power
and the glory that come of the feeling
for literature. They, of all men, can
least afford to ignore the great books
of the race. They do not neglect their
devotional exercises, for they see the
wisdom of feeding their souls; some
some of them, like Hamlet, grow fat
and scant of BREATH" whence it may
be inferred that they fail not to feed
the body. Is it fitting that they whose
Office is to understand men and lead
men should suffer the dust to gather
on the wisdom books of the ages,
should carry the practice of holy
modification to the point of intellec
tual starvation? If teacher devoid
of the feeling for literature cannot
awaken that feeling in children, how
can the superior, similarly bereft, act
as guide, comforter and inspirer to
the teacher thirsting for literary
knowledge and forming literary taste?
Every day reserve one hour-com-
posed preferably of sixty consecutive
minutes-for reading in one of the
worlds great books. 1t may be good
old Thomas attempts or that saint
who truly had the feeling for litera-
ture, Augustine of Hippo; it may be
a lyric OF Keats or novel of Thack-
eray's, a play of Shakespeare or an
essay of Ruskin's; it may be heart
cry from Sophocles or chuckle from
Lamb. But read it, live it, enjoy it,
ponder it, caress it, absorb it. And
presently as the days roll into weeks
you will find yourself turning to the
Golden Hour and taking refuge in it's
depths with something of the happy
anticipation and tenderness that are
yours when the bell calls you to the
holy places: and as the weeks cluster
into months you will find new power
and new beauty in everyday words,
learn the way of them in written
speech and relish the SAVIOR of them
on the tongue, their music in the ear;
and as the months fall into the pro-
cession of years you will find your Wis
ion of life deepened and broadened
and sweetened and your philosophy of
life more sympathetic and more sure;
and as the years pass in serried order
over your aging head you will find
ltmore of Gods love and Gods beauty
in the work of your hands and that
work itself more fruitful, more profit
able and more pleasing. From time to
time little birds of rumor will perch
for fieeting second on your shoulder
and whisper in your ear of difficulties
lsyOus have. suncnnScinllaIu 1issinafadA e