The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-13

Fields, I have spent profitable even ing. I am glad that you are re- created; shall endeavor 70 follow your example, so that I, too, may rejoice in re-creation.p
 That is fine,' replied Judge Brown, but let us not refrain from endeavoring to influence others to join the reading club, that they also may enjoy similar re-creation.'
 A pretty story, isn't it? and d con ever agree with our friend the Great Commoner," MT. William Jennings Bryan, who says that. "the spiritual nature needs nourishment no less than the body. and religious books supple ment the Bible, the church, and the Sunday school The religious book section of the Christian library should be large and often consulted"
 Again we feel the larger signifi- cancep of "Religious sook Week. through story told by Lynn Harolh Hough, entitled "The Magic of Good BOOKS, Tn which he says.
 My friend, John Clearfield, was ill one of his expansive moods. He felt very much like talking. And he had no doubt at all of the importance oi what he had to say. I knew the mood well, and so I sat in the chair opposite to him waiting eNpectantly.
 Most men need two things" he be- gan oracularly. They need a new mo- tive, and they need new environment Christianity gives them the new motive and they have to find their own way into the new environment"
 That sounds as if you would hay; every man move away from his ,olt home as soon as he becomes Chris tian.' I chuckled.
 l John smiled and drowned both at once in way he had.
 That is just what do mean in splt' of your flippancy." he said. of course I do not mean that man IS 10 stol living in the same house and meetint the same people. mean that the who'll | SSl Ol " iifNAt ---- " recognized in the old days s to o changed. He is to find new envi ronment in the old house. He Is to I'm new surroundings while meeting tn same old faces. He is to find an envi ronment in his mind which is to domi nate the environment of his body
 That sounds like some sort of sub tie new though" I interjected.
 Clearfield gave a little .grimace o distaste.
 It's all as simple as A B e. he safe If a man keeps reading good book and thinking the thoughts which the, suggest the time comes at last whel they literally create the mental an moral atmosphere in which he lives There are some men who live so nea to the Bible that the Bible dominate their thoughts and their feelings an their actions. What Isaiah says has sort of access to Nheir consciousness which is never obtained by the gossi of the next door neighbors And ther are people who read so many grea Christian biographies that they are lii erally surrounded by the Christia strength of the ages. Books have per formed the feat of magic which ha given them new and beautiful envi ronment"
 We sat silent for a moment. The John went on.
 4 Good books are the food of tn Christian. The new motive will gro weak and vanish at last unless It IS fe' And the books which take man int the very atmosphere of Christian H' ing and Christian achievement are supplement to the Christian motive ( 7 the most far-reaching power. To talk a man out of an unpleasant environ ment is merely to avoid his problem To give him d masterfufiy good boo which will enable him to create ne environment for his mind in the ol surroundings is to show him the wa