Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Does the Bible seem a tumble to
you?
1t does to at least one Washing
tonian, who has written me In regard
to the list of 10 great books recently
printed in this column.
The list. it will be remem bered,
started off with the Bible. The cor
respondent says: Il hope others will
profit by reading the books you have
named. It's too bad the Bible WASH
written In a style that would keep a
person interested from start to finish
instead Of being such a tumble, as 1t
seems to be-"
Undoubtedly there are many others
to whom the Bible seems somethin 6
Of tumble. chiefly composed Of pas
sages like this: And Serug lived SO
years, and begat Major, and Serug
lived after he begat Major 200 years
and begat sons and daughters. And
Major lived and 20 years. and begat
Terah; and Major lived after he bega.
Terah 11s years"
Even the most ardent Bible student
would be forced to confess that there
Is nothing very interesting or in
spring in such a passage as that
Our Bible Is full of them. too, what
with genealogies, specifications for
building temples, laws of ritual and
oblations, publication and atonemeni
and what not.
All these passages, which tend to
mako a tumble out of the Bible
to the average reader, In reality have
little to do with the real Bible the
world loves and reveres. They are
interesting, as any other very old
record Is Interesting. II you happen
to be Interested In that sort OF thing
The true Bible lies In those i'm
mortal passages which stir the hear,
and soul of men. and in the golden
thread running through the Old and
New Testsments which is the basis OF
the religion OF Jesus Christ.
10 know even few OF these grea,
passages is to take step forward
in appreciation of the Bible, so tina,
the pages of the Scriptures will not
longer be g. tumble. but a treasure
trove out Of which one may select a,
Will the true pearls.
How many unopened Bibles rest ir
honored state In American homes
no one will ever know. The Bible So
cieties declare, and undoubtedly they
are right, that every home has 1t:
Bible. The Gideons have seen to /,
that every hotel room has a Bible
resting on the dresser.
Rut how many children have you
seen SITTING around In mOuern hOns
reading the Bible? How many weary
travellers have you noticed in theii
two by -four hotel bedroom drinking
In the precious waters of life?
In the average home you will fnG
the Bible coated with dust. and the
red edged volumes in the hotel rooms
as Immaculate as the day they were
placed there.
In the first place. the print used ir
S out of 10 Bibles is atrocious. 1t al.
ways seemed to me a waste of eff.
fort to send a Bible to the heathen-
either here or abroad---in little bitt
type that only a man with X-ray eyes
could read.
In the second place, our modern life
tends to make us shrink from talk
ing or reading sacred things befor,
the public eye. That Is the main rea
son why every child ought to have 6
small bookcase in his own room, sc
that he may retire into the privacy
of it, and into the privacy Of his owT
soul. to read the books that ough
to be read that way.
You will not catch the averag,
small boy running the risk of being
"kidded" by being seen by companions
reading the Bible. That Is the fact
whether you admit 1t or not.
There have been many worthy at,
tempts to select the treasures of tht
Bible for the general reader. Rev
DR.. L.. G. B. Pierce of this city ha:
made a most interesting and helpful
volume of gleanings.
The drawback to all books of thi.