The Dolores star., 1924-12-05

(Magi, wise men), as told in St Matthew, Chap
ter II:
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea, in the days of Herod the king. behold,
there came wise from the East Jerusalem
Saying. where is He that is born King of the
Jews for We have seen His star in the East, and
are come to worship Him.
When Herod the king had heard these things. he
troubled. and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests
and scribes of the people together, he demanded
OF them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him. in Bethlehem of Judea:
And thou Bethlehem. in the land of Juda,
not the least among the princes of Juda: for out
OF thee shall come governor that shall rule my
Then Herod, when he had privlly called wise
star appeared.
And he them bethlehem. said. Go
when ye have found Him. bring word again.
that may come and worship Him also.
When they had heard the king. they departed
and 10. the star. which they saw in the East. went
before them till 1t came and stood over where the
young child
When they the they reioced with
ceednE great joy.
And when they were come into the house they
saw the young child with Mary His mother.
fell down and worsniped Him and when they had
opened their treasures. they presented Him
gifts: gold and franhincense, and myrrh.
The Bible is the Book of Chrstmastde 1t is
the Book of Sunday. 1t is also the Book OF Every
Day. For the Bible is the Best Seller, year in and
year out all over the world The presses cannot
keep pace with the demand.
Why this demand? Why do the millions of
earth in this Twentieth century buy and read this
old book when new and important and up-to-date
books are turned out every day of the year and
every -Four of the day? How is 1t that widely
separated peoples adopting "A book and a lit
erature in n foreign tongue? The Bible Is itself
the best answer to these and similar questions
To young American it might be said that he
must read the English Bible because he cannot
afford to be ignorant of it. Ignorant of Its con-
tents he will be unable to understand much of
the best of English literature, and unable to ap-
precate much of the greatest in art and music.
The most important reason however, Is that his
ignorance of the Bible will deprive him of the
greatest source of moral strength and inspiration.
Part of this argument, of course. is hardly ap-
plicable Asia to Africa.
Nevertheless, it is not sentiment and not pietistic
sectarian zeal that keeps the Bible press going
day and night The law of supply and demand is
working here everywhere And anything that
is continually sought for and purchased is worth
Its price to the buyers the demand will die down
and out There is that in the Bible for which
the hearts of all peoples cry out.
And there is doubt whatever that the Bible
IS the worlds Best Seller. There are believed to
be about 900 tongues in among the peoples
of the world. The Bible, whole, or in part,
is published infTO of these languages and di-
alects. The whole Bible has been translated into
15S Of these languages; the New Testament into
142 other languages; portions in each case (at
least complete book of the Bible) into 442
other languages and briefer portions into 4S other
languages. The principal organizations engaged
In the translation of the Bible are the British and
Foreign Bible society and the American Bible
ciety, of which Edwin Francis Hyde (portrat
herewith), a New York banker, Is now president.
Il wealthy Italian paid S25O,OOO for famous
Bible the other day. New Yorker recently paid
100000 for the "Mazarin Bible" About the same
time the American Bible society announced that
It had received an order for 100000 copies of
the Scriptures be sold for one cent apiece. The
range between the prices tells a story. In spite
of the light fiction tonnage annually thrown on the
market the Bible is still supreme as the Best
Seller In eight years the sale of popular Amer
fcan novelists books the second best sellers, has
reached 10 900 OOO whereas in the same period
more than 24OOOOOOO copies of the Bible have
been sold At the present rate of distribution the
whole world may he supplied before the end of
the century. OF last years total about one-fOurth