Kegular Institute Work 347 



small, vet chosen with great care. He selects books mainly along 

 the lines that especially interest him, buying books on science if 

 he desires to know what life is. Should he wish to know the mean- 

 ing of life, he studies books on philosophy and religion ; while if 

 he wishes to know how life may be intensified he selects books of 

 romance. There is little to be suggested to the mature reader 

 whose tastes are fixed, but to those who have read omnivorously 

 with no especial aim, and wish to undertake special reading, it 

 may be well to suggest that the more elementary books along the 

 chosen line be undertaken first, possibly a sichool textbook. This 

 is especially helpful if one is undertaking scientific reading where 

 technical terms must be understood before the text can be appre- 

 ciated. And a second suggestion is that " all novels may be divided 

 ,into -two great classes — those that make us think and those that 

 keep us from thinking," and that each class may have its place. 

 Wlien a person is perplexed and troubled, the reading of a short 

 story whose aim is merely to amuse may rest the mind so that after 

 the reading it is in a better state to grasp and solve its problems. 

 But, usually, it is better to read the book that gives food for 

 thought. 



I am unwilling to leave the subject of books without making 

 direct reference to the masterpiece of the ages — the Bible. And 

 that my words may have more weight, I will quote from a recent 

 article by Hon. James Bryce. He says: '' Viewed from a literary 

 standpoint it stands alone, both from its antiquity and variety of 

 contents. Its prose narrative is direct, terse, exact, yet imagina- 

 tive. Its stories have a vivid quality modem pens cannot produce. 

 It contains war songs like the songs of Miriam and Moses and 

 Deborah and Barak, and meditative and devotional poems as in 

 the psalms and prophets. There is a philosophic tinge in the 

 strange drama of Job, where the Hebrew mind reaches its highest 

 level of sustained poetic power. It is full of imagination, warmth, 

 power, and weird sublimity. Although more than two thousand 

 years old, it is still fresh, because it touches the primitive feelings 

 of faith and fervor." He further says that " the Bible is a model 

 ■of pure, simple, melodious English which should be doubly 

 precious to us in these days." 



The neglect of Bible reading may trace back to the long Puritan 

 Sabbaths where children were compelled to hear it read by rote 



