"THE PLEASURES OF LIFE" 247 



the mceurs of your society, I have been hitherto hesitated 

 to fulfill the task : while, by the hint given by Mr. 

 Masaki, translator of your another work, I am very 

 happy now to do the task long intended. — Greeting your 

 health and prosperity, I am, dear Sir, yours most 

 sincerely, Nobunori Honda. 



Address : 



Nobunori Honda 



Lecturer & Secretary of the Waseda-Daigaku, 

 (Waseda University), Tokyo. 



I think that Sir John appreciated the follow- 

 ing from a working man, evidently of superior 

 intelligence, as highly as any that he received : 



Sir — I have for some days been thinking how much I 

 should like to write you on the subject of the grand little 

 book you have written entitled the Pleasures of Life. 



Although I am only a working man and my means of 

 purchasing books very poor, still I manage to get a 

 glimpse of works which are beyond my reach to purchase, 

 through the medium of our fine Reference Library of 

 which I often avail myself when I can find time. I have 

 just been to have a look at the Pleasures of Life and I 

 am prompted to write you my sincere thanks for having 

 produced such a book which I feel sure will be read with 

 interest, pleasure and advantage by many thousands of 

 working men. I consider it a book that will inspire us 

 with better thoughts as to the many advantages which 

 are within our reach if we will but make the necessary 

 effort to enjoy them. You are right, Sir, when you say 

 many are deterred from reading what are termed stiff 

 books for fear they should not understand them, but 

 for a working man I consider the cultivation of a love of 

 reading will indeed prove to be a blessing as in a good 

 book he has company that will be of lasting benefit to 

 both himself and his family, and company that will not 

 attract him from his home for pleasures of a doubtful 

 character. I speak from experience when I say this, 

 as I am fully aware of the many temptations that beset 

 the path of the workman. I have for many years taken 

 a pleasure in reading, beginning with that great triumph 

 of this 19th century, the daily newspaper, till I acquired 



