68 ISLES OF SUMMER. 



Even in the drowsy air of the Bahamas a studious man is not 

 satisfied or happy if withdrawn entirely from the world of letters. 

 He must wander at will in what to him is the very garden of the 

 gods — those literary fields where is found the choicest fruitage 

 of the most gifted and cultivated minds. In the mild climate of 

 Italy, the great Cicero found coveted rest and repose, not in list- 

 less idleness, but in a change of literary work. Mind, equally 

 with muscle, is toned up and strengthened by exercise, and soft- 

 ens in voluptuous repose. The tired intellectual worker who 

 seeks in Nassau rest, may, therefore, in moderation avail himself 

 of the benefits of its library. "With leisure and a library, his 

 mind will not become flabby while his body grows fat. 



The building used for a library is of octagon form, built of 

 stone, and was formerly a prison. Each of :ts eight alcoves has 

 a window, so that it is well supplied witli light and air. Con- 

 nected with the library there is a newspaper and magazine de- 

 partment, which adds materially to its value. A beginning (a 

 small nest egg) has also been made for a museum of natural 

 history. 



