THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 69 



out being cultured by them — may pass in and 

 out of their society and gain nothing from them 

 of any value ; but when these great world books 

 enter into him and leave the essence of their 

 life and worth, and he has assimilated it all into 

 his character and grown strong and wise and 

 kind, then is he cultured and has power. One 

 may have read the Bible and Shakespeare and 

 the poets and the philosophers and be not per- 

 ceptibly improved because he read only with 

 his outer senses ; he may have travelled, but not 

 with his very soul alert and intent ; he may have 

 seen pictures, but only with the eye ; heard ora- 

 torios only with his ear and grew duller as the 

 years went on and by. 



Culture comes from exposing one's sensitive 

 soul to the very life thoughts and things, and 

 so taking them in. Culture is the opening up 

 of new experiences, and receiving special con- 

 tributions from best sources. We would rather 

 find ourselves surrounded by noble folks than 

 by ignoble ; this is true in fiction and life. We 

 prefer the better class, men and women of pur- 

 pose and spirit, who look out on life with great 

 hopes and longings and determinations, who 

 mingle with their fellows because of the love of 

 it, and not for the gain or selfish schemes. One 

 can't always have ideal things and persons 



