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satisfied or happy if withdrawn entirely from the world of letters.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. Inthe 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 uscd for a library is of octagon form, built of 
stone, and was formerly a prison. Each of its eight alcoves has 
a window, so that it is well supplied with 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. 
