ed by the
reading of history or astronomy than he would be by reading a sermon.
There may be overwrought and wearied states of the brain and nerves
which require and make proper the diversions of light literature; and
if so, let it be used. The mind must have its recreations as well as
the body."

"But for children and young people," said my daughter,--"would you let
them read novels on Sunday?"

"That is exactly like asking, Would you let them talk with people
on Sunday? Now people are different; it depends, therefore, on who
they are. Some are trifling and flighty, some are positively
bad-principled, some are altogether good in their influence. So of the
class of books called novels. Some are merely frivolous, some are
absolutely noxious and dangerous, others again are written with a
strong moral and religious purpose, and, being vivid and interesting,
produce far more religious effect on the mind than dull treatises
and sermons. The parables of Christ sufficiently establish the point
that there is no inherent objection to the use of fiction in
teaching religious truth. Good religious fiction, thoughtfully
read, may be quite as profitable as any other reading."

"But don't you think," said Marianne, "that there is danger in too
much fiction?"

"Yes," said I. "But the chief danger of all that class of reading is
its _easiness_, and the indolent, careless mental habits it induces. A
great deal of the reading of young people on all days is really
reading to no purpose, its object being merely present amusement. It
is a listless yielding of the mind to be washed over by a stream which
leaves no fertilizing properties, and carries away by constant wear
the good soil of thought. I should try to establish a barrier against
this kind of reading, not only on Sunday, but on Monday, on Tuesday,
and on all days. Instead, therefore, of objecting to any particular
class of books for Sunday reading, I should say in general that
reading merely for pastime, without any moral aim, is the thing to be
guarded against. That which inspires no thought, no purpose, which
steals away all our strength and energy, and makes the Sabbath a day
of dreams, is the reading I would object to.

"So of music. I do not see the propriety of confining one's self to
technical sacred music. Any grave, solemn, thoughtful, or pathetic
music has a proper relation to our higher spiritual nature, whether it
be printed in a church service-book or on secular