at present conducted, is pulling the stones from
the foundations of public morality, and weakening, and in many quarters
endangering, the whole structure of society. The atmosphere of the
modern theater is lustful and irreverent. It is a good place for
Christians to keep away from. It is a good opportunity for the strong
man to deny himself for the sake of his younger or weaker brother."

PART II. WORTHY SUBSTITUTES.

"Get the spindle and thy distaff ready, and God will send
thee flax."

VI. BOOKS AND READING.

MANY BOOKS, MUCH READING.

TO-DAY every one reads. Go where you may, you will find the paper, the
magazine, the journal; printed letters, official reports, exhaustive
cyclopedias, universal histories; the ingenuous advertisement, the
voluminous calendar, the decorated symphony; printed ideals, elaborate
gaming rules, flaming bulletins; and latest of all, we have begun to
publish our communications on the waves of the air. In this hurly-burly
of many books and much reading, it is no mean problem to know why one
should read; and what, and how, and when. Especially does this problem
of general reading confront the student, the lover of books, and
those of the professions. Essays are to be read, the historical, the
philosophical, and the scientific; novels, the historical and the
religious; books of devotion, books of biography, of travel, of
criticism, and of art. What principles are to guide one in his choice of
reading, that he may select only the wisest, purest, and helpfulest from
all these classes of books?

WHY READ.

Read to acquire knowledge. Knowledge is the perception of truth. One
arrives at knowledge by the assimilation of facts and principles, or
by the assimilation of truth itself. Three sources of knowledge are
experience, conversation, and reading. Experience leads one slowly to
knowledge, is limited entirely to the path over which one has passed,
and is a "dear teacher." To acquire knowledge by conversation is to put
one at the mercy of his associates, making him dependent upon their
good favor, truthfulness, and learning. But reading places one in direct
communication with the wisest and best persons of all time. To
acquire knowledge by reading is to defy time and space, persons and
circumstances, at least, in our day of many and inexpensive books.
Through books facts live, principles operate, justice acts, the light of
philosophy gleams, wit flashes, God speaks.