acter represented and pursuing his fate to the bitter end. To do
that is to gain to some extent the effect of companionship and its
enlightening, enlarging and satisfying influence. To the extent that we
are able to do this shall we combat and overcome the stagnation and the
pain of loneliness.

As a by-product of the same exercise, we shall gain a new knowledge of
our own capacity. We shall take a long step in the direction of obeying
the old dictum to "know thyself." If, for instance, we are reading the
part of Hamlet, and are trying to adopt his life and problem for the
time being for our own, we learn how much we could suffer, how strongly
we could determine, how fiercely we could doubt and yet struggle on, how
tenderly we could love and yet resign, how all these things we could
feel if we were really the Hamlet of the great play of Shakespeare.

In this way we gain an enlargement of our own nature and receive
inspirations to heroism on our own part. This is not wasted time, for
there is no life that does not afford opportunity for heroism or that
does not need inspirations to courage and fortitude.

There are people who do not enjoy reading a play. They miss the constant
running description of movement and gesture, of scenery and color and
background, of meaning and prophecy and scope that are found in a story
or in narrative of any kind. They are not accustomed to supplying the
pictures of the story from the resources of their own imagination.
However valuable a discipline it may be for them to learn how to make up
imaginary backgrounds instead of depending upon the writer's aid, to
that form of discipline they will not give the trouble. But if such
readers will take the play into the family circle, and using several
copies of the text, assign parts to each of the family, and thus read
the text aloud, letting the words spoken by each of the characters give
the suggestion for action, and encouraging each one to give the proper
expression and gesture as he reads his part, the meaning will come clear
as the scene goes on, and the proper enjoyment of the play as a play
will enter into each one that shares the cast. If this does not happen
with the first reading, it will come with the second or third. It is a
pretty poor play that will not bear several readings; while as for the
greatest of dramatists, Shakespeare, his plays will stand many and many
a reading. It would be a good winter's enjoyment on a far away farm,