HOLIDAY LITERATURE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 588, 17 August 1909, Page 8

HOLIDAY LITERATURE.

Peoplo are-already beginning to consider what books they .will take with them.for their holidays, (said an English contemporary.j.the otlier day), and experience soon tea'.chSs H t|iSt the question is a more difficult one than it "at first appears. It is.not to,bo' argued, for instance, that a book which vrill please at home will please- in the country.' People who havo enjoyed reading "the first'half of a work'by their fireside often find that the stream of iraprossions flowing in'upon their mind: from new surroundings and occupations ■■• leaves them unable' to .resume the thread of, the argumenty and the book is laid aside as half live' and half dead. . On the whole, the patient must minister to himself," and take tho risk of his prescription not' succeeding. -.. Mr! J. B. Atkins in'his "Side Shows" tells us that his favourite holiday, book is Butler's "Analogy." A holiday, he argues, is for making up arrears ofreadirig, and. of all books, the "Analogy".is most upon his conscience. Ho has "often" read the preface, and even reached the " introduction,", but the body of the book being still-unread, it is still his favourite'holiday book. The -." Analogy "■ is also a. good boojj for those who, having much to do with books in , their'avocations, 'begin a' holiday .with the resolution .-to - read nothing. When, as'soon or later. ho.,will-' the Fiend says;."-Read.;.. Conscience, has. his. rejoinder ready,." If you niust rcadj }ea'd your Butler," and the desire is checked: It is.a dreadfurthingj however, to find oneself, flung upon',some : circulating, library at the far side. of .a ..desert.' Even.the fiction there is often of a sort to, remind youihow many authors of yfl'ur- own generation' : there are whose, names you have never'heardidf'and who have written books with-which titles you are-unfamiliar; . One would think that the genius of Kipps had presided over their selection. " One .book's; very like anbther," said Kipps. •"After; all; what'is it? Something to read arid done with. . It isn't a thing that matters,' like print dresses and 'serviettes—. where -you either -like, them or people' judge' ybii by. They take,'what you give 'em in-books and lib'ries,'and glad'to be, told what -to-." i> Yet ■ one is not bettered who flees from-fiction-to such tough old favourites as .Gibbon's "Decline <and Fall" -or Smiles's-'.'Lives.'of'the Engineers."' , It is as if a man*fled'.frpm a lion-arid a bfear"met him. That library at St; Ronan's AVell'was singularly'• fortunate whioh • ■ could ' furnish "Bell's 'British' Theatre,' Millers ''Modern' and Ancient Drama,' arid about twenty odd volumes in; which stray-tragedies and'comedies were-associated, like the passengers in a mail- coach,, without the" least attempt' at selection '■•'■ ,-'