BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM The St. Louis Public Library Collection of Favorites Second Edition PRICE, TEN CENTS ST. LOUIS 1913 FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION T HESE twenty lists, each of which is by a different person, and no two by the same one, have appeared from time to time in the pages of the Monthly Bulletin of the St. Louis Public Library, beginning December 1910, and ending with Novem¬ ber 1912. The series was the result of an attempt to make the personal equation count for a little more in the compilation of book-lists. The lists are the expression of personal likes, not necessarily of critical approval, and they are probably in most cases not lists of the books that the writers like best. Nor are the anno¬ tations necessarily critical, although they may be so in some cases. The lists are precisely what the title indicates, and no more than this; and the editor has the utmost confidence in the good faith of the various writers. He does not believe that a single one of them is posing. There has not been the slightest attempt to “balance” the lists, or even to inquire in what proportions they are made up of one or another class of literature. Until the numerical sum¬ mary by classes was made for the present compilation, the editor did not know, for instance, whether the lists contained more history than travel, or vice versa. He may have suspected that fiction would lead; but then fiction will always lead, so long as it is the only class of literature whose writers realize that it is their duty to interest the reader. The number of authors represented in the twenty lists is 221 and. only 50 of them are on more than one list. The catholicity of taste shown in the lists is further illustrated by the fact that the favorite author, Clemens, appears in only six of the twenty lists, and that only one of his books appears in two lists. None of the favorite books appears in more than three lists and only two in as many as this, namely, Kipling’s Jungle Book and Lear’s Nonsense Book. Besides these, only 20 books appear in more than one list. This may be partly due to the avoidance, in making out the lists, of titles that had appeared previously, but it appears to reflect also the variety of individual taste. ARTHUR E. BOSTWICK. St. Louis Public Library, December 1912. FOREWORD TO SECOND EDITION The unexpected demand for this collection of lists has made necessary the issue of a new edition. The matter has been entirely reset, mistakes have been corrected, and the whole appears jn a more fitting dress. June 11th, 1913 A. E. B. 6-2-S.) ■ Books I Like and Why I Like Them No. i Austen, J. Pride and prejudice. 69b I like the delicate style which gives all the details of the little picture with the faithfulness of a photograph. Then, I love those perfect idiots^ Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins, as well as the eminently sensible Elizabeth. Carmichael, M. Life of John William Walshe. 69b The style of the book interests me, and I love the character • of John William Walshe, who, with all his saintliness, has his funny little whims and foibles. Clemens, S. L. Huckleberry Finn. 69b I enjoy the excitement and humor of the adventures of ITuck and Nigger Jim, and the picture of the life on the great Mississippi in the old times. Dickens, C. Pickwick papers. 69b The characters of the book are all amusing and their ad¬ ventures are highly improbable, but very funny. My favorite in the book is Sam Weller, whose original humor is only equaled by his devotion to Mr. Pickwick. Daudet, A. Letters from my mill. 69b The style of the book is charming. I never tire reading the stories of The last class, M. Seguin’s goat, The pope is dead —in fact, all of them, for their plots and atmosphere. Fletcher, B. and B. F. History of architecture, on the com¬ parative method. 65a This is a very clear exposition of a subject which has al¬ ways interested me. By the system of comparisons throughout the book, I finally got to know the difference between Byzan¬ tine and Romanesque, and English and French Gothic, which was quite an achievement. Gregory, A. (P.), Lady. Gods and fighting men. 15 The book gives a vivid picture of ancient Ireland and is full of all sorts of exciting adventure. I love the half real, half fairy Diarmuid, Grania, Finn and Ossian. 4 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Guerin, E. de. Journal. 97b This is an account of a very humdrum, quiet life, but ali the little details are treated with the greatest charm. It has many lovely bits of description of simple things whose beauty is overlooked by most people. Besides, the character of Eugenie herself is very lovable. Joinville, J. de. St. Louis, King of France. 97b The life of one of my greatest heroes, written by his friend and associate. It is full of quaint touches and interesting de¬ tail, giving a lively picture of the trials and joys of the old cru¬ saders. Shakespeare, W. As you like it. 822.33 The outdoor fairy setting of the play in the Forest of Arden appeals to me. I also enjoy the humor, the story of the play, and like the characters. Smith, F. H. Gondola days. 914.53 In the first place, the book is about Venice. Then, it tells of many interesting things that you do not get any idea of from sober histories or practical guide books. The style is delightful and personal. Stevenson, R. L. Travels with a donkey. 914.4 This is a story of leisurely travel in a country which inter¬ ests me very much. I enjoy the outdoor descriptions, and the little incidents of the journey. In addition, I admire the style of the book, and the man who wrote it. Tennyson, A. Idylls of the king. 821 All the mediaeval romances have great fascination for me, but most of all the King Arthur cycle of stories. The far-away romantic setting, the adventures of the knights, the spells of Merlin, all interest me. I love the characters in these stories, and in the case of the Idylls, the beautiful way Tennyson tells of them. Theocritus. Idylls. 884 The pictures of the life of the old Greek shepherds are full of beauty. Many of their thoughts and much of their conversa¬ tion is very modern. The idylls made me feel that the Greeks were a very human, companionable people, in spite of their wonderful achievements. No. 2 Arabian Nights. 398 The picture of an alien civilization perfect in its way and as stimulating as travel to the stay-at-home, while its wizardry is as fascinating to “grown-ups” as fairy lore is to children. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 5 Bernard of Cluny. De Conspectu Coeli. Filled with a longing- for things celestial that is like a sweet pain. The translated fragments of Neale—“Jerusalem the Golden” and the others—reflect it, but only faintly, as they are unfortunately in a different metre. Bryce, J. American commonwealth. 26 The most just, sympathetic and inspiring account of things American ever penned. I)oyle, A. C. Sherlock Holmes. 69b An example of how one may come to love the impossible. No one ever wrote detective stories like these and no imitations have approached them. As fast as I forget the plots I re-read them. Harland, H. Short stories. 69b I like these even better than his “Cardinal’s Snuff-box,” which is a masterpiece in its way. Humorous, grotesque, sweet, pathetic, whimsical—altogether adjective-exhausting tales. Heine, H. All his lyrics. They have the ballad-spirit, its careless swing, its utter lack of the complexities. I never' tire of Die Lorelei, hackneyed as it is. Henry, O., pseud. Short stories. The inventor of new forms of humor, chief among them the peculiar use of big words and stilted phraseology that he puts into the mouths of his rough and semi-educated characters. Besides this, the humanity and kindliness of his best stories and his fertility of invention makes them worth reading. Holmes, O. W. Autocrat of the breakfast table. 817 One of the few really humorous American books. Most of our so-called humor is wit—it makes you laugh aloud. This makes you smile inside. Hope, A., pseud. Dolly dialogues. 69b Wit that is epigrammatic without the traditional sting, but instead of it an occasional jolt that stimulates thought. Cyn¬ icism with touches of humanity. Kipling, R. Nearly all the short stories, especially those of India, like '‘The man who was” and “The man who would be king”; and those with a tinge of the occult, like “The greatest story in the world” and “The brushwood boy.” Kipling is distinctly a male story-teller; he is discursive when discursiveness lends atmo¬ sphere, and incisive, even brusque, when the story requires it. Every tale teems with richness; he never dilutes. 6 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Melville, G. W. In the Lena delta. 919.8 The best-written book of Arctic adventure. Heroic deeds simply told by a hero. Poe, E. A. Almost everything' he ever wrote, but particularly the Cask of Amontillado and The Gold Bug'. The greatest literary genius that we ever produced. Ruskin, J. Modern painters. 65c The most gorgeous word-painting ever achieved by string¬ ing together English syllables. Scott, Sir W. Quentin Durward. 69b The peculiar combination of Scott’s genius with his choice of characters and setting in this particular book has always fascinated me. Thomas of Celano, Dies irae. 9a This wonderful medieval poem is as relentless as a thunder¬ storm and has the bass music of some of Grieg’s Scandinavian pieces. Trevelyan, Sir G. O. American Revolution. 973.3 The most successful recent attempt to make the dry bones of history live. It is so anecdotal as to be almost gossipy, and yet the story moves steadily. Trollope, A. Novels, especially the Barchester series. 69b These books I could not abide when I was younger, but the prosy matter-of-factness that then repelled me has now come to exert a sort of chastened fascination. Wells, H. G. Earlier stories such as The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The Island of Dr. Moreau—these I like far better than his later and more ambitious efforts. They are logically worked out and there is allegory between the lines for the astute. Wilkins, M. E. Short stories. 69b Nearly all of them are masterpieces of character delineation in a somewhat narrow field. She has unwittingly done New England harm by leading her readers to regard that field as co-extensive with reality, but that is not her fault. Wister, O. Lady Baltimore. 69b Our most delicate and sympathetic literary workman, who writes only when he has something to say and then says it incomparably. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 7 No. 3 Amiel, H. F. Amiel’s journal. 97b The author’s power of self-analysis and his vivid poetical descriptions appeal to me. He seems to feel so intensely all the beauty by which he is surrounded that he makes it visible to the reader. Yet the undercurrent of hopeless sadness be¬ tokens a man who has lost his hold on life. Bazin, R. La terre qui meurt. 69e Not only the author’s even and forceful style and beautiful French are pleasing, but the story is so striking. It depicts thq threatened conditions in French agricultural life, the deso¬ lation of the land deserted by the younger generation, who swlarm to the cities to fall victims to poverty and disillusion. The description of the funeral among the Fens is a master¬ piece. full of pathos, and so vivid that it passes before the eyes like a reflection of the real. Benson, A. C. Thread of gold. 824 A collection of jewel-like mosaics. With his superlative love of nature and his joy in all beauty, Benson possesses a rare gift of expression; the very phrasing and choice of words is so perfect as to be a delight. Over all the delicate, 'fleeting impressions of humanity and nature at its loveliest, there hov¬ ers an intangible shadow. One feels that the man is a sufferer, mentally or physically, that his grasp at times becomes weak, and that he suffers doubly thereby. Benson, E. F. The Osbornes. 69b No one can help loving the good-hearted, unpretentious family. They are charming because so natural and unassum¬ ing; all the little foibles and peculiarities are faithfully por¬ trayed, but lose force among the lovable qualities of the old couple. Their unshaken love and loyal admiration for each other, the unspoiled enjoyment of wealth and social success, would become Baucis and Philemon. Brookfield, C. H. E. and Mrs. F. Mrs. Brookfield and her circle. 97b Intensely interesting because it introduces one so inti¬ mately to people of note and achievement, not in the glare of publicity, as they are usually seen, but in the delightful home circle with delightful friends. One realizes that one’s heroes are human, though touched with the divine spark. Coulevain, P. de. L’isle inconnue. 69e The writer reveals the gift of impartial judgment to an unusually high degree; she has studied national characteristics with an unbiased mind, and in all her criticism she is fair alike in praise and censure. She unerringly puts her Anger on the weak points, but tracing them to their causes, makes allow- 8 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY ances. Her philosophy of life is sound, and like a true opti¬ mist, she thinks that the good in life far outweighs the evil. Dickens, C. Tale of two cities. 69b Though Dickens’ delicious humor is greatly missing in this book, to my mind it is the most dramatic, powerful thing he ever wrote. He seems to have absorbed the troublous spirit of the times; his grewsome Madame LaParge has be¬ come a living personality and stands for the horror of the Revolution, while Sidney Carton is a type of the many heroes of the Terror. Edwardes, T. Lift luck on southern roads. 914.2 It is the most alluring account of an autumn wandering. Haste is far from the traveler’s mind; he saunters between hedgerows bright with scarlet foliage and berries, over downs where the breeze nips shrewdly, through misty woods w;ith leaves rustling under foot, asking a lift on his way from any form of conveyance passing, and exchanging views on life with many quaint characters. Evelyn, J. Diary. 97b Written at about the same time as that of Pepys, it is such an utter contrast, that both should be read to obtain a cor¬ rect impression of the period. JEvelyn, too, consorts with ..ie great men of the period, and has to do with state affairs, but finds time to travel much and read widely. He is full of dig¬ nity, does not condescend to gossip, and is interested espe¬ cially in the noteworthy matters of the day, be they scientific, artistic or literary. Franck, H. A. Vagabond journey around the world. 910.4 The pluck and endurace of the man move to admiration. He undergoes hardships and privations, even puts his life at stake scores of times, but he sticks to his purpose. He reveals the shady side of globe-trotting;. we see the world from a new and enlightening point of view. Lowe, W. H. Chronicle of friendships. 97b It is the narrative of a man among men; thrown among the moving spirits of the artistic and literary world, his chron¬ icle runs the gamut from the Bohemian cameraderie of stu¬ dent days to the close and sympathetic friendships of the suc¬ cessful artist. In the pages are seen R. L. Stevenson, St. Gau- dens and others in a new and very human light. Maeterlinck, M. Pelleas and Melisande. 842 In addition to the beauty and delicacy of the style, the poetry of the language, the quaintness and mediaeval char¬ acter of the setting, there is a mysticism about the story, a half-felt, underlying, hidden meaning that stimulates the im¬ agination, and tempts one to the thankless task of interpreting another’s ideas. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 9 Morris, W. Well at the world’s end. 69b Morris’ tales possess the charm of fairy tales. The variety of theme, beauty and purity of phrasing-, the musical flow and cadence of the lines, and fitness of treatment to times are en¬ trancing. His men and women are splendid creatures unspoiled by civilization. The idyllic quest for the fabled well over sunny plains and strange rocky fastnesses, and the adventures of the seekers fascinate from beginning to end. Pepys, S. Diary. 97b Possesses an unusual interest because of the very detailed account of his times. Holding an office under the crown, he was closely connected with the court, and his remarks and (perhaps innocently) severe criticisms are full of good sense and humor. He reveals the ins and outs of court life without restraint. He impresses one as being a bustling busy-body, fond of good living, fine clothes and gossip, with his finger m many pies. Phillpotts, E. Three brothers. 69b Phillpotts’ stories of Devonshire life are full of the atmos¬ phere of the country he pictures so lovingly in detail; and he unrolls vista after vista of rolling down and misty hollow, broken by masses of beetling crags. His characters are full of quaint wisdom and pithy remarks. The three brothers are as different in nature as in appearance; each is admirable in his way, and not for a moment is any individuality lost or weakened. The book gains in strength to the very end. Waddington, Mrs. M. A. (K.) Chateau and country life in France. 914.4 Though lacking any great literary merit, the book is chatty and keeps one closely in touch with the interesting events in court life and diplomatic circles abroad, with a charming picture of family life. No, 4 Austen, J. Emma. 69b All of her novels are a recreation; being old-fashioned, they have no problems to vex. Balzac, H. de. Pere Goriot. 69b To me the most powerful, terrible and yet fascinating tale I ever read. Burns, R. Poems. 821 Next to Shakespeare 1 would choose Burns, not as the greatest poet—but to re-read for the human interest in his poems. 10 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Carroll, L. Alice in Wonderland. 70 A source of joy to me when a child, though its peculiar hu¬ mor could not be wholly appreciated until later. Some one has said that he liked Shakespeare because he is so full of quotations—even so Alice. Crothers, S. M. Gentle reader. 814 These are such cheerful essays, from the reader’s point of view, and brim full of humor. DeQuincey, T. Confessions of an English opium eater. 824 My interest was held by the honesty, the horror, perhaps, and the brilliancy of this autobiography. Dickens, C. Our mutual friend. 69b On the whole, I believe, the most interesting of Dickens’ works. The kindly Boffins give a cheerful tone to the whole story. Dunbar, P. L. Folks from Dixie. 69b I was greatly interested in these bright dialect stories be¬ cause they were written by a Negro himself. Eliot, G. Silas Marner. 69b It stands in my recollection above all other -ction—a lit¬ erary gem. Grahame, K. Golden age. 69b A lifelike portrait of my own not altogether understood grown-up relations as they appeared to me in childhood. Its style is delightful. Harris, J. C. Uncle Remus. 15 Folklore in any form appeals to me, but I enjoy particu¬ larly the quaint Negro dialect and fancies of Uncle Remus. Irving, W. Astoria. 917.8 Pioneer schemes always attract me, and this particular adventure, a part of our history, I found especially interest¬ ing. Jenks, T. In the days of Goldsmith. 97b A little book that may be read in an evening or two— a picturesque and entertaining glimpse of the man and his time. Meredith, G. Egoist. 69b This, of course, held my attention by its mere story inter¬ est, then as a characteristic work of Meredith. Some phases of the story seemed improbable to me, but it has suggested the. fact that exaggerated egotism exists in numerous cases clothed in as many fashions. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 11 Sar dars, M. F. Honore de Balzac. 97b Certain biographies appeal to me more than do most sto¬ ries, and this is one of them, for the incidents of Balzac’s life are safely removed from the commonplace and a knowledge of nis experiences is a real factor in the enjoyment of his writings. No. 5 Browning, R. and E. B. Letters. 97b Liking is an inadequate word for the feeling with which one reads this self-revelation of two beautiful natures, each so eager to give and so reluctant to demand or accept sacrifice from, the other. It is a deep satisfaction to find in their lives, in even greater measure, the nobility that inspires their verse. It is a wonderful love story. Clemens, S. L. Following the equator. 910.4 On the whole, I like Following the Equator best of all of Mark Twain’s books. As a record of travel it is vivid and accurate and full of sympathetic observation, and the. humor is spon¬ taneous and unforced. Conrad, J. Romance. 69b I like Romance because it is romance; packed down, heaped up and running over. It is crammed full of adventure related in the rich and sombre vocabulary in which Conrad is un¬ excelled. Dickinson, G. L. Letters from a Chinese official. 29 An eloquent comparison of two civilizations by one of the most accomplished masters of English style writing today. A sympathetic and able defense of Chines© life and ethics and a severe indictment of Western arrogance. There is much food for thought in the finished sentences of this study of an alien people. Galsworthy, J. Fraternity. 69b - Man of property. 69b To my mind Galsworthy is the ablest novelist of the pres¬ ent time. He lays bare the weaknesses of society with an ap¬ palling clearness and brilliancy, and yet he is not hard. Al¬ though he unflinchingly “paints the things as he saw them," there is infinite compassion in his attitude. That he attempts no solution of the unforgetable problems he presents makes him none the less an artist. Hewlett, M. The queen’s quair. 69b This story of Queen Mary of Scotland has made her more intelligible to me than any of her historians have succeeded in doing. The traditional charm, which has so completely eluded 12 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY her portrait painters, does seem hers in these pages, and the background of intrigue, treachery and brutality of the Scot¬ tish court brings out her figure as that of one greatly sinned against as well as sinning. James, H. The Princess Casamassima. 09b This seems to me the most touching and tragic of the sto¬ ries of Henry James. It is simply told, quite free from the twists and inversions that disfigure his later work, but ful 7 . of penetration and subtlety. The figure of Hyacinth is almost unbearable in its pathos. Janvier, T. A. In the Sargasso Sea. 69b The most interesting sea story I ever read, possibly be¬ cause it is less nautical and less given to riggings and "ship ahoys” than most of its class. The old sailors’ legend of the South Atlantic has been skillfully used as the basis of the story, and to my mind the recent scientific expedition that has demonstrated that there is no such thing as the Sargasso Sea might have been more usefully employed^ Kipling, R. The jungle books. 70 For the lover of animals and the lover of fairy tales there is many an hour of unalloyed enjoyment to be found in the company of Mowgli and his friends and tutors of the jungle. Nowhere does Kipling’s genius weave a stronger spell than in these stories for children of all ages. Lamb, C. Essays of Elia. 824 Not all the praises of all the critics have been able to take away the charm, that abides in The essays of Elia. Their quaint¬ ness and grace and quiet humor are a perennial refreshment. Martin, Mrs. G. (M.) Emmy Lou. 69b I like Emmy Lou because she is absolutely convincing. A simple, ingenuous child, she moves and breathes and has her being in the daily round of childish experiences. Her story is so well told that one sees only the clear little picture and for¬ gets the art that painted it. Meynell, Mrs. A. C. (T.) The rhythm of life, and other essays 824 It is their fineness and distinction that gives these essays their place in my regard. Fresh in thought and exquisite in expression, they are perfect of their kind. Moody, W. V. The fire bringer. 812 On first reading The fire bringer I felt that here at last was an American who was a poet that wrote of great themes in the grand style. It does not suffer by comparison with the Greek dramas on which it is modeled, and its majesty and beauty give it, in my estimation, the first place in the achieve¬ ments of its author. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 13 Shakespeare, W. Hamlet 822.33 Whenever I re-read Hamlet, or see it acted, I wonder why I have allowed so much water to flow under the bridge since last enjoying that great pleasure. It is for me, as for a pro¬ founder critic, “The topmost flower on the tree of literature," and the feeling with which the volume is closed is that of abso¬ lute satisfaction. Shakespeare, W. Macbeth. 822.33 It is for sheer beauty of sound that I read Macbeth, and wale through its seas of blood. Shaw, G. B. Plays. 822 I have a great admiration for Bernard Shaw, notwith¬ standing his colossal impertinences. He is so keen, so logical and so witty, and his most daring attacks on conventions are so esentially clean-minded, that I find him wholesome as well as stimulating. Thackeray, W. M. Henry Esmond. 69b According to the science of eugenics Henry Esmond would have no showing at all in the hero class, but he contin¬ ues to hold his own in my affections and loses nothing by com¬ parison with the invincible gentlemen that reform politics and bust trusts, or drive motor cars, in the newest fiction. Witn all his faults, and perhaps because of them, I love film still, and certainly I could better spare many a better man. Tolstoi, L. N. War and peace. 69b It is in the thousand naive pictures of youth, of the indi¬ vidual and of the race, that I find the charm of this great mosaic. Nowhere can I recall such a portrayal of the vague yearnings and holy aspirations of human souls finding expres¬ sion in unworthy and inadequate actions, to the bewilderment and despair of the actors themselves. The glass is held up to nature and it is living figures that it reflects. Wells, H. G. A modern Utopia. 69b No form of fiction interests me more than the ideal states that philosophers have imagined, and of these sociological dreams that of Mr. Wells pleases me most. His pictured civili¬ zation appears so reasonable, so possible, that it seems incred¬ ible that we go on in the old sordid, blundering way when the path to a more beautiful world has been so clearly pointed out. Yeats, W. B. Land of the heart's desire. 822 When facts and machinery and brick walls have become unendurable, there is a way of escape to Fairyland by the pleasant path of the Land of the heart’s desire. Glamor and illu¬ sion are in its atmosphere and the sense of unseen but com¬ pelling powers surrounding mortal men. The effect of spon¬ taneity in a deliberate going back to old forms and feelings is quite remarkable. 14 ST. IyOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY No. 6 Arnold, M. Sohrab and Rustum. 821 Filled with the splendor and fatalism of the East. One of the most stirring- pieces of blank verse in our language. Clemens, S. L. Innocents abroad. i)14 I think the author never had so much fun as when living and writing this book. Eliot, G., pseud. Daniel Deronda. 09b The nearest to romance that the author ever came. Emerson, R. W. Essays. 814 Not to be read in large installments, but full of unexpected inspirations. Fiske, J. Critical period of American history. 973.3 The most absorbing volume of any American historian. Gray, T. Elegy written in a country church-yard. Its polished verses appealed to me early and I have never ceased to be fond of them. Green, J. R. History of the English people. 942 The author himself loves his subject, and tells the story of his England with an affectionate eloquence. Hawthorne, N. Twice told tales. 69b I like them better than Poe’s because they are less in¬ tense and never horrible. The style has -a wonderful even flow. Kipling, R. Jungle books. 70 They are unique. No talking animals ever seemed life¬ like before. Milton, J. Lycidas. 821 For its * high seriousness” and lyric beauty. Roosevelt, T. American ideals. 304 They are a good tonic for any of us. Scott, Sit W. Lady of the lake. 821 Not great poetry, but great romance. Shakespeare, W. Plays and sonnets. 822.33 It is quite impossible to choose from among them, but his name heads the list. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I DIKE THEM 15 Tennyson, A. Locksley Hall. 821 It is so altogether musical. Thackeray, W. M. Henry Esmond. 69b One of the most lovable characters in English fiction—a reflection perhaps of the author himself. Seton-Thompson, E. Lives -of the hunted. 69b The reader shares the author’s sympathy with the splen¬ did animals, whose very superiority over their fellows makes each a mark for the hunter, and carries each off in his prime. Wordsworth, W. Ode on intimations of immortality. 821 It will draw anyone to at least an abstract love of nature, and many of its lines are unforgetable. No. 7 Allen, J. L. A summer in Arcady. 69b His books read like the best of the “old country” novels. The warm, deep background of local history and color often makes me forget that he was born and raised in the “New World.” And then, the fine portraiture of the moods of men rather than their actions, the presentation of general truths in the garb of his local personages, lifts him to the pedestal of a first class author. Dickens, C. Tale of two cities. 69b Practically all the characters of this story have vanished from my mind except Sidney Carton, who is a live man with me today as he was at the moment when the axe of the guil¬ lotine fell upon him. The dramatic turn in the road of Car¬ ton’s almost wasted life, this supreme act of revived love and friendship, his instantaneous conversion to splendid manhood, are lodged in my memory as a powerful preachment. Hilty, C. Happiness. 170.4 The two opposing forces of philosophy at the beginning of the Christian era, i. e., the Stoic school of thought and the teachings of Jesus, both still throbbing with ever increasing vitality, have finally been welded into a harmonious whole in the seven little essays of this Swiss thinker. Hyde, W. DeWitt. From Epicurus to Christ. 5 The Epicurean pursuit of pleasure, genial but ungenerous; the Stoic law of self-control, strenuous but forbidding; the Platonic plan of subordination, sublime but ascetic; the Aristo- telean sense of proportion, practical but uninspiring; and the “Christian spirit of love, broadest and deepest of them all,” are the five great themes here treated. The reading of this book requires no academic preparation. 16 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY London, J. Call of the wild. 69b Heredity, environment and free will, we are told, are the three determinants of man. Does the last-named attribute enter into a dog’s life? London assumes it does and so makes “Buck” almost a rational creature. Around this nucleus a story is built up, bristling with originality and descriptive talent. To know “Buck” is to love him. Morgan, L. H. Ancient society. 51 If the present, with all its complexities, is the outcome of the human mind of the past, then man stands bewildered in the presence of his own creation. Smarting under that bewil¬ derment I read this book and the enlightenment which I have gained from it has made me forever indebted to the pains¬ taking, scholarly author. The answer to that stubborn ques¬ tion, “Quo vadis domine!” given in this standard work on eth¬ nology is the prediction of the revival, in a higher form, of the religion, the liberty and the fraternity of the ancient “gentes.” Morley, M. W. Life and love. 591 This is no book of slushy sentimentality, nor i£ it an ar¬ ray of dry scientific facts, but a true story of nature and her methods of reproduction as only a woman can write it. The delicacy of thought and expression, the poetic insight by which she reveals nature as God’s willing handmaid makes this little volume superb reading for young and old. Morris, W. Story of Sigurd. 821 Morris is to me the poetic story-teller by right divine. There is so much metrical prose palmed off for poetry, so much smart juggling with iambic and dactylic measures; in a word, so much bombastic counterfeit in the province of rhyme and rhythm that I heave a sigh of relief when I read and re-read the “Story of Sigurd.” Redeemed sensuousness and purified passion are in every line and stanza. Form and substance are simple and natural. The ensemble approaches the ideal of all beauty, which is that the highest of art and the purest of na¬ ture shall be identical. Ouida, pseud. Under two flags. 69b I can not forget Cigarette’s dog-like faithfulness to the man of her choice, who was a half-god to her and to me. The heroes of this book are primitive in their feelings and spon¬ taneous in their expression of them; they have held fast to my" memory for almost a score of years. Bold men and wom¬ en who wade through armies and deserts in upholding their simple ideals; “whose souls seek the stars while their bodies are racked with hunger.” All this is so strange to me, so wonderful and yet so real, real as the sun and the stars are real in spite of their immense distances.—To me this simple love story has been the true type of “romance.” BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 17 Peabody, J. P. The piper. 812 As boys and girls we enacted the “Pied piper” in our child¬ ish pla?;s. . . . To the concept of that pathetic legend the author has added a new charm, by making the children—real, live children—the conspicuous part of the dramatic argument, without in the least disturbing the historic tone of mystifica¬ tion In reading it I made the acquaintance of an old friend with a new heart. Schreiner, O. Trooper Peter Halket. 69b The conflict of flint-hard realism and supernatural ideal¬ ism cast in the mould of a polemic of South-African commer¬ cial policies. Finely artistic in construction, strong in dra¬ matic power, and bold and original in conception. The author holds a unique place in the modern world of letters. S ie, E. History of a proletarian family across 'the ages. 69b 7b The universal history of the civilized world since the time c Christ is written in these pages. The force that guides the jScthor’s hand is the spirit of democracy as he traces its incip- i icy and growth through the Christian era. Wrapped in the i an tie of romanticism, written with the skill of a Maupassant a.Jd the power of a Carlyle, this work stands in my mind as the greatest “purpose” novel ever penned. No. 8 Andersen, H. C. Wonder book. 70 Of all the tales “The Snow-Queen” has always been my favorite. I pity the child who has so many books that An¬ dersen’s stories are not re-read frequently. Bible. Job . 7 Its poetic dignity and humanity make it my favorite of the books of the Bible. I prefer it in the beautiful King James Version. Browning, R. The ring and the book. 821 It is Browning’s analysis of inner motive which most ap¬ peals to me. I like “to see the wheels go round.” The great¬ est interest and beauty are reached in the parts entitled I. The ring and the book. VII. Pompilia. X. The Pope. Burns, R. Poems. 821 There never comes a Sunday so depressing that Burns does not comfort and inspire me. His poems are lullaby songs to me. They bring me back to the sanity and beauty of life. Cellini, B. Autobiography. 97b As a picture of the Renaissance, a human document and a piece of literature, it seems to me great. Cellini is so frank that at times I fairly hold my breath. He is the prototype of all the swashbuckling heroes of later times, first cousin, it seems to me, to D’Artagnan. 18 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Chaucer, G. Canterbury tales: The prologue. 821 The opening- lines seem to me unsurpassed. Many of the tales fail to reach me; some are absolutely repulsive, but the Prologue I like all through. Coleridge, S. T. The ancient mariner. 821 The poem has only revealed itself to me in the last few years. Now it holds me breathless. I can no more get away from the horror of it than could the Ancient Mariner himself. Darwin, C. Origin of species. 46a A wonderful book which gains with each re-reading. It ±s so simply set forth that it reads as easily as a novel and makes science less appalling to the .unscientific. it, Daudet, A. Tartarin on the Alps. (^h ;J It is the humor of Daudet which makes me particulars.)*; fond of Tartarin. The idea of a company arranging and t lU; ploiting the Alps somewhat after the fashion of a scenic rj f er . way seems to me irresistible. Daudet never says a word r>9 nr _ much, but in a few lines sets before you his picture of beau^ , n- sadness or humor. Eliot, G., pseud. Middlemarch. 69b It is a great pleasure to see the characters develop as the story marches to its inevitable conclusion. Fiske, J. Idea of God. 6f It takes ^e to the regions of the eternal verities and helps me to feel a little more sure. Gilbert, W. S. The Bab ballads. 821.04 They are so entirely funny. What should we do without “Gentle Alice Brown.” Kipling, R. Kim. 69b I like it because it is so picturesque. Its philosophy, re¬ ligion, humor, ethics, description of India, its manners and customs, all appeal to me. There are ho really unlovely char¬ acters portrayed and some most lovable ones. Lear, E. Nonsense songs. 70 One of my earliest recollections is of my mother singing “The Owl and the Pussy Cat” to my great satisfaction. It has never lost its charm to me. Modern ghosts. 69b This is a fine collection of ghost stories. Maupassant’s “The Horla” seems to me the most convincing ghost story I have ever read and I am very much addicted to ghosts. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 19 Morris, W. The well at the world’s end. 69b Morris’ books are fairy tales for “grown-ups” to me. Their beautiful diction, simplicity and purity of imagination make them all delightful reading. Motley, J. L. Rise of the Dutch Republic. 949.2 I find it a noble and inspiring story. To me its interest never flags. Pater, W. Appreciations. 824 I particularly enjoy Apollo in Picardy, but the fine style and beautiful English of the whole book appeal to me. Russell, W. C. The frozen pirate. 69b I. like sea stories, pirate stories and Arctic exploration. This book combines all three with humor added. Scott, W. Old Mortality. 69b I do not know when I first began to read this boo.;. I must confess to reading with enjoyment even the long Intro¬ ductions to Scott’s novels. The Scotch Covenanters were in themselves a most interesting people. In Scott’s hands they are a people of pure romance as alluring and much more wholesome than the nobility of French romance. Shakespeare, W. The tempest. 822.33 I like Prospero, Ariel and Caliban. I like to contrast Shakespeare’s Caliban with Browning’s Caliban upon Setebos. Both are human. Shelley, P. B. The sensitive plant. 821 Its beauty and delicacy of sentiment make it an unfailing source of joy to me. Stevenson, R. L. I find that I can not choose, I can not imagine giving up either Travels with a Donkey, An Inland Voyage, The Black Arrow or Treasure Island, to say nothing of the later books. Tolstoi, L. N. The resurrection. 69b I read it for courage. It seems so convincing. And if there were possibilities of clean living and redemption for Kattisha and Nekhludoff it seems to me that the world is not such a bad place after all. Whitman, W. The open road. 811 It expresses the joy of the open air. No tramp (I do not mean hobo) can afford to pass it by. It has given its name to a collection of poems made by Lucas which is a good com¬ panion for a Sunday’s tramp. 20 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY No. 9 Addams, J. Twenty years at Hu^ House. 331 A book not more illuminating in its recital of the author's heroic struggle for the alleviation of human misery, and the uplift of the masses, than in its revelation of her rare per¬ sonality. Annunzio, G. d\ Francesca da Rimini. 852 For sheer beauty of expression and artistry of construc¬ tion, I think we have little in modern literature that can sur¬ pass this dramatic version of the famous legend. Bennett, E. A. Buried alive. 69b A flawless bit of humor. Couch, A. T. Quiller. Oxford book of English verse. 821.08 I know of no more delightful book with which to while away odd moments, when in a lazy mood. One meets_here only the poets at their best and may browse happily through the pages without fear of disillusionment by chill encounters with them at their worst. Dumas, A. The three musketeers. 69b The colossal audacity of the ubiquitous D’Artagnan and his inimitable three, their daring deeds that never were on land and sea, and the author’s splendid indifference to the hampering considerations of time, space and possibility, have always filled me with keen delight. Galsworthy, J. The little dream. 822 Exquisite in conception and imagery. - The patrician. 69b Of rare beauty and finish of workmanship—a subtle criti¬ cism of the modern British aristocracy and a prophecy of its passing. Hardy, T. The return of the native. 69b A masterpiece in gray tones, sombre and majestic—its gloom lighted by flashes of humor, rustics truly Shakespearean, an unrivallea description of nature. A book not easily for¬ gotten. Hearn, L. Japan. 915.2 To me a thoroughly interesting study of the history, re¬ ligion and customs of the Japanese. While the work is care¬ ful and conscientious it is not so exhaustive as to be exhaust¬ ing and the author’s sympathetic standpoint and pleasing style make for entertaining reading. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 21 Ibsen, H. Peer Gynt. 839.82 This wierd drama fascinates by the wild music of its rhythm, its pervading note of mysticism and baffling symbol¬ ism, and perhaps by the difficulty of its interpretation. Kelly, M. Little citizens. 69b —- Wards of liberty. 69b These skillful pen pictures of New York’s foreign children, passing through the crucible of the public school grip one by their truthfulness to child-life and their poignant mingling of laughter and tears. Lagerloef, S. O. L. The wonderful adventures of Nils. j398 A unique text-book in the form of a charming fairy tale. The boy Nils for his malice and cruelty is transformed into an elf and carried on the back of a wild goose over Sweden, learning much not only of its geography and history, but of the value of kindness and gentleness. Sharp, W. (Fiona McLeod.) Dominion of dreams; Under the dark star. 69b Steeped in beauty and the witchery of Celtic lore—the light of the spiritual mingled with the darkness of paganism and superstition. Wells, H. G. Future in America. 917.3 One of the few foreign studies of this country which are not amusing to an American owing to the prejudices and hasty judgments of the authors. Mr. Wells shows a keen and alert comprehension of the conditions and problems of America life. No. 10 Barrie, J. M. .Little minister. 69b On account of the delicious story and character of the hero, who is a brick. I don’t care so much for Babbie. Browning, E. B. Sonnets from the Portuguese. 821 Exquisite sentiment in musical verse. Browning, R. In a balcony. 821 Realizes my ideal of good poetry in that it is neatly put, in brief compass, and deals beautifully with a rather difficult subject. Deland, M. Old Chester tales. 69b Tells interestingly of the kind of town that I would pre¬ fer to live in, and about the kind of people that I should like to associate with. 22 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Doyle, A. C. Sherlock Holmes. 69b So interesting- and exciting that one does not stop to in¬ quiry whether its often impossible events are credible or not. The only detective stories that make me sit up at night. Eliot, G., pseud. Adam Bede. 69b Because its mixture of tragedy and humor comes so near to the realities of human life. Gaskell, Mrs. E. C. Cranford. 69b Whether true to life or not, it surely seems so and is vastly entertaining. I have read it eleven or twelve times and it im¬ proves on acquaintance. Greely, A. W. Three years of Arctic service. 919.8 The best of all the Arctic books, excelling all others in its vivid pictures of the far north and its true tales of suffering and heroism. I dislike Peary’s books. There is too much Peary in them. Hichens, R. S. Garden of Allah. 69b Makes you feel as if you had been to the desert yourself and found it a friendlier place than you had supposed. Some¬ thing new in the way of a story. Hugo, V. M. Les Miserables. 69b The most powerful and heart-rending story I ever read— and most stories do not rend my heart at all. Jewett, S. O. Tells the exact, truth about a region and characters with which I am thoroughly familiar, in the most fascinating man¬ ner possible. Whenever I am blue I read one of her stories and it cheers me up, as a talk with a dear friend might do. Kipling, R. Jungle book. 70 I like all animal stories, and Kipling’s animals are not figureheads. They live and move and have their being; and I am certain that they talked just as he reports them. Phillpotts, E. Secret woman. 69b A thrilling story from beginning to end, told in language that is almost lurid. The best of the author’s stories. “Lying Prophets,” ms first, is the next best. 'Robins, E. Magnetic North. 69b I 15ve all stories of adventure in lands of ice and snow; and this is exceptionally well told. Roberts, C. G. D. Heart of the ancient wood. 69b The most beautiful story of the woods that ever was writ¬ ten. The free life of the woodland creatures, untrammeled by the stupid laws of society, appeals to me. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 23 Stephens, C. A. Camping out. 70 So interestingly told and about such an interesting subject that its literary merits or demerits pass unregarded. It prob¬ ably possesses no literary value whatever. Tennyson, A. Idylls of the King. 821 Favorites of my younger days, because I regarded them as * absolutely true to life and expected to become an Enid or an Elaine myself at any minute. I know better now, but I love the rhythmic verses because I loved them when I was young. Thackeray, W. M. Virginians. 69b * Because I read it at an impressionable age, when it seemed to me a wonderful portrayal of character. I still like it better than other books of the author that are more popu¬ lar or more highly regarded. Ward, Mrs. M. A. (A.) Sir George Tressady. 69b The best modern English novel, and very far ahead of any other of the same author. Both in force and in sentiment it stands unsurpassed. Yet the author has written books hardly superior to the works of Mary J. Holmes. White, S. E. The rules of the game. 69b The story of a dead failure in business, who found his niche by taking to the woods where he belonged. Wister, O. The Virginian. 69b The prettiest love-story, told with the keenest humor, that I ever read. Wyss, J. R. Swiss Family Robinson. 70 I love this quaint, old-fashioned tale, with its stilted con¬ versation between dear, impossible characters whose wooden • adventures are, strange to say, vastly entertaining. No. 11 Barrie, J. M. M ! argaret Ogilvie. 97b A series of intimate pictures in the life of the author’s mother, frankly and lovingly portrayed. Brandes, G. M. C. Oil reading. 028 This little dissertation covers the subject in a few dozen pages and answers the questions Why should we read? • What should we read? How should we read? 24 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Cholmondeley, M. The Danvers jewels. 69b One of the best detective stories I ever read. Clemens, S. L. Pudd’nhead Wilson. 69b This is not a remarkable book, but I enjoy the extracts from Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar found at the head of each chapter. For instance—April 1. The day on which we are re¬ minded of what we are the other three hundred and sixty-four. Read for yourself what he has to say on Circumstantial evidence. Edwards, A. B. A thousand miles up the Nile. S.S.916.2 This ponderous tome looks forbidding 1 , but rewards the un¬ daunted. “A donkey-ride and a boating trip interspersed with ruins” prove delightful when personally conducted by Miss Edwards, who was an archaeologist of note. Evans, R. D. A sailor’s log. 97b Fighting Bob is a successful raconteur. His varied experi¬ ences furnisn good copy whether the scene is laid in Chile, Behring Sea or Germany, where he took part in the opening of the Kiel Canal and entertained royalty. The description of the part taken by the Iowa in the sea fight at Santiago is a fitting climax for a sailor’s log. Fields, J. T. Yesterdays with authors. 928 A series of delightful personal reminiscences of the au¬ thor’s friendship with Thackeray, Dickens, Hawthorne and other great writers who were their contemporaries. Gulick, L. H. The efficient life. Mq -— Mind and work. 31e Sensible talks which are worth re-reading. Both books contain ‘‘practical, up-to-date suggestions which should enable the brain worker to run his bodily machinery so as to improve his general efficiency.” Harris, J. C. Uncle Remus stories. 15 I like these tales because they are folklore studies and also because they are mighty entertaining yarns. I admire espe¬ cially the Tar-baby who, when trouble is brewing, “says noth¬ ing”; and even when the situation becomes more trying ‘ Tar- baby keeps on saying nothing.” Hensel, S. The Mendelssohn Family. 97 I like the description of the simple home life of the infor¬ mal Sunday afternoon musicales which were open to thelir friends, and also the letters which passed between Felix and his gifted sister Fanny. There is a charming descriptipn written by Fanny, of the first performance of Midsummer- night’s Dream given with the incidental music. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 25 Hugo, V. ’Ninety-three. 69b The historical novel has been defined as a book that is neither historical nor novel. Victor Hugo may have over¬ looked some of the historical data of this period, but Ninety- three is worth reading for its novel situations and incidents, including the encounter on shipboard of the man with a gun which has escaped from its moorings. Huneker, J. G. Iconoclasts; a book of dramatists. 809.2 The first volume consists of characterizations of modern dramatists, including Ibsen. Hauptmann, Sudermann, Gorky, and Maeterlinck. The second volume deals largely with mu¬ sical subjects. The sketches are brilliant and always read¬ able whether or not one agrees with the writer’s point of view. Jefferies, R. Field and hedgerow. 123 One of the companionable books that tempts us out of doors and keeps us there. Mr. Jefferies has recorded faithfully and sympathetically the life of field and hedgerow, and has included many a quaint custom of the country folk. Lucas, E. V., ed. The open road; a little book for way¬ farers. 828 A good book to read, from cover to cover, in the open, and an equally good book to read when one is storm-bound on a bleak winter day. Scott, Sir W. The talisman. 69b My first knowledge of the Crusaders was acquired through the Talisman and, ever since, they have been invested with the glamour of the East. The contests of prowess between Richard Coeur de Lion and Saladin are very picturesque and, at times, dramatic. Turgenev, I. S. Fathers and children. 69b A strong novel, depicting the depressing conditions of Rus¬ sian life. The characters show resignation—or is it simply hopelessness in the face of unalterable conditions? Wendell, B. The France of to-day. 914.4 A few years ago, Mr. Barrett Wendell lectured at the French universities and, in this volume, he has recorded his impressions of the French people at home, their education, so¬ ciety and government. The book is decidedly worth while, for Mr. Wendell has something to say and says it in a very enter¬ taining way. 26 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY No. 12 Blake, Wm. Poems. 821 The mystic and lyric quality of this verse sets the imagina¬ tion soaring into strange, undreamed of worlds. Borrow, G. Romany Rye. 69b The wayside fires, the patterans, the gypsy camps, the pro¬ cession of strange characters are full of romance and irre¬ sistible fascination. Burne-Jones, Lady. Memoirs of Sir Edward Burne-Jones. 97b An intimate, gossipy, appreciative picture of one of the interesting groups of modern men. Burton, Sir Richard. Personal narrative of a pilgrimage to El Medinah and Meccah. 915.3 The story of a singular and dangerous journey and the revelation of a remarkable personality. Hope, A. Phroso. 69b A gojod yarn—the kind one sits up with all night. Homer. Odyssey; tr. by Palmer. 883 This splendid translation has preserved the feeling, the stirring power and inspiration of the ancient epic. Jefferies., R Life of the fields. 824 The lure of field and wood and hedgerow handled with the most delicate appreciation. Kingsley, C. Hereward the Wake. 69b Hereward is the most elemental type, but a real true hero nevertheless, the embodiment of those wild and lawless times. Macaulay, T. Lays of ancient Rome. 821 These verses are tremendously inspiring to me, perhaps be¬ cause of the sturdy old Roman spirit behind them. Malory, Sir T. Morte d’Arthur. 398.2 The Arthurian legend is my favorite theme in literature, and it finds its most perfect expression in the middle English of Malory’s version. Moore, T. Epicurean. 69b I like this for its imagination, mystery, and poetic feeling. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 27 Nicolay and Hay. Abraham Lincoln. 97b This is to me the most wonderful of biographies. It is the life of a world hero interpreted by two great men who knew and loved him well. Pyle, H. Robin Hood. 70 I will admit I am old indeed when the joy of the green wood and the merry adventures of these lusty yeomen cease to appeal to me. Ruskin, J. Nature of Gothic, fr. Stones of Venice. 65a This is one of the most beautiful word pictures in English. Snaith, J. C. Araminta. _ 69b The abandoned whimsicality of this pleases something in me tremendously. Sophocles. Antigone. 882 The heroine of this old classic seems to me the most splen¬ did conception of womanly "courage and dignity. Stockton, F. R. Queen’s museum and other fanciful tales. 69b The humor of these is delightful. Hermits, griffins, necro¬ mancers, dryads, and such fanciful beings are all mixed up with every-day people in the most charming fashion. Thompson, F. Shelley. 821 A poet’s ideal of a poet. Wilde, O. The importance of being earnest. 822 In clever dialog this play stands alone. -House of pomegranates. 822 These little allegories are poems in prose—exquisitely beau¬ tiful. No. 13 Brooks, Bp. Phillips. Life and letters of Phillips Brooks, by Alexander V. G. Allen. 97b •-Sermons. lid These I love because his life was an illustration of the faith he preached, too broad to be hampered by denominational littleness, too big to be measured by the world itself. Of how few preachers can it be said, as of him, that his sermons were his biography. They make tangible, and then restfully clear away, many vague spiritual gropings. His letters, like Stevenson’s, are so full of simple, boyish, unaffected charm that they delight me. They all show, grave and gay alike/ how much humanity meant to him. 28 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Cable, G. W. Grandissimes (and all his Creole stories.) 69b They are full of a romantic charm. The dialect is deli¬ ciously musical. What could be a more pathetically perfect picture than that of Madame Delphine? It seems a little hard that a people could resent such loving 1 portraits. Clemens, S. L. Personal recollections of Joan of Arc. 69b An exquisite memory picture of Joan of Arc, purporting to have been written by her page and secretary, and later trans¬ lated into English. The style is simple and beautiful, and the feeling use of words makes us truly live again with her, and realize as never before, the heroic unselfishness of her pitifully short life. -The prince and the pauper? 70 This has the additional glamour of having been a child¬ hood favorite that made one period of history very real to me. After reading it I needed nothing* more to convince me of the author’s hatred for all shams and tender sympathy for all forms of suffering and oppression. Farnol, J. Broad highway. 69b Full of the charm of not only the highway, but of the lanes and hedges. It is a story of good clean adventure, and a distinct relief just now. After reading it I felt as if I had taken a deep breath of fresh country air. Harper’s young people. 70 I should not care to reread the early volumes that I loved. They are a precious memory, associated with the dear old numbers of the St. Nicholas in the Mary Mapes Dodge days. James, Wm. Talks to teachers on psychology, and to stu¬ dents on some of life’s ideals. 4b They are not only for teachers, but for every one who has lived and wondered. They make some of the hard problems seem very simple, and show what a sane course a really great investigator can follow. Kipling, R. Kim. 69b I read this serially, and almost counted the days for tne next number. When it was finished I sat down and revelled in its completeness. As a picture of a fascinating country it is so steeped in atmosphere that “Kim” seems one of my verv own friends. Lear, E. Nonsense books. j827 They have amused children for years, and done more to rest tired men and women than all the books on relaxation put together. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 29 Martin, G. M. Emmy Lou. 69b Every one who loves children should know and love Emmy Lou. She has helped to make understandable the round-about working’s of many an earnest little mind. Palmer, A. F. Life by G. H. Palmer. 97b It is g-ood to read a life so simple and natural as hers, and yet so far-reaching- in its influence for g-ood. Her hus¬ band has written feelingly of one who was dear to many peo¬ ple. Ward, T. H. English poets. 821.08 Finding these years ago in a second-hand book store, I had the joy of “discovering” for the first time some of the poems that, with equal joy, I learned later were among the great and beautiful ones of the English language. No. 14 Browning, Robert. Poems. 821 Browning’s poetry fascinates me, because he is so essen¬ tially masculine in his thought and workmanship that I can¬ not always get his point of view. Also, I like his occasional sentiment and his optimistic philosophy. Bjornsen, Bjornstjerne. Synnove Solbakken. 69b A simple story of peasant life in Norway which is both realistic and poetic and which brings me into intimate rela¬ tions with truly childlike people. I read it when I am tired of Ibsen’s people. Bunyan, John. Pilgrim’s Progress. llg I liked this first for its dramatic qualities. It was read aloud to me and was to me “a play.” I like it now for its Pur¬ itanic religious spirit and its allegorical interpretations of life. Carlyle, Mrs. Jane Baillie (Welsh). Letters and memorials of Jane Welsh Carlyle; prepared for publication by Thomas Carlyle; ed. J. A. Froude. 97b I like biography in the informal and personal form of letters. These show the spirit of a sturdy Scotch woman in her struggle to adjust herself to ill health, limited finances and the details of home-keeping for a morose and irritable man of genius whom she dearly loved and admired. That she was ap¬ preciated is shown in the many foot notes signed T. C. Drummond, W. H. Johnnie Courteau and other poems. 811 Not a great book, but I have read it again and again for its humor, its pathos, and its depiction of the character of the French-Canadian. 30 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Emerson, R. W. Essays. 814 Emerson sums up for me in one terse sentence what seems to have been latent in my mind and sets me thinking-. Hardy, Thomas. Ear from the madding crowd. 69b In spite of the title and the rural setting this story is so true to human nature that it pleases my fancy from the opening chapter where Bathsheba appears sitting on the top of a load of household goods admiring herself in a mirror to the end where she invites Gabriel Oak’s proposal with fem¬ inine wiles. Harland, Henry. My friend Prospero. 69b I like the cheerful philosophy of this “soldier of fortune,” his chivalrous spirit and his wit. I also like the modern at¬ mosphere of the story and its literary style. It is entertaining and restful. Kingsley, Charles. Letters and memories of his life; ed. by his wife. 2 v. 97b These letters show the many sided interests of an English country parson; his devotion to his church, his interest in so¬ cial problems, his love of books, his long friendships, his in¬ terest in geology and botany; his devotion to his wife and children. One cannot read this personal record without real¬ izing the sweetness and nobility of the man and the far-reach¬ ing influence of his seemingly uneventful life. Lamb, Charles. Essays of Elia. 824 It is difficult to define one’s feelings for Charles Lamb, but I like his delicate sentiment and the elusive quality of his humor. Lear, Edmund. Book of nonsense. Ref. j827 Truly childlike humor. MacDonald, George. Sir Gibbie. 69b The most pathetic child in fiction and one of the most lovable. Parkman, Erancis. La Salle and the discovery of the Great West. 973.2 Reads like a romance and one feels the insistent adventurous spirit which was the real dominant force in the exploration and colonization of America. Stevenson, R. L. Treasure Island. 70 I like the action and characterization and the fact that there is tragedy and yet no love-making. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 31 No, 15 Browning, Mrs. E. B. Sonnets from the Portuguese. 821 The most sublime expression of a woman’s love that I know. Clemens, Samuel L. PudcTnhead Wilson. 69b I wish that I might have written this book. Pudd’nhead’s quaint philosophy and the hair-raising incidents that follow upon the interchange of the negro and white babies, form a most diverting tale. Horatius Flaccus, Q. Odes. 874 Of all the ancients to me Horace seems the most modern. His lyre is so much in tune with our times, that as I read I forget the centuries that divide us. I love his warm-hearteu- ness and his broad, practical philosophy. His life and works are as refreshing to us today as they must have been to the busy men of his own time. Hugo, Victor M. Poems. 841 Though his romanticism is a bit out of fashion, I love the poet’s gentle fancies. He finds beauty in the most common¬ place things. His horizon is broader than Burns’, but like him, he has a deep sympathy for everything weak, tender, or trivial. Mitchell, J. A. Villa Claudia. 69b Admirers of Horatius Flaccus ought to enjoy this modern love story, the scene of which is laid on the site of Horace’s Sabine farm. The plot is woven about the poet’s boast that whoever drinks of his wine would be lifted to Olympus and would taste joys beyond all imaginings. The book is steeped in sensuous beauty and color. Rostand, Edmond. Cyrano de Bergerac. 842 This witty Frenchman has never drawn a character with a mind so keen, or a soul so big, so romantic, or so lovable as; the glorious Cyrano. Sudermann, Hermann. Dame Care. 69b This beautiful story of a son’s noble self-denying life is & told with wonderful understanding and pathos. White, S. E. Silent places. 69b This is the story of a winter in the frozen North. The plot is simple and the style rugged, and the atmosphere is so- * perfect that as I read, the terrible, oppressive stillness creeps over me and I am transported to the “Silent places . 0 32 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY No. 16 Baldry, A. L. Sir John Everett Millais. 97b This is not remarkable in any literary way, but because of its many beautiful illustrations, it has made me familiar with the works of this great painter. Cotes, Mrs. S. J. A social departure. 910.4 One of the most entertaining books of travel that I have ever read. The travelers, two young English women, are each happily possessed of a keen sense of humor, which enables them to make the best of many a trying adventure, in their un¬ chaperoned journey around the world. Duncan, Norman. Dr. Luke of the Labrador. 69b I am very fond of this tale of the bleak coasts of Labrador. The author shows a very sympathetic understanding of the human heart in his delineation of the character of the doctor, who, repentant of his dissipated youth, devotes the remainder of his life to the comforting of the sorrows and ills of the poor, ignorant fisher-folk among' whom chance has placed him. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. A wonder book for girls and boys. j292 These old stories retold in such a charming manner have never lost their fascination for me. The writer’s gentle fancv has embellished the “classic coldness” of these myths, and made them far more pleasing to me. Jacobs, W. W. s Light freights. 69b I always read eagerly stories of the sea and sea-faring men, and these overflow with fun and good humor. Johnson, C. Isle of the Shamrock. 914.15 An interesting account of rambles on foot and in jaunting cars through the villages of the Irish peasantry. The beautiful illustrations, of course, add much to the charm of this bock. Kipling, R. The five nations. 821 I like the swing and the rugged force of Kipling’s vers;e— especially in “The sea and the hills,” “The bell-buoy,” and “The recessional.” 1 Parker, Sir Gilbert. Pierre and his people. 69b One can not restrain a liking for that queer mixture^ of good and bad—Pierre, the Canadian half-breed. Pennell, J. P. Modern illustration. 65c This book is especially pleasing to me, because it treats of an art that I have always longed to learn. BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 33 Steel ideaj diplf sessl atm<| Ten! farm poeti] Of/ to th4 F. A. On the face of the waters. 69b ’his tale of the Indian mutiny of 1857 gives one a good of the character of the natives, r ,1 the great tact and >macy necessary ffo, successful^ governing a people pos- ?d of so many //.o prelttfice*. It * full of the restless ^sphere of the East. [nyson, A. Poetic and dramatic works. 821 ’ennyson is my favorite poet—perhaps because I am more [liar with his works than with those of any other poet. His ry is so pure in thought, so rich in melody and imagery. f\s shorter poems, “Crossing the bar,” especially appeals because it is the expression of a deep hope and faith in life eternal. hu" tin Dyke, H. J. The other wise man. 69b One of the sweetest Christmas stories that I have ever ad. [atson, J. (Ian Maclaren). Beside the bonny brier bush. 69b I like these humble Scottish stories with their mingling of Imor and pathos. BeJ set yef ke* Bui art] em] to bu all< Cal No. 17 ison, E. F. Book of months. 828 fThe thougnts and fancies of a very clever man are here forth, the chapters being named for the months of the r. The book is of compelling interest, and one experiences Jn pleasure in reading it. [rnett, F. H. Dawn of a to-morrow. 69b The characters are powerfully drawn and the situations dramatic. I like Glad’s philosophy, which is worthy of lulation. She says: “If things ain’t cheerful, peopl’s got \be,” and “I’m used to bein’ ’ungry and cold an’ all that, -but I allers like to see what’s cornin’ to-morrer. There’s irs somethin’ else to-morrer.” tie, Agnes and Egerton. If youth but knew. 69b It seems to me that few writers of the present day can r el the Castles in the weaving of romance, pure and simple, ere is a wonderful charm about their work,—the fancy is delicate and the English so pure that in the midst of nov- _ Indifferently written we must pause to admire. I like the k^ltar dreamer,” “Light of Scarthey” and “Young April,” too; a jfit the story of Geiger Hans, the wandering singer of youth, tq|>peals to me more, perhaps, than any of these. In addition a charming love story it tells of a man who, in loving serv- for others, tries to forget his own deeply tragic past. .34 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY DeMorgan, W. Joseph Vance. 1 69b While I like the entire book. I must confess that tpeal to a child’s imagination. In this book I first recognized le charm of such words as dell, copse, bracken and thicket; Id to this source also I owe my first knowledge of Oliver |omwell, the Restoration, Roundheads and Cavaliers. No. 18 anj pi a d Wei sea| Wh be | wl Cal ser Ch| syl j I much prefer the survey and government documents to I other non-fiction and to a great deal of fiction. In the first be, they are “tense with human interest” as the “Publishers’ pkly” would say; they are up-to-date, concise, true. And the rch for the author’s personality has unlimited possibilities. Ken you are wasting time on the cars, for instance, you can J imagining what sort of a person wrote that article, and |y. rroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland and Through the booking Glass. 70 I chortle again and again at the rather peculiar sporting Ise of the queen, at “pig and pepper,” at the fat vanishing pshire, and so on ad infin. bero. Letters. 876 It is a shame that most of us on account of struggles with itax and grammar in High School, will have nothing to do Ith things Ciceronian when we are grown. Cicero was really [“great old chap,” as human as could be. His letters are as ptimate and delightful as Stevenson’s. I like best the ones ritten by the loving but business-like father to the little fillia. Strahan-Davidson’s well-written life helps a great deal. 36 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY I Poster, C. H. Cookery for little girls. Every recipe is sensible and practicable. The chapter on The Interesting Potato is unsurpassed inspirational reading. Like finding sermons in stones, may find a moral in potatoes, for ‘“every girl should know to cook potatoes properly . . . but how often are served wet and soggy!” Grahame, Kenneth. Golden age. 641 for one iow hey 59b nth I, too, in my childhood lived under the same roof Olympians “those elders, our betters by a trick of cha whose existence seemed to be entirely void of interests as their habits were stereotyped and senseless.” And then saddening doubt, a dull suspicion, creeps over me. Can it that I also have become an Olympian?” A be * Howells, W. D. Rise of Silas Lapham. GS So thoroughly American. Irving, Washington. Sketch book. 81 In spite of modern improvements, particularly billboarc the Catskill country will always seem to me a succession Sleepy Hollows and prosperous Dutch farms where bloomii Katrina Van Tassels are forever baking spicy cakes. Plato. Phaedo. The last few pages, where Socrates drinks tne heml(_ poison, are the most dramatic and tragic I know. The traiP 3 ^ lation by Church in the Golden Treasury series is perfect] its simplicity and naturalness. Pyle, Howard. Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Truly “merry.” Scott, Sir Walter. Ivanhoe. “A tale which holdeth children from play and old m]^ from the chimney corner.” Thackeray, W. M. Vanity Fair. 9b In “Before the Curtain,” Thackeray says: “There scenes of all sorts; some dreadful combats, some grand lofty horse-riding, some scenes of high life and some of middling indeed; some love-making for the sentimental, af r > some light comic business, the whole accompanied by appfDd priate scenery, and brilliantly illuminated with the authol own candles.” I wish more authors nowadays would try V s obtain candles like Thackeray’s instead of the Tungstens aik° searchlights of “realism.” J 1( * BOOKS I LIKE AND WHY I LIKE THEM 37 No. 19 f.cassin and Nicolette, done into English by Andrew l,ang. (Mosher.) 69b There is an air of simplicity and refinement in this little loft^e story. It is full of sorrow, yet I felt the keenest joy in th*jb manner of the adventures and the exquisite expression of naBture. Barrie, J. M. Neither Dorking nor the Abbey. 1910. 828 A wonderful prose intimation of immortality, simple, sin- bre and beautiful. It is a perfect tribute to the memory of leorge Meredith. phesterton, G. K. Alarms and discursions. 1911. 824 There is a surprising amount of truth and beauty among tMlie clever sayings of Gilbert Chesterton. The essay called |The glory of grey,” in this book, is very attractive. 808.8 This little anthology contains many delightful poems and |its of prose. 750 I like this because it is such a clear and readable attempt bring about a right perception of the spirit and meaning art- There is also good critical comment on the work of ^e modern schools of painting. Morgan, W. F. A likely story. 1911. 69b I find a great deal of pleasure in the style of De Morgan, lenjoyed the humor and character drawing of this story very luch but the Italian prototype is more interesting to me than lie modern setting. Dj I ml tl Couch, Sir A. T. Q.- The pilgrim’s way. 1907. fox, K. The classic point of view. 1911. bickens, C. David Copperfield. 69b There is more of human quality in this book, and less [caggeration, than in any of Dickens’ books I have read. It perfectly charming all the way through. Iddy, A. J. Recollections and impressions of James Mc- | Neill Whistler. 97b This was my first introduction to the fascinating and er- Jtic personality of this genius. I have been reading aboqt jim ever since. }alsworthy, J. Motley. 1910. 828 The expression of everyday impressions is extraordinary. More than any book I have read, does this one show the mere power of writing. 38 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY Lockwood, L. E., and Kelley, A. R. Letters that live. 9l Usually I don’t care for collections of letters, but thtj are most interesting- and possess rare charm. Merejkowski, D. S. The romance of Leonardo da Vinci. The lives of the artists of the Italian Renaissance have ways interested me, and this very fascinating story is a fi| portrayal of the life and times of Leonardo. Gerard de Nerval. Sylvie, tr. by L. Page. (Mosher.) 6tl I like this little idyll for the spirit of youth and sprir| time which fills it. Pater, W. Imaginary portraits. 1901. 82j Of these “The Prince of Court Painters” is my favorite. Pyle, H. The story of King Arthur and his knights. j39$l I like everything that Howard Pyle has written or drawn! This particular book is full of beauty and romance, and thT story of King Arthur is well told both in words and pic| tures. Couch, Sir A. T. Q.- Brother Copas. 1911. 691| I like the historical associations of this book, the philos -9, .14, .A, fo. >0 7 7 2 3 1 6 6 9 2 2 1 5 '0 7 2 2 2 2 5 8 10 1 15 11 7 9 20 4 18 16 20 7* 0 13 [20 5 1 2 4 0 6 AUTHOR LIST AND INDEX 45 K List No. Anville, J. de. St. Louis, King of France. 1 J^elly, M. Little citizens. 9 K|—.Wards of liberty... 9 ..ingsley, C. Hereward the Wake... 12 —Letters and memories of his life. 14 ipling, R. The five nations. 16 —The jungle book.5, 6, 10 ~r —Kim .8, 13 ~l —[Short stories].. 2 Tjagerloef, S. O. L. The wonderful adventures of Nils.... 9 Hamb, C. Essays of Elia.5, 14 Hear, E. Nonsense songs...8, 13, 14 ”jee, V., pseud. Hortus vitae. 17 ever, C. Charles O’Malley, the Irish drag'oon. 17 Hockwood, L. E., and Kelley, A. R. Letters that live. 19 Hondon, J. Call of the wild... 7 rtoti, P., pseud. An Iceland fisherman. 20 ir»owe, W. H. Chronicle of friendships. 3 ^ ucas, E. V., ed. The open road; a little book for way- [acaulay, T. Lays of ancient Rome. 12 [aeterlinck, M. Pelleas and Melisande. 3 jvalory, Sir T. Morte d’Arthur. 12 ^[arryat, Capt. F. Children of the New Forest. 17 ^arsh, C. L. Opening the oyster. 26 artin, Mrs. G. (M.) Emmy Lou.5, 13 ason, A. E. W. Four feathers. 20 lville, G. W. In the Lena delta. 2 redith, G. Egoist. 4 erejkowski, D. S. The romance of Leonardo da Vinci.. 19 ^eynell, Mrs. A. C. (T.) The rhythm of life, and other Alton, J. Lycidas. 6 Mitchell, J. A. Villa Claudia.. 15 odern ghosts ..... 8 oody, W. V. The fire bringer.. 5 oore, T. Epicurean. 12 organ, L. H. Ancient society. 7 orley, M. W. Life and love. 7 orris, W. Story of Sigurd. 7 Well at the world’s end.3, 8 46 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY List N' 3 Motley, J. L. Rise of the Dutch Republic Nicolay, J. G., and Hay, J. Abraham Lincoln...... 1 Ouida, pseud. Under two flags. Ovid. Selections from the Metamorphoses. 2 q Palmer, A. F. Life, by G. H. Palmer. 1 3 Parker, Sir G. Pierre and his people... 1 Parkman, F. La Salle and the discovery of the Great West..14, 2 q Pater, W. Appreciations -Imaginary portraits . 1 Peabody, J. P. The piper. Pennell, J. P. Modern illustration. 1 Pepys, S. Diary.'. Phillpotts, E. Three brothers. -Secret woman .. 1 Plato. Phaedo .-.. 1 Poe, E. A. [Short stories] Pyle, H. Mterry Adventures of Robin Hood..12, llg -Story of King Arthur and his knights.* 1 Roberts, C. G. D. Heart of the ancient wood. 1 Robins, E. Magnetic north. 1 Roosevelt, T. American ideals Rostand, E. Cyrano de Berg'erac. 1 -Princess Far-away .... Ruskin, J. Modern painters. -Nature of Gothic, fr. Stones of Venice. 1 -Sesame and lilies...-. 1 9 Russell, W. C. The frozen pirate. (g Sand, G., pseud. Master mosaic workers. I 9 Sandars, M. F. Honore de Balzac. 14 Schiller, J. C. F. Wilhelm Tell. J?o Schreiner, O. Dreams. J 19 Scott, Sir W. Ivanhoe. 1 -Lady of the lake.... -Old Mortality .. -Quentin Durward -The Talisman ..... 1 Shakespeare, W. Plays and sonnets -As you like it. -Hamlet . 5 -Macbeth . 5 AUTHOR LIST AND INDEX 47 List No. -The tempest . 8 Sharp, W. (Fiona McLeod). Dominion of dreams; Under the dark star. 9 Shaw, G. B. Plays. 5 Shelley, P. B. The sensitive plant. 8 Smith, F. H. Gondola days.. 1 i Snaith, J. C. Araminta. 12 Sophocles. Antigone . 12 Steel, F. A. On the face of the waters. 16 Stephens, C. A. Camping out. 10 f Stevenson, R. L. [Complete works]. 8 -Child’s garden of verses.:. 19 -Travels with a donkey.. 1 -Treasure Island . 14 Stockton, F. R. Queen’s museum and other fanciful tales 12 Sudermann, H. Dame Care. 15 Sue, E. History of a proletarian family. 7 Survey ....:. 18 Tennyson, A. Idylls of the king,.1, 10 -Locksley Hall . 6 -Poetic and dramatic works .*...•. 16 Thackeray, W. M. Henry Esmond...5, 6 -Vanity Fair .....,... 18 -Virginians . 10 Theocritus. Idylls . 1 Thomas of Celano . Dies irae... 2 Thompson, E. S. Lives of the hunted. 6 Thompson, F. Shelley.'. 12 Tolstoi, L. Anna Karenina...—. 20 -The resurrection . 8 -War and peace.... 5 Trollope, A. Novels, esp. Barchester series. 2 Trevelyan, Sir G. O. American revolution. 2 Turgenev, I. S. Fathers and children. 11 U. S. Government Documents... 18 Van Dyke, H. J. Other wise man... 16 ^ Vasari, G. Lives of the painters.. 19 Waddington, Mrs. M. A. (K.) Country life in France. 3 V^ard, Mrs. M. A. (A.) Sir George Tressady. 10 Warft T. H. English poets..... 13 Watson, J. Beside the bonny brier bush. 16 * Wells, H. G. Future in America. 9 3 0112 072628651 Mfl 48 ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY List No ^ ——A modern Utopia. 8 f| -[Stories] ... Wendell, B. The France of today. ll s| White, S. E. Rules of the game... If | -Silent places . 13 Whitman, W. The open road. 8 j Wilde, O. Importance of being earnest. 12 -House of pomegranates. 11 [ Wilkins, M. E. Short stories. Wister, O. Lady Baltimore.. 2| -Virginian . 1( Wordsworth, W. Intimations of immortality. Wyss, J. R. Swiss Family Robinson. lCjJ Yeats, W. B. Land of the heart’s desire. SUMMARY BY CLASSES. No. of books. General works . 2 Philosophy . 3 Religion . 8 Sociology .„. 5 Natural science . 4 Useful arts . 1 Fine arts . 6 Poetry . 37 Drama . 18 Adult fiction .139 Children’s fiction . 21 Literature . 30 History . 6 Travel . 18 Biography . 24 . fill mm Total ..322 SHELLY PRINT SAINT LOUIS