systematic. The aim has been simply to introduce the reader to a goodly
company of authors--to provide a daily flower of thought for the
buttonhole, to-day a glorious rose of poetic fancy, to-morrow a pert
little pansy of quaint humor.

Yet nearly all the selections are doubly significant and interesting if
read upon the days to which they are especially assigned. For example,
on New Year's Day it is suggested that one set one's house in order by
reading Franklin's "Rules of Conduct," Longfellow's "Psalm of Life,"
Bryant's "Thanatopsis," and Lowell's "To the Future"; on January 19th,
Poe's Birthday, one is directed to an excellent sketch of Poe and to
typical examples of his best work, "The Raven" and "The Cask of
Amontillado"; and on October 31st, Hallowe'en, one is reminded of
Burns's "Tam O'Shanter" and Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

The references are explicit in each case, so that it is a matter of
only a few seconds to find each one. For example, the reference to the
"Cask of Amontillado" is 4-Pt. I =67-77; which means that this tale is
ten pages long and will be found in Part I of volume 4, at page 67.
Excepting volumes 10-15 (Poetry), two volumes are bound in one in this
set, so it should be remembered that generally there are two pages
numbered 67 in each book.

The daily selections can in most cases be read in from fifteen minutes
to half an hour, and Dr. Eliot, President Emeritus of Harvard, has said
that fifteen minutes a day devoted to good literature will give every
man the essentials of a liberal education. If time can be found between
breakfast and the work-hours for these few minutes of reading, one will
receive more benefit than if it is done during the somnolent period
which follows the day's work and dinner. It is a mistake, however, to