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Show A World's Sorrow IN conversation with a 'book man yesterday, ne said that in all the books that had been put out in the past year, and especially for the holiday holi-day trade, there had been but one, so far as ne had observed, that was worth reading. When asked what was the matter, he replied: "I don't know, unless it be the fact that tho American people, consciously or unconsciously, are so de pressed by the overshadowing sorrows of the European war that it keeps them in a state of unrest, and makes it impossible for them to con-cen con-cen rate their thoughts long enough on anything that is deep nnd high, to produce anything worth reading. This impression is accentuated when we note the patronage which is given places of instruction and amusement. The people seem to avoid such places as require an effort of thought to appreciate, but they rush in hordes to the movies, to games, boxing matches, and the crowd increases or decreases according to whether the performance requires any thought on tho part of the spectator or not; and so when people sit-down sit-down to write, they merely produce skim milk; the cream in them does not rise." We believe one thought in the above is worth noting: All the belligerents in Europe are dissatisfied with the United States, but it is true that the shadow of the sorrow that is upon them extends over the people of this country; it intrudes over every waking1 hour, and is a spectre In the path of all tho people. It is a shadow on the sun by day; it is a nightmare by1 night, and it Is a constant prayer in the Hearts of millions that those belligerents bel-ligerents will tire of the barbarities they are perpetrating, per-petrating, and meet and make peace. |