HOLIDAY READING.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I think your readers with their recommendations of holiday books are all on the wrong lines. To my mind a holiday is an opportunity for, so to speak, reading off arrears. I always take away with me for a holiday the two or three books which are most on my conscience, for I know that in the working part of the year I shall never have time to get rid of these blind spots in my reading. Have we not all got our blind spots in literature which we are ashamed of ? Because of this very shame I shall not tell you which mine are. But to the point. Year after year I have taken the same three books away with me. Every year I enjoyed myself so much that I hardly did more than glance at them. The title of each of these stodgy but immortal works which I have never read is fast associated with the most delightful scenes and memories of my life. For example, I had just opened the title-page of—but no, my letter will become too long. If things go on like this, perhaps I shall never read these books. Anyhow, they have proved themselves the right holiday reading, and I defy any one to disprove it.— I am, Sir, &c., A.
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