"I seldom see reviews," said Mr. Stanton, taking it. "You lose a great deal," replied the other, "if you have not seen those by this author--altogether the ablest series of literary efforts in our time. You clerical gentlemen ought not to sacrifice your literary tastes entirely to your professional cares. A moderate attention to current literature liberalizes the mind, and gives influence that you could not otherwise acquire." "Literary taste is an expensive thing to a minister," said Mr. Stanton, smiling: "for the mind, as well as the body, we must forego all luxuries, and confine ourselves simply to necessaries." "I would always indulge myself with books and periodicals, even if I had to scrimp elsewhere," said Mr. Lennox; and he spoke of scrimping with all the serious good faith with which people of two or three thousand a year usually speak of these matters. Mr. Stanton smiled, and waived the subject, wondering mentally where his friend would find an elsewhere to scrimp, if he had the management of _his_ concerns. The conversation gradually flowed back to college days and scenes, and the friends amused themselves with tracing the history of their various classmates. "And so Alsop is in the Senate," said Mr. Stanton. "Strange! We did not at all expect it of him. But do you know any thing of George Bush?" "O, yes," replied the other; "he went into mercantile life, and the last I heard he had turned a speculation worth thirty thousand--a shrewd fellow. I always knew he would make his way in the world." "But what has become of Langdon?" "O, he is doing well; he is professor of languages in ---- College, and I hear he has lately issued a Latin Grammar that promises to have quite a run." "And Smithson?" "Smithson has an office at Washington, and was there living in great style the last time I saw him."