"Every Good Scout Should Read these Stirring Books"

I woke from a long and rambling dream about books (a graphic novel of Eight Days of Luke featured prominently) with the momentary belief that The Red Badge of Courage was just the first in Stephen Crane's "Rainbow Virtues" series, and that following its success he was encouraged by his publisher to write The Brown Badge of Good Fellowship, The Green Badge of Generosity, etc. - all with an endorsement on the cover from Lord Baden-Powell.

If only publishers had employed marketing departments in those benighted days!

"A Book is a Sneeze"

E. B. White's letter about how he came to write Charlotte's Web is charming throughout, but the last line caught my eye particularly.