The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-12-16
Reading.

IF printing is the art preservatlVe OF |
arts" good reading may be called the art
of worthily translating thought from the
printed page to the mind of the hearer
We do not propose in this article to
treat of the way to become good reader,
but merely to state our conviction OF the
superlative importance Of this branch of
education. If but one person Is inclted
hereby to more strenuous exertions to be-
come & good reader, We have reward
enough.
The Importance of good reading is bat
family recognized. Parents will spend
hundreds of dollars to give their children
a musical education, while the art of read
ing, which is of more importance-which
must be more frequently exercised -
which may be made the very greatest
source Of pleasure in tho home circle, is
almost wholly neglected.
The exercise of reading as taught in
most of our common schools, is misera-
bic sham - "weary, fat, stale, and I'M
profitable" The schoolboy is taught to
mind the ''stops," to read loud enough to
be heard; he is too early put forward TO
exercises. the thought ofwhich he cannot
comprehend; the sublimest truths Of phi
losophy and Rehgion-the most ilnpas-
stoned utterances of poets and orators,-
are daily conned over in the school-room
by those who are as ignorant of what
they are repeating as is knocking parrot.
We have often hoped that the spirits Of
the departed were not cognizant of what
transpires in schocl-room. If they are,
what misery must Shakespeare, Web
ster, and others, sufferl If we have ever
sincerely repented of anything, it is of the
way we read at school.
One good reader can, and will, make
any home circle attractive. Almost any
one can read a plain narrative tolerably
well, but circumstances are always occur
ring which demand rhetorical reading.
The weekly newspaper is brought home.
Very likely It contains poem, an extract
from an Grafton, some stirring appeal, or
pathetic narration. TO read that paper
well. is performance which demands
skill and art. You must comprehend the
thought and feeling - you must know
what tones of voice are demanded and
give these at the proper time and place.
That poem will be rich and beautiful, Or
empty and insipid, as you read. The
thrilling narrative may lose all its pathos,
and the stirring Grafton be robbed of all
its power, by an unworthy rendering. In
short, a good reader will invest q COM
mon-place and feeble article with interest
aud dignity, while a bad reader will damn
the noblGst utterances Of genius and wis
dom.
1t was once our good fortune to listen
10 one of Mrs. MAcREADY's Readings
from the Poets. We shall neyer forget
the impression then received Of the bar
renness of common reading and the pow
er Of correct rhetorical expression.
Among the poems we then listened to
were Poe's "Ra0ep," and Hoods Bridge
Of SighS." The latter we had often read,
and fancied we had sounded its depth.
How mistaken a fancy, As flash of
lightning, broadening ON the midnight
sky all the before hidden features
Of the landscape with startling distinct
meas, 50 did her recital Of that poem re-
veal TO us depths of sorrow-dark chasms
of despair, before undreamed-of and I'M
known. Every heart IN the vast audi
ence was moved with strongest sympathy
by that vail of grief, and every person
looked as if wishing to stretch out his
hands and pluck back the maiden from
darkness and gloom.
Her rendering of {" TIE Karen" was
equally artistic and impressive. For
once Poe found fitting interpreter. By
her magic utterance the vast hall was
changed into well furnished sitting
room, and the weird fiction of the poet
became fact. We each saw the dream
ing Poo reclining on the sofa; heard |
those repeated, fearful, and mysterious
rappings; listened TO his eager, frantic
questions-his wild, agonized imploring:
saw the dark raven-black messenger Of !
eyil-enter the door; saw the cleaning.
light of the astral, the rich carpet, and all
the strange surroundings of the scene:
listened in breathless suspense while the
agonized lover questioned the dark spirit
shout his "LENoRE," and shuddered with
terEor at the dismal croaking reply
When the spell was broken and the mag
K voice WIS still, the vast audience were
all bending forward with mouths agape |
Ike brood of hungry robins, when the
Parent bird ia feeding.