The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-10-26

Do not lay out detailed course Of read
lng. Probably you would not follow !, ana
the moral effect of making plan and oiv-
ing 1t up is injurious. But there is another
reason for my advice. When YOU become
Interested in subject, then is the time 10
follow 1t up, and read everything you can
get hold of about il. What YOU read when
thus keenly interested you will remember
and nake your own, and that is the secret
of acquiring knowledge; to study a thing
when your mind is awake and eager to
kuow more. No matter II it leads you away
| from the books with which you set out. and
II 1t sends you to another subject, so that
you never again open the original book, SO
much the better; you are eager, you are
learning, and the object of reading is TO
learn, not To get through a certain number
of books
What we read with lnclination, SAID wise
OLD Dr. Johnson, makes strong impression.
What we read rs task, is of little use.
When you read book that interests You.
you naturally wish to know more of its au.
thor. That is the time to make his acauaint
ance Read his life, or an account of him In
an encyclopaedia look over his other writ
ings, and become familiar with him. Then
you have really added something TO your
knowledge. II you fettered Yourself with
a course. you could not do this, and before
you finished a book, you would have for
gotten the special points which interested
you as you went through.
You think that history is dull reading.
perhaps. I'm afraid that is because you
have dull way Of reading il, not realizing
that it is n series of true and wonderful
stories of mems lives, beyond comparison
more marvellous aud interesting than the
dctitious lives we read in novels. The first
pages are usually dry, admit, and advise
you not To look at them till you feel desire
to do so; but select some person, and fol
low out the story of his life or some event,
and read about that, and | assure you, YOU
will find a new life in the old books.
After getting, In this way, a fraRmentary
acquaintance with nation, its prominent
men and striking events, you will doubt
less feel anxious to know ITS whole story
and then, reading it with interest, you will
remember what you read.
But there are other subjects in which YOU
may he interested. You wish first to know
about the few great books and authors gen.
orally regarded and referred to as the foun-
tam heads of the worlds literature. IL is
impossible, in little talk like this, to give
definite directions for gaining knowledge
ot these. Needs vary in almost every case.
and book that might wisely be selected
for one girl, might he very poor choice
for another. Almost every one can turn to
some iudicious relative or friend who, at
least, can start her in good direction.
Once started, the way is delightful and
easy. There are many entrances into the
great temple of literature-you need not 90
in by them all.
There are many well known aud often
quoted authors, concerning whom you will
wish to be informed, even If you never read
their works. You want to know when they
lived and what they wrote. The world Of
books is too large FOR any one to know
thoroughly; you must select from the wide
range what suits your taste, and be content
to have an outside, or titlepage, knowledge
of the rest.
Above all, in your reading you want to
avoid becoming narrow an one-sided.
Read both sides of aquestion. If you read
a eulogistic biography of person, read also,
if possible, one written from an opposite
standpoint. You will find that no one is
wholly bad, nor wholly good, and you will
grow broad in your views.
Prayer for Rain.