Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-05-16

others, who have caught their inspiration
from the cross. Between these extremes
are II great array of dead and living poets.
1t is a good way to take a volume OF
some standard poet and read by course.
When you find poem you like, mark,
read over, and try to find why you
like it, and why you do not like others.
As to biography, there is a vast and
profitable field, with as little danger as in
almost any class of books.
Popular science presents an attractive
and constantly increasing list. What is
it? All, you are thinking of Tyndall,
Huxley and that school. We need not
depend upon them. Men of faith have
written and will write more upon this sub
iect. Before one begins book it is well
to ask, Who wrote this book? What was
the authors aim in writing? Shall get
any good from it?
HOW TO REMEMBER WHAT ONE READS.
If the book is worth reading and re-
membering, and you wish to acquire good
for soul or mind, you must not read too
fast. One cannot remember thing till
he knows it, so what is read must be
understood before it can be retained. Both
natural talent and education make vast
difference in the quckness of perception.
One sees truth at a glance, while another
must "dig it out" So the rule of rapidity
in reading is, read slowly and understand.
Then do not read too much at IL time. You
know how fascinating very many books
are. The habitual novel reader is enslav-
ed by their spell So, too, are many who
do not read much. When | get Il good
book, cannot let it alone till it is done,
said lady to me the other day. But
such reading is ruinous. We know we
ought to stop, eyes and head are aching,
work or sleep is calling, but we read on.
Every time we do violence to our convc-
tions of right and duty, we are losing, 60
inc the downward road. Suppose you
select q book that is not so "good us to
fascinatc, and then limit yourself to n
chapter Or so at Il time. Certainly, if you
desire to remember it, you must read only
so much as you can remember.
Now YOU have obtained II book and read
u chapter understandingly. You know it
now, and want to know it n month or n
year from now. To insure this you need
to review it. Think it over, tell it to a
friend. write it cut or in some way recall
the substance of the section or chapter un-
til you feel that it is a permanent posses
sion. Exercising the memory by recall
ING fact that has been learned, stamps
that fact indclibly upon the mind. Too
much of our reading is like
snow that falls upon river,
Amoment white, then gone forever"
Every book we read has an influence on
us. The character OF the book determines
the nature of its influence; the way it is
read its permanence. What a field for
Improvement is in books. Poets, philoSo-
pliers, historians, cssayists speak to us in
books. Men and women whose hearts
burn with love for Christ, have portrayed
His wondrous grace in books. Even the
Savior of the world hath revealed Himself
to men in u Book, the Book of books. By
its power have careless souls been awak-
ened to sense of their sin; by its oilers Of
mercy have they found pardon. Its
precious words have led millions Of bur-
dcncd ones to peace and rest. Is this
book fountain of life to you?