Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-31

Whether our neglect of the great books comes
from our not reading at all, or from an incorri-
glbie habit OF reading the little books, it ends
norance OF all the greater literature Of the
knowledge for the sake OF the evanescent parts
u.s. In the end, the same thing, whether we do
not use our minds for serious study at all, or
whether we exhaust them by an impotent vo-
racity for idle and desultory Information" as
1t is called-a thing as fruitful as Whistiing.
OF the two plans prefer the former. At least,
IN that case, the mind is healthy and open. It
which cannot nour1sh, much less enlarge and
beautify our nature. But there is much more
than this. Even to those who resolutely avoid
Guilty is presented-ae dificulty every every day In
creaslng by virtue even of our abundance OF
books. What are the subjects, what are the
with what connection, to what ultimate use or
object? Even those who are resolved to read
the better books are embarrassed by field OF
choice practically boundless The longest NE
memory, would not suf1ice to make us profit
from q hundredth part Of the world Of
books before us. II the great Newton said that
few shells on the shore, whilst a boundiess
ocean OF truth still lay beyond and unknown to
him, how much more to each OF us must the sea
our powers OF vision or OF reach-an immensely
In which industry itself is useless without
Judgment, method, discipline; where 1t Is of
Infinite Importance what we can learn and re-
member and OF utterly no Importance what we
may have once looked at Or heard of. Alas !!
the most Of our reading leaves as little mark,
even in our own education, as the foam that
gathers round the keel Of O passing boat For
myself, am inclined to think the most useful
part OF reading is to know what we should not
read, what We can keep out from that small
cleared spot In the overgroWn jungle OF "tn-
formation the corner which we can call our
ordered patch Of fruit bearing knowledge. Is
not the accumulation OF fresh books fresh him
drance OF our real knowledge OF the old? Does
not the multiplicity Of volumes become bar
upon our use OF any? In literature especially
does 1t hold-that we cannot see the wood for
more from books than most OF his contempora-
ries has lately said: " Form habit OF reading;
do not mind what you read; the reading OF bet
ter books Will come when you nave habit OF
reading the inferior" cannot agree with him.
l think a habit Of reading idly debil1tateS and
think the habit OF reading wisely Is one OF the
most difficult habits to acquire, needing strong
resolution and infinite pains; and hold the
habit Of reading for mere readtng'S sake, instead
OF for the sake of the stuff we gain from read
ing, to be one Of the worst and cOmmonest and
most unwholesome habits we have. Why do we
still suffer the traditional hypocrisy about the
dignity of Observation-Disclosures mean, in the
gross, which includes about equal parts OF what
Is useful and what Is useless? Why are books
as books, writers as writer's, readers as readers
meritOriOus and honorable, apart from any good
In them, or anything that we can get from them?
Why do we pride ourselves on our powers of
their gifts In imblbing port, when we know that
there Is mode OF absorbing print which makes
it impossible we can ever learn anything good
out Of bOOks.-Frederic Harrison In Century.