The sun., 1880-11-21

Under the above title the Putnams have
published manual containing good deal OF
information and suggestion as to books and
their uses. Like other works whose contents
are from various hands. there Ia q marked dif-
feren,e OF interest and quality In the several
chapters. In the two papers, for instance writ
ten by the Rev. Joseph Cook. we are unable to
discover anything OF value. and the same might
| be said OF one or two other contributions. The
best thing In the book 10 an essay by Charles
Dudley Warner. entitled why Young People
Read TRASH" and short disquisition on The
Choice OF Books" by Edward Everett Hale.
Is also worth attention. Neither should we fail
to note two thoughtful papers. What to Read I"
and Plans OF Reading" by +. b. Perkins.
These four chapters may be said to Justify the
publication Of the volume. which is further
commended by some really useful suggestions
for household libraries coupled with three
price lists containing respectively 500 1000.
and 1000 desirable and important books.
Mr.. Warner tells US that young people read
| trash for no other reason than because their
parents or the older persons about them. either
have not the habit OF reading at all or read
trash themselves. He reminds US how often
| you will find in house a large number OF
standard works. representatives of the best
| literature while the inmates are constantly ex-
claiming: What shall read p" What is there
| to read ?" meaning. OF course. What new novels
| are forthcomng2 We entirely concur in Mr..
| Warmers opinion that the extent Of the habit OF
reading is vastly overestimated. even in read
| ing countries. Even in the United States,
| where nearly everybody takes a daily snatch at
the newspaper. comparatively few OF the entire
population. and not many Of even so-called ed
| ucated persons. read books. This is proved by
the limited number OF copies which. in pub
| lishers' language. are held to constitute a
| 'run.p 10 tho actual cirnulafinn NJ our
most popular daily newspapers is. after ALL in
| considerable when compared with the immense
| population within the area OF possible distrbu-
| ton around New York city. Some curious
| facts within Mr.. Warmers experience throw
| light on what the state OF culture really 10 in
the households even Of New England. He was
recently told. 1t seems. by professor in a lead
| ing Eastern college that freshman who had
| passed fair entrance examination came to
him and said he had never read book In his
life with the exception Of his text books. which
| proved to be literally true. Another professor
| in another college. one OF the highest in the
| country. assured Mr.. Warner that a sophomore
| who stood well in his class. had never read
| book outside OF those employed in his studies
| and actually had no notion OF the pleasure or
| profit to be got from reading. The professor at
| length induced him to read one OF Scott's
novels, but the boy found 1t a tedious and unin-
teresting occupation. These examples are cited
to demonstrate that taste for literature is far
| from being the universal thing we think 1t is.
even among college undergraduates.
| Mr.. Hale tells pleasant story apropos OF the
feeling OF despair young persons are apt to ex-
| perience in listening to the talk OF a group OF
well-read people. He knew young man, he
says who was 30 impressed by his own igno-
rance that he went to the college librarian and
asked at which end OF the library it was
tomary for the students to begin. This Mr..
| Hale does not consider altogether a FOOLS ques-
tion. and in his paper ON the choice OF books he
| tries to give some practical answers to II.
| Touching the same subject. Mr. Perkins quotes
| Mr. Emerson's three rules. which are open to
the obvious structure that il everybody followed
! them no new books would be printed. One OF
| these rules. II will be remembered. was Never
read any book that is not a year DID," and an
| other. Never read any but famed books." Mr..
| Perkins himself makes a good point when he
demonstrates how the definition OF universal
scholar has changed since the expansion Of
knowledge. 1t is no longer a man who knows
everything. but only man who knows where
| to look for everything. We observe that in
| his plans OF reading Mr.. Perkins bears in
mind tho fundamental distinction between
| books for information and books for stimulus.
| or course. all new accessions to our mental
| stores will tend to rouse vigorous mind
| into independent activity. Nevertheless.
| there is manifest propriety in the broad dis
| tlnction laid down by De Quincy between the lit
| erature OF knowledge and the literature OF
power We should fairly enough say. for in
| stance, that the pure mathematics and works OF
the imagination belong to the latter category.
| while history and the physical sciences would
be classed in the former. And generally we
might aver that whenever book is read for the
| styla the Drimarv Ia stimulua whAraas
whenever 1t is read for the substantial contents.
| the principal result Is information. We observe
| that in somewhat hasty list OF epoch making
names compiled by Mr.. Perkins. almost pre-
cisely one-half would be assigned to the itera-
ture OF knowledge and one half to the literature
| OF power. or course. where We read for infor-
nation. history must be the foundation OF the
whole repertory, the data and laws OF natural
science alone excepted. 1t is well said by Mr..
| Perkins that except upon the basis OF the
widest possible historical knowledge there can
be no thorough acquaintance with theology.
| philosophy, political economy. social con-
dtions and affairs.
Among specific programmes or courses OF
reading. tho extraordinary scope of that
sketched by Milton is well known, and that laid
out by Chancellor Kent is probably still more
| familiar to American youth. A sensible and
modest programme is outlined by Mr.. Perkins.
But it strikes US that nothing could surpass, in
tho double features OF efficiency and simplicity,
the plan suggested by John Ruskin and which
we find reproduced in this volume. Ruskins
idea was that the youth associated in what he
termed the St. Georges Company should cor
rectly learn. among other things. the history OF
five cities-Athens. Rome. Venice, Florence,
London. to which Jerusalem might be added
as tho centre OF most important early re-
lgious history. Such q scheme would un-
doubtedly combine. in comprehensive and
varied way. the different elements OF interest
and instruction in the long and strange ex-
perience Of men. 1t would bring the reader
into direct acquaintance with the most impor-
tant developments OF human nature, and into
intimate communion with the moral and in