Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-10
BOOKS AND READING.

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BOOKS AND READING.
We are reminded by the holiday announce
ments of the publishers that the season. OF
books and reading is at hand. Every year,
AS the long Summer days pass, and the briei
suns and coscy evenings of early November
take their place, there begins to be popular
appetite for books 1t is us though there
were an annular succession of INTEL, ctual
meals in the ycar-the breakfast, the dinner,
and the supper of books. Breakfast begins
in November, with choice and plentcous
provision Of all that tcmpis the mental appc-
titc, sharpencd even 10 sleudcrncss by the
long Summer fast that has been broken only
by an occasional lunch on the flakes
and foam of fiction. We are hungry, then,
and vet faint and so the publishers tempt
us with dainty hashcs, and bits of remins-
cence and course of sketches, an little
of the beverage of fiction without the cream,
aud Il ccnrc-pccc of giit-books to be looked
at, not eaten Then, in March, comes our
intellectual dinncr-abundant. hearty, sub
stantal. We sit down then with great,
rude, out-of-door appetite, that does not
faint at sight Of huge platters and dishes OF
sinewy philosophy, and s'eaming theology,
and thick slices of science, and spices OF es-
says, and gravies of poetry. March is the
month when we carry Shlcgel and Kant to
the iircside for digesters, and take science
, instead of siestas. And in the early
| Summer the publishers set for us
. the supper-tabe Of books. They
: give us fiction OF the lightest and dain-
ticst sort, and humor the most languid. and
volumes of poetry whose chief charm lies in
the opening and closing of their covers. July,
August and September are practically book
less months. In October the literary cooks
: build the fire, and then again in November
they serve us with our breakfast of books.
4 Such is the round of the literary year.
The question of what to read is not, how
e ever, entirely determined by the season able
: announcements Of the publishers. To he
: sure, they set the feast, but they also supply
, the larter; and the man whose literary taste
= is somewhat vigorous and independent
n need never continc himself to the re-
$ gulalion bill of fare. There is al
d ways plenty of intellectual food ir
c the cupboard, which, though cold may
l. may contain more nutriment than that whicl
c stcams upon the board. So, too, the deli
c cate anG capricious appetite may reSale itself
V with swettmcats and dainies, when ii plcases
e though the table be set with coarser food. 1t
e is not the wiser course we think, to follow
II fashion in books and reading 1t is better II
II have mind Of ones own, and read VIVA
|. best suits one. no matter how unscasonabl,
IS it may be. Indeed, the fault OF our readin!
to-day is that it is too miscellaneous, too wide
:, in its range. 1t is even better to be Il gooC
Is Judge of poor novels than poor judge o
/. good essays. Every person ought to hav
= some special course Of reading, to whicl
J. the mind gives itself with a Ger
y tain continued enthusiasm. Let it b
sc fiction if it must; there are some won
h derfully fine things in fiction. AM
D. enough of them to engage a wise mind for
&c lifetime. But before choosing fiction, tr
is biography, try history; they are more event
Of profitable and keep the mental fibre in bet
IN ter condition. The rule in reading shou
ic be, try the higher things first, and if th
in mind does not come up to their level after
s, reasonable length of time go down the seal
er till you find the level of the mind.
al Besides having specially, one shoul
be have time to read. Picking up n boo
cs now and then and reading little one da
IN and great deal the next and then not at a
" for a week, is waste of mental energy
a. One is really harmed by such a method {
so reading. 1t weakens the memory and di
ey sipat,s the powers Of attention. Twcnt
is' minutes a day, regularly devoted to one boo
Dts until it is finished is better thantw half day
an upon two unfinished books An hol
'e- a day is good rule. Nearly everyone, c
'rs pecially in the Fall and Winter months, CT
devote an hour day to books. Let it con
in the early evening, If possible. The VIC
asst ries of the day are over then, the mind is
IL rest, aud the physical powers if not owe
or askcd are nj their highest vital point 1t
ow surprising how fast book is read, when
is hour is devoted to 1t erery day. One book
pts time, one hour at II time, Is by lar the p'
ght working rule for the average reader In
ion very few years this practice steadily adher
us to, will acquaint him with all the mast
en- pieces in the English tongue.
,ch Reading aloud in the family is an exccllt
ure practice, which is far too seldom follow,
rh, We Americans are much too self-contain
nd. in all that we do If all our activities W.
an more social in their nature, we shol
rial accomplish more than we do, a
lain better enjoy the doing, be
ems read aloud to an appreciative {
Gus Gle of listeners is Of more value to the re-
thcr er, and of more value TO his audience, Il
,uld If 1t had been read by each only with
mo- eye There is communication of enj
not ment and sympathy in reading aloud VIII
.gis. fixes thoughts in the mind, because Il
this seem more real and live under such crc,
ia stances. All books, to be sure, are not in
the esting to read in the family circle, bu,
ject large proportion of the best books are.
only cnce, of a popular nature biography, hlstC
it poetry, anecdote, nctlOn-all these get |
elp- charm from being enjoyed together. I'll
we're is an absorption of interest in book wi
bet is read aloud that is good for the memo
pirt The secret OF memory is concentrate
losing of ones self in II train of thong
isa- This the enthusiasm of reading aloud sect
that And all this charm needs no power
to elocution to make it effective. The m
not natural simple, unaffected style of read
L. II.