Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-20

| SCHOOLS, an optional course. While your pur-
/ pose to learn and to grow Is fixed be not too
nxed either as to time or to methods. The morn
| Ing hour If you can get 1t, may be the best for
| SOLID scientific reading. the evening for poetry
! or travel or recreative literature. But read
when you like, the book you like, and you can
4 hardly go amiSs. Suffer no mans prescription
for a morbid or a crooked intellect to sway your
| choice, il you are conscious of your own mental
| strength and sOundness When you are weary
! and perplexed who shall deny you the recrea-
ton OF chapter of Pickwfck, or what doctor
| dry-as-dust shall compel you to read David
| Hume or Adam Smith. when YOU crave Tenny-
| son or Robert Burnsl
! GREAT LIBRARIES ESsENTIAL--NOT FORMIDABLE
| DO not be appalled, at the multitude of books.
nor fear that you will never be able with your
small leisure, to master any appreciabe share OF
them. NO question is more frequently put to a
librarian than the inconsiderate one-Do you
ever expect to read through all these books9
query well answered by asking-Did You ever
| read your dictionary through great library
Is like your Websters Unabridged-useful nav.
Indispensable, that you may be able to put your
finger on the fact you want. at the moment it Is
wanted. The library of nation, like that
gathered here at Washington. can never be too
large, since it is the one appointed cons ervatOr
OF the nations literature. 1t Is TO preserve, not
only all the best works OF every land but all the
American books which the smaller libraries have
neither the space, nor the means nor the dis
position to accumulate. Collected in great part
without cost to the government Its function Is to
be the great American library of reference, where
every citizen may be sure to find every book
which his country has produced. It's librarian
must be no censor to include or exclude books
at his pleasure, but a custodian, keeper OF the
books OF the nation. There are those who
dread lest the accumulation Of trash should
overlap the really good and useful books. Ills
last fear Very surely, in the world of mind
as in that of matter. all things find their level
Let every book stand on it's merits, and take its
chances OF survival. Fortunately, there is no
act OF Congress requiring them to be read; but
fortunately, also. too. the acts of Congress
require them to be preserved. In evidence Of
COPYRIGHT and to be handed down as the au-
thentic and complete intellectual product of the
country. from generation to generation
THE NOsD EFFICIENT METHOD OF READING.
To come down more closely to the inquiry,
How to read? the first principle to be learned by
any one who would make real progress is this:
Read for ideas-nOt for words. While this NAV
be difficult or even impossible for children or
novces in the art of reading, it is the indispen-
sable condition of mastering many books, or of
advancing far in the paths of knowledge
words, which are merely the garb of thought,
have no other use than to convey to the mind
ideas. To linger upon. the words when once
the idea has been seized. is an utter waste of
time. As. in listening to slow speaker, YOU
aivine the whole meaning OF what he is saying
before he has got half through his sentence, so
In reading you can gather all the idea which any
sentence contains. without stopping to 20
through the words which envelop the meaning
In reading any book for the Information which
it contains should as soon think of stODpinp to
spell out the words as to read out the sentences
The shorthand method Of study is to read for
Ideas and to let the words take care of them
selves. True, there is a distinction to
be drawn between works of the Imagination
where the form or style is of supreme import
ance in the impressions made upon the minds
(as IN the cadences of poetry and books of
science. history, travel. biography and facts
generally. In the latter it is only or mainly the
information to De gained that concerns US; We
read for the facts and ideas, not for the style
in which they are conveyed In purely literary
works. on the other hand. we read not only
tor ideas (Which must still be the ruling inter-
est. but for expression also. and to enjoy the
rhythm and melody of the verse, if it be poetry
or If prose the finished rhetoric or the pleasing
cadence of the style. Thus it is that the
method OF reading which aims to acquire
knowledge. and that which is fittest to drink i'm
the inspiration of great poet. are widely diff
ferent The student who would pursue any
subject OF investigation through many volumes
cannot be fettered by any regard for
verbiage. The most rapid progress consistent
with accurate study is Indispensable
He assemblies. we will say. all the authorities on
a given topic. or sends for all the books which
he has reason TO think may contain something
upon it. First. he may perhaps safely throw out
all the Older works CT it is progressive science
which engages him) as repeated or superseded
by the latest authorities on the same subject
Next, he may dispense with reading large por-
tions Of the remainder, by perusing the table of
contents of the chapters, and reading only such
as touch that branch Of the subject upon which
he is occupied. Then, he may still farther SIM
plify his search. and reduce the amount to be
read by a judiciOus exercise of the art of skin
ping. This requires practice. a quick appre-
nensOn sound Judgment. fixed attention and
much experience in the art Of reading II our
student has conquered the difficulties in the
way OF rapid absorption of knowledge, he will
seiZe and assimilate with or without notes. &C
cOrding to his habit of mind. the contents of
twenty volumes in less time than it would take
the average reader to master one. The reason
Is: he has read no werdS-Ony facts and ideas
he has concentrated his faculties upon the bust
ness in hand, and let all things else alone He
would no more think Of spending his time in
reading chapters or sentences irrelevant to his
purpose than, in walking to definite point, he
would stop at every house on the road to gossip
with the inmates. This concentration of mind
Is the secret OF intellectual success. 1t should
be learned at whatever cost OF time and pains.
AUTHORS TOO FREQUENTLY scArTERBRA1Ns
Most writer's Of books have been at the pains
bulky than the thoughts themselves. They in
dulge in long episodes, tedious intrOductions.
and wearisome repetitions beating out the
same idea until it is grown so thin that it fairly
blows away. Many books are so poor and
empty Gwen books of great reputation, too
that the only proper way to read them is to
skim them, OF else not to read them at ALL 1t
is paying any author the greatest compliment
to say that he has produced book which is fit
to be read through Apply the test to men. and
now many OF your numerous acquaintances
would it be profitable to you to know intimate
y in every linealnent of their imperfect charac-
tiers! AS any approach to perfection in human
nature is very rare, SO few and far between are
the great books of the world. Even that con-
sumnate artist. Shakespeare, has some scenes
which it is most profitable to skip. and when
great Homer sometimes mods, what can We ex-
pect from the HOnerid0s, You will find more
ideas In single short essay of Lord Bacon than
In many acres Of average literature.
THE SHORTHAND HABIT OF READING.
The habit Of reading which have outlined
may be termed the intuitive method. 1t should
be formed early in life, while the faculties are
fresh, the mind is full of zeal for knowledge
and the mental habits are ducte-nOt fixed. It
may be learned later; indeed. at any period; but
there will be greater difficulties to overcome