River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-12-31
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 81. 1885.

the things to be done or let alone at
| Wilt is impossible to keep ones
place in the ranks of intelligence with
out regular and comprehensive read
ing upon the vital issues and current
events of the day. Nor will the week.
| ly perusal of the items column of the
| county newspaper, or the trashy sto-
| ries of the Back log" or New York
Weekly style of paper suflice-one
may be very ignorant indeed, and yet
spend much time in this kind of read
| ing.
First, the teacher should read what
ever bears upon, or supplements the
| matter contained in the textbooks
used 10y the pupil. 1t is a truth so
| well known and so well proved as to
be almost automatic, that he who
knows only what he would teach, is
not capable of teaching that properly
Better for the child that he be placed
in the charge of teacher acquainted
with literature, conversant with the
great thoughts of noble minds, and
well-informed upon the subjects in
fluencing and shaping the events
among which we live, even though he
fail somewhat in bounding the coun.
tries of South America, or giving the
exact date of some of the pre- Revolu-
tiOnary battles, than that he should be
taught by one who has the textbooks
at his tongue 8 end, but with mistaken
ideas and undeyeloped mentality. For
example, ali amendment to the Consti-
tuition is the lesson for the day; is it
not more important that the child
should know the social aud political
state of the nation which made it nee
essary, the contemporary influence
eXerted by adjacent countries, and its
effect upon our population, rather than
the exact date of its adoptiOnt Do
not misunderstood me, however, am
not saying that accuracy is not good
thing-but ''this ought we TO have
done, and not tG have left the other
undone."
If all pupils came from homes where
books and papers abOunded, and intel
ligent parents were able and ready to
supplement the information contained
in the textbooks, the teacher knowl-
edge would not be 50 important. The
fact is, however, that most people
take but one paper, which generally
CUuDdlllS HOOnIilS DuL lOCdl lilIOi ma
ton. and short and inferior story,
while the purchase of a book is an ex-
travagance not to be thought of while
any desired article of dress, food, or
show, remains unbought. Of course,
it is sad and lamentable fact that
many teachers only differ from their
pupils in being few pages in advance
of them in the textbooks. An evil
perceived, however, is half remedied,
and it is to such teachers that the
Reading Circle will prove an especial
boon. This gives the teacher an Cd
portunity to find good and entertaining
reading, which will be of great and
immediate benefit to him in his work,
and an opportunity also to exchange
the thoughts and ideas which it aWak-
ems with others, and to receive the
help and improvement inseparable
from contact with awakened and in
quiring minds. 1t also Aelps them to
choose a0hdt to read, and | believe that
ignorance in this respect has more to
do with the lack of reading than most
people imagine. "There are so many
books-and | have so little time and
money" To such teachers, the Read
ing OlICl6 VIII plOFc GHc Bl6CtllC I6I-
egraph, linking them with the remot-
est Kingdoms of intellectual endeavOr.
In general reading, there is one safe
rule to follow. Read upon the sub
ject that interests you. but let the
book be the best of its kind. If you
read History, let the authors be au-
thentic and accredited. If Adven-
ture, let it be by a writer who is
known 20 be truthful. / Fiction, let
it be by one of the masters of the art
of storytelling, and generally let the
book be one whose interest depends
upon the development of character
rather than incident. If you rise
from the perusaI Of book with kind
er, more charitable feelings toward
your fellow-men, and higher ideal of
truth and honor, its influence cannot
be hurtful, nor can its oppOS tie he
beneficial, however great the amount
of knowledge you may have gained
from its pages.