Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-03-04
BOOKS THAT SHOULD BE READ.
An Amusing Letter from wtIkfe Col
Inns on SIR j ohm Lubbock's List.

OOiuuS W lut Ialk MAI NNhEellt, THAT
| should recommend to inexperienced
readers some of the books which are
necessary for liberal education; and
you have kindly sent list of works
drawn out by Sir John Lubbock with
this object in view, and recaRtly pub
lished ia your journal.
am sincerely sensible of the com
plment to myself which is implied
in your suggestions but | am, at the
same time, afraid that you have ad-
dressed yourself TO the wrong man.
Let me own the truth. | add one
more to the reckless people who as
tonlsh Sir John Lubbock by devnting
little care to the selection of what they
read. | pick up the literature that
happens TO fall in my way, and live
upon 1t as well rs l can-lke the spar
rows who are picking up the crumbs
outside my window while | write. If
| may still quote my experience of
myself let me add that / have never
got any good out of book unless the
book interested me in the first in
stance When find that reading be-
comes an effort instead OF pleasure
| shut up the volume, respecting the
eminent author and admiring my en-
viable fellow-crestures who have
succeeded where | have failed. These
sentiments have been especially lively
IN me TO give an example) when |
have laid aside in despair "Clarissa
HarlOw We" Ia Nouvelle HeIoise, I"
the PLAYS OF Ben Johnso>, Burke on
''The Sublime ard Beautiful Hal
lam's middle Ages, and r ,scoe's
Life of Leo the Tenth Is a
person with this good reason
to blush for himself Of he was only
young enough to do iD The right sort
of person to produce q list OF books
for readers in search OF q liberal edu-
cation2 You will agree with me that
he is capable of seriously recommend
ing "Sterne's Sentimental Journey"
as the best book of travels that has
ever been writton, and Byron's
"Childe Harold" as the grandest
poem which the world has seen since
the first publication of Paradise
Lost.
After this confession, If neverthe-
less venture to offer few suggestions
will you trust my honesty, even
while you doubt nay discretion2 In
any case, the tomb of literature is
close by you. You can give me de
cent burial in the waste paper basket.
To begin with, what is liberal edu-
cation9 II | stood at my house door,
and put shat question to the first ten
intelligent looking persons who pass
ed by, | believe | should receive ten
answers at vrriance one with the 9th
err. My own ideas cordially recognize
any system of education
of education the direct tendency OF
which is TO make us better Christians.
Looking over Sir John Lubbock's list
from this point OF view-that is to
say, assuming that the production of
good citizen represents the most
valuable result of liberal education
j submit that the best book which
your correspondent has recommended
is the "Vicar of Wakefield" and oil
the many excellent schoolmasters
Judging them by their works. in
whose capacity for useful teaching he
believes, the two in whom l, for my
part most implicitly trust, are Walter
Scott and Charles Dickens. Holding
these extraordinary opinions if you
asked nae to pick out biographical
work for general reading, | should
choose (atter Bosewell's supremely
great book, of course Lockhart's
Life of Scott. Let the general reader
follow my advice, and he will find
himself not only introduced to the
the greatest genius that
has ever written novels, but provided
with the example of a man modest,
just, generous, resolute and merciful
man whose very faults and fallings
have been transformedsinto virtues
through the noble atonement that he
offered at tho peril of his life.
Let me not forget that the question
Of liteary value must also b. consider
ed in recommending value means
positive Literary attractonto the gener-
al rdader In this connection | have
IN my mind the most perfect letters
in the E0glish language when | intro
duce the envlable persons who have
not yet read it TO Moore's "Life Of By
ron" Again if any voice crying in
the litery wilderness ask me what ira
wells it may be well to read, do jas
tice to the charm OF an admirable
style. presenting the results Of true
vivid observation, when / mention the
names of Rockford and Kinglake
Get Backford's Italy, SPAN, and
Portugal" and, beginning toward the
end OF the book, what your appetite
by reading the Excursion to the
Monasteries OF Alcobaca and Batslha. "
In Kinglake's case, "Eothon" is the
title, and the cheap edition of the
book is within everybody's reach. DR..
Kane. In "Artic Explorations, " and
Mr.. George Melville, Ia 1.-The Lena
Data, are neither of them consum.
mate masters OF the English language
but they possess the rare and admir-
able GIFT OF making other people see
what they have seen themselves.
When you meet with travellers who
are unable TO do this, you will get
nothing out Of them except WEAKNESS
OF spirit. Shut up their books.