St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-02-02
FOUR WAYS OF READING.
By Kate Sanborn.

When one Is really anxious to know
/ how and what to read, he perhaps con-
suits the book written by Professor
Porter, of Yale college, called "Books
and Reading" or two volumes on
'sThe Best Reading" in Putnam's
"Handy Book Series" or the little
book prepared by Professor c. F.
Richardson, of Dartmouth college, on
"The Choice of Books"
The yearly issue of new books by
the press of the great European states
and of our own country is more than a
hundred day. Those already pub
lished, who can cOmpute7 l have
been asked to give some practical hints
about reading, and [ want first to tell
YOU of four persons who stand for four
types of readers.
A very bright lady friend, who
might have been anything she chose
to be as a scholar in art and literature,
said to me the other day, after putting
down novel of the most ephemeral
kind, GLOW | wish | had not got into
this bad habit of reading nothing but
novels and the newspapers Why,
now, | can't fix my mind on anything
solid Z" She did not fully realize the
truth of what she said ; did not see
that her character had not the strength,
her conversation or her knowledge the
foundation, that it needed.
How one can live on whip syllabub
and Charlotte Russo and caramels in
preference to roast beef, brOiled chick
en-, or even boiled dish, is a mystery.
The lack of nOurishment is evident.
The first named trifies are capital in
60 tba
dinner.
Then l recall another lady who
reads very many books. With large
library, book club, pamphlet socie
ty, and a score of newspapers, she is
Where does all this knowledge go?
nowhere No definite gain for all
those hours. Ask for Il certain fact, a
date, name, an anecdOte, quotation,
she is confused, and gracefully changes
the subject. Reading without refiec-
tion is like eating without digestion.
Nutrition and growth are arrested.
Then | remember a good family who
intend to read protitably and be
thorough and careful. And they select
for reading aloud in the family histo-
y
on a comparatively unimpOrtant theme.
Callers drop in, or father gets tired
and falls asleep in his chair, and Alice
tries to teach her Scotch terrier a new
trick. You see? 1t hasn't sufficient
value and interest to hold the atten-
ton.
The fourth. A gentleman who is
proprietor of one of the largest and
most popular hotels i'll one of our larg-
est cities must he busy man. Yet
know such one who is one of the best
and most satisfactory takers that
meet. | said to him one day, EDo let
me ask you how it is that you find
time to be informed on all the news of
the day, and can talk intelligently on
new books, politics, ETC." He said,
"When was poor boy, working hard
all day, Il kind old gentleman used to
lend me his New York Daily after he
had read it. One night this occurred
to me-'What can L remember of what
| have read for the past three weeks |?
What has been going on in England,
in Germany, in Frances What new
book has been published What
progress has been made, and in what
direction 2 So, putting aside my pre-
ciOus papers, | went all round the cir
cle-politics, art, news, literature, ETC.,
till felt was certain of some things.
l have kept up that habit ever since.
What l read, L make mine, and if L
can't read book, read Il good re-
view of it and feel that L have perhaps
the best of it,"
Definite knowledge is the key to
success. One hour each day given to
reading i'll the right way will make a
young man or young woman well-in-
formed and intelligent.