Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-11-13
WINTER READING.
Some suggestions tbout the Valuable
Knowledge Found in Books


Knowledge Found in Books
GUNNER tourist among our mountain
nd seaside resorts might naturally con
clude that the people OF the Unlseu ,y'' av,
tensive spread of paper coVereu n ,l.'a.sS
~ ltatian where he buys his ticket; and
;f Ia bannens TO want something to reaa
- ~ ~. e,reat summer hotels he mas
in the book room two OF thIeo I''l atbo,.
novels and not one volume OF any Quiet
kind of literature - s,,,,,-
This does well enough for our short sum
mer holiday, during when we heeu L.
read very much of anything and, beslaes'
much of the best thought fancy anu 10 90
ing of our day is communlcateu " 'H0
world through the medium OF hcIion.
One toueh of nature makes the whoie
world kin The world is destined one day,
as we all hope. to recognize this klnshlp,
and if so the most powerful means -
brinpi1p it about viii probably be great
fiction like that which aboilsheI oa.ey
Gamn and helped emancipate russian
serfs and American slaves. AL this iiiO-
ment there are lying upon our nuhlDerIes9
bookstands American novels Whlcn arc
melting hearts. softening prejudices ana
inspiring endeavor away oil III the interior
of India and in the rising cities OF Ocean
lea. They are helping to make the Whole
world kin
kinds are now in request, and we una then
not less abundant than novels, II we know
where to look for them. OF late years
there has been a most remarkable proauc-
tion Of what are called books Of reference,
100. 4 HNnr "a
ranned for convenient use when wanted.
Some of these dictionaries aud eneyclo-
pedias of knowledge are wonders OF cheap
ness and excellence; Others are OF such eN-
tent that they cannot be OF low price, OUT
most Of them command sale IN tins coun-
try that surprises even their sanguine pro-
iectors a really good book Of reference
appears TO be one OF the things which
American families are most willing 10 make
sacrifices to get
Noah Webster published his large die
tionary in 1898 The first edition, consist
ing of Z, 900 copies, lasted twelve years, and
the second edition, of 5000 copies, supplied
the market for seven years. We have now
dictionaries and encyclopedias that cost
$50, $50 and $50, which reach a larger sale
Immediately than Webster's dictionary en-
loved during the whole lifetime of the
author.
Such facts as these indicate that the
reading Of fiction does not destroy the taste
for the acquisition Of knowledge, as is fire.
quently alleged Thackeray was disposed
to cast ridicule upon young ladies who
read Improving works. = and Dickens was
not free from the same propensity But,
in fact, the best students are often the best
novel readers In the most intelligent
households we see on the upper shelves OF
the bookcase plenty Of Scott, Thackeray,
Dickens, Hawthorne aud H0wells, ballast.
cd on the lower shelves 10y the solid vol
umes Of the encyclopedia and the diction-
airy
During he winter months the works OF
reference come into great play in many OF
the best schools and clubs, where win
ter subject is chosen and the advanced
pupils ''res,d all round il" until they have
absorbed most OF the knowledge that exists
upon il.
africa has been selected as the winter
topic by one Of our Boston evening clubs
apropos Of the new African books by Stan
ley. Ward and others Il gives point and
interest to reading to have such subject
in view AS tile months 90 by we gradu
ally get full possession Of il, CORRECTING
erroneous impressions and getting light
upon il from other minds. Youths Com
1 panion.