The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-18
Some Hints On Reading

fully; indeed II Is often waste o'
time TO loger long over q volume
whose entire thought is not essen
tial to ones purpose. 1t is au srt
acquired only by practice TO CLEAN
wisely and rapidly from a somewhat
barren yet occasionally fruitful hook.
MANY, probably most, volumes de
mand time and careful thought.
The second reading OF good book
is often of great value. The thoughts
from the first reading are impressed
more fully on the mind. and become
assimilated with ones mental struct-
ure, while others OF value that were
onnoted before are gathered in.
If there is no time for second
reading, it is an excellent idea to
read with a blue pencil in hand, aud
to mark those passages on which one
would like to bestow further thought.
10 the eyes of some people, mark
ing book is an objectionable sin,
but the practice has mauy advan-
tages. The value of the marked
volume is greatly enhanced not only
to the owner, whose ttention is thus
resdily called to passages OF special
interest and Importance, but also to
the borrower who is able to follow
the readers thought, and learn his
judgement and taste. The objection
that book whose margins and III
terlined looks less clean and fresh
than if free from markings, has nc
weight. OF what value is shells
full of books that have been rightly
kept free from these written cons
m ents, and look as clean as just
from the publisher, except to com
mand higher price when, some
years hence, our cherished posses
sions are taken to dealer 10 second
hand literature?
A judiclouly marked book is 6
source Of delight to the marker and
his friends, and becomes tenfold
more a part of the readers thought
than any other. 1t is unnecessary
to say that the marking should be
done by no one but the owner, and
common-sense will suggest hare
pencil for the purpose.
The advice so generally given to
pass by 10 reference the meaning o.
which is not at once apparent works
in two ways. The reader who takes
up Milton for the first time. and
whose education has not been a lib
eral one, would lose all the freshness
of tie thought which the author
breathes forth if be fol iced himself t,
continually consult books of III. uhol
ogy and history. The tatit of fre
quentIy interEuptirg the author S
thought to consult dictionary o,
encyclote &c liza results disastronsly il
one is attempting to recognize the
authors genius. Sometimes blue
mark, or q list Of obscure words jot
ted down for future reference vii
relieve the readers conscience, anG
not senslbly diminish his luteres,
in the hook. At other times the
close relation of thought end illus
tratlon positively demands investi
CATION from some outside source.
Read with friend if possible no,
necessarily aload ar together, but i
tie thoughts Of two friends are dl
rected TO the same course of reading
during the day, its subjects are pret
ty sure 30 be discussed, and its sub
stance more thoroughly dlgested anc
| asslmllated Years after, an illu
sion to the book or quoted passag'
recalls the thought and the friene
both proftably and pleasantly. Dis
cussion always emphasizes aDC
greatly facilitates comprehension o
q written page.-Helen Marshal
North, In Horper's RozGr.
| TWENTY Six Thousand.