The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-09
WHAT A MAN READS.

so many men have become eminent,
Notwithstanding the apparent intellec-
tual poverty of their surroundings, that
1t is interesting toinquire whether scar.
city of books is such an evil as it appears
| to be to those who are accustomed to
have large libraries at their command.
| A very little reflection serves to show
| that it is not the amount that a man
reads so much as the depth of his reading
that counts toward his intellectual
| development. It follows that one who
is really studious may gather from a
few good books more than another
from a whole library. The old analogy
between the mind and the stomach is
always suggested when this subject is
considered. Mental dyspepsia results
from too much reading without assimil>
alton. One who has his appetite well
under control may sit at table loaded
with the richest viands, yet be temper
ate, eating only that which he can thor,
cughly digest. But he is under serious
temptation to do otherwise, indulgins
his appetite at the expense of his health.
So also the student may be surrounded
by all the wealth of literature modern
libraries afford, and yet withstand the
temptation to read everything THAI
comes in his way, combining himself to
such books as will improve his mind.
and giving to these close study. But no
l. tempted at all times to overindulgencs
In reading, which is just as surely
injurious to the mind as overindulgenco
IN eating is injurious to the stomach.
The parallelism goes farther. The
poor boy brought up with coarse foo3,
and no more than enough, sufficiently
clad. yet exposed to the weather, b.
comes n strong, hardy man. The boy
with literary tastes restricted to a few
good DO oks, reading them at some
sacrifice and obliged TO study them
closely because he has nothing else 20
turn to, becomes strong mentally lie
has not merely read the books, he has
essimilated the thoughts he has found
in them: they have become a part Of
his mentality. 1t is for this reason that
men who have apparently had few
opportunities for mental culture some
time surprise the world by their intel.
lectusl power, if not By their learning.
The lesson to those who have many
books and many SOURCES OF study Is
not hard 20 find. Literary studies
should be carried on deliberately. not
with the purpose OF covering a great
deal OF ground, but with the purpose
OF making sure that everything possible
is known of that which has been gone
over. A liberal education in letters
might be obtained from study of the
Bible alone. A very few books BY great
masters would suffice to make one
familiar with all of the principal forms
of literary expression, provided they
were closely studied. Reading in the
ordinary sense, carried on as IS custo- |
mary in our day, when books are 50 /
plentiful, means clear Swimming over |
the pages to gather the story that ;s |
told or the principal thoughts that may |
be expressed IN the essay or review il /
ends where study should begin TIE /
poor boy with only half "a dozen cherished /
volumes. who. with that small library. /
educated himself" was in fast forced !
70 adopt the methods Of reading aES /
study which are now approved by those /
who have given most thought - tns /
SuA l