Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-08-16
HOW TO READ.
it's Good Plan TO Have Set Time In
Every Day for This Purpose.

~
Every Day for This Purpose.
Again and again have been asked
by girls who had very little time what
they should read, and sometimes have
answered: "The question of what You
should read is not of half as much con-
sequence as the question as to how you
should read" Indeed, when the method
and habit of reading is once settled up
on il helps to settle the other question
of what to read. The mind will natur-
ally choose, first. something that would
be agreeable for it to considers and be-
fore we should attempt to form
taste" we should try TO become ac-
quainted with what tastes we have at
present. Stop and think for mo-
ment what you would natural
~ choose. If i should tell
You that | would send you the very kind
of reading that would give you the most
pleasure, how many of YOU do you
think. would ask me for book of
history How many Of you would want
to read an essay? How many of you
would care for a book of travels? How
manyof You would say;"Give me story;
do not care much what it is if it only
comes out well in the end, and II good
many things happen along the way?"
How many of you would if you were
willing to confess il. prefer not to have
book at all, because You have no habit
of fixing the mind long enough ON any
one subject to make it desirable to take
up book over and over again? If you
answered me honestly. would you not, I
a good many of you. say You would like {
a story, but that you would like short
stories, such as can be found in period +
icals?
Many Of the girls who ask me what
they shall read are young, and many
of them, also very busy. Real life
has begun early for them. and they are
either much occupied with their school
studies. or busy all day long in some
occupation by which they are earning
money in order To board and clothe
themselves; or they are helping their
parents to pay the rent, or they have
taken upon themselves the expense OF
sending younger brother or sister to
school Such girls have little time, and
out of fifty OF them | should probably
ind thirty-five who would answer the
questions above by telling me that they
would like a story.
My first suggestion would be, let us
AXE. to begin with. the things we
would like the best. Let our own in
and taste decide Having
'hoseu our story how shall we read it,
'irst Of all, read with regularity. Let
Is take the long day and divide II in
'ur minds and see how much Of II
eally ought TO be given TO work; how
much to the care of our person, how
much to our family and friends, how
much TO rest and sleep, and then see
low much time is left for our own inn
movement. 1t is hard for me to be-
ieve that any young person is SO cruel
Y situated as not to be able TO have AT
east fifteen minutes in the day which
he can call her own. Be l
in then to take that fifteen
minutes regularly. Let us go to our {,
ook or our periodical just as promptly h
5 we go TO our dinner, and make for
urselves as early as possible the habit =
I putting some reading regularly into I,
he programme of the day Do not
link Of il as one of the things that can =
e omitted Do not be easily diverted \
'om il. II is a habit that we wish 10
y for all our coming life. There are y
ANY habits which it is unfortunate to
prm because nature continues TO make ;,
demand for that which has been sup n
lied. But this habit of reading is one Il
the things for which we wish nature
, make demand. and demand strong
lough 50 that il shall be felt all
trough the busy years To come.-Mary $
owe Dickinson. in the Housewife. {