The Newtown bee., 1896-07-31
WARR. FEN.

On sunday evening. July I9, the '. r. $. N- considered the subject of ''Booka and Reading. how to get good there from" Robert Swift was the leader and
 made some interesting remarks. Mr Gardner spoke more at length, calling attsuJion to the great importance of the subject. He repeated Lord Bacon's words "rhat reading makes full man, conversation ready man and writing an exact man." Also the four classes Of readers mentioned ny Coleridge. The first like the hour glass, the sand running hind. The second like 8 sponge, which jmbihc. every thing, only to return it in tip sam" state, or perhaps dirtier. The l tEj.d like thc i'Ily-b@g, allows the pure to Il-s away, and keeping only the re, fuse and dregs. The fourth, like the slaves in the mines of Goleonda, casting out CT aside ali that is worthless, and re- tuinng only the diamonds and gems l He spoke of the great care necessary ir selecting books. That We should be as
 cu"ful of the kind we rcad, as the com, p3uy we keep, He alluded to what Alex anGar Pope said of hIs method of reading al two rras Of his lie. From to 70 h. read only for amusement. From 20 to ~ to judge, \ book must be copied ~ith a pel. to b: owned. He mentioned the diff, Grruc purpose t. be accompiis he'd ty reading giving tho points of chat rp- D0wned educator, Edwin Paxton Hood. which were. first to awaken the powers
 of the mind, second, to obtain a stock of ideas, a rirh mental furniture. Some books are vast sCOrehousCs of ideas Third 10 fortjfy our convictions. Why
 do l think so> What good reason have for thiukirg such course ia right? Fourth, to understand ourselves. To learn what man is, Fifth, We should read history as a branch of mental and n,ogal philosophy. Sixth, to centra1c oQr Knowledge, previously acquired of man. ard of our country, progress, and coEGitiul. Seventh, totrain tie imqgina-
 tjo0. The world is hooded with books, and it requires great wisdom to know what and how to read. There are two
 dangers confronting us. First, from the abundance of books and literature. Second, the character of the same What
 shall w read depends upon a variety of circumstances. Our environment. our occupation, what our business in life is
 or is to be. Ask counsel of such as have
 had experience, and in whose judgement
 you can cOnfide. There are some books
 which all are supposed to read whatever be your occupation in life. You should read American, English and Greek his
 tory. Read Charles Lambs essays, Car
 Iyle's Hero Worship. You want to know
 something of his wonderful genius.
 Read Emerson's representative men. He
 is cue of our great Americans. Read
 poetry. Learn to love iC. Read Mrs
 Browuing's Aurora Lee. It is her great
 work. She put her soul into if. Read
 Shakespeare. He is inexhaustibe. His
 works are 8 storehOuse of wisdom, in-
 structi0n and exquisite diction. Read
 your own poets LongfelIow, Bryant,
 Whittier, Lowell, etc. Read fiction.
 Cooper is the Walter Scott of America.
 Read Ian Maclaren's Bonny Brier Bush,
 Days of Auld Lang Syne. Read Barrie
 Window of Thurms, etc. For religious
 reading, read Confessions of St Angus tine, Imitation of Christ, Thomas A
 kempis' Laws Serious Call to a Holy
 Life, Taylor's Holy Living and Dying. Own one of these at least, and study it.
 Make it companion. Great and good men wrote them. Be always reading good books, the best, and you cannot fail l to make yourself useful and leave the
 world better because of your presence in
 it.
 Quite number of young people are in town now, Auwustine SapLptt and fo m