The times., 1897-09-26
OBSERVATIONS OF
AN AVERAGE MAN.

Many wise things have been written
upon reading aud the proper way to read
1t las Matthew Arnold who said: '-DesuI-
tory reading, wen chosen, is restoring and
edifying." On the other hand these safe
eounseilors deprecate the habit OF reading
too much wise man once bade his
young friend remember that he was a mau.
not book, and, therefore, must not bury
himself in library. but mingIe with men
IN public marts. Pope defined a not un-
common character when he spoke of the
bookfui 5InckHead iSnorantIy read-the
man who has read everything, and knows
nothing; the sterile pedanC who can give
chapter aud verse. but never catches the
true spirit of a BOOK: who reads without a
giimpeT of ine neginativeuess or originality
or thought Hamilton Wright Mabie
speaks TINS of the trained reader: lie
begins with rules, times and habits, these
are the mechanical side OF mis- training,
but, yghel he Gas learned his craft. he has
long ago forgotten them"
To the professional reader, who reads
always with an object. IL is interesting
TO get tie views OF a man who has frankly
been reading for pleasure all his life. One
OF these average eaders unfold ed 70 the
sympathetic editor the history Of his az
Guantance with bOO1s: Il began to read
by accident. travel a good deal, and as
i am not or very sOciabIe turn, had
TO do Something 10 While away the time.
You see, ia some families the children not
only fftft.
it. They hear books talked about con
tinually, and get to feel that they are
important things; whereas there was moth
ing OF the sort in the atmosphere OF my
home. There as plentyGf money to spend,
but none0r 1t weRtfor boOks-except school
books 81 it was only by accident found
out literature cpuld add any pleasure u
my lie Perhaps, though, 1 had some
thing OF the reader in me. anyhow. OF
would never have thought OF turning 10
books, even as a pastime-
Il don't care for poetry except Kipling.
His 'barrack kOom Ballads and Depart
mental Duties are great books. There
is such jolly swing about his verses
IF yOI care for swing you ought
to ike James Whitcomb Riley
Well, now, I don't. Riley is gOOdy.
gOody. lie goes in too much for the
domestic affections. and all that. l don't
mean TO decry the domestic affectionsy
bat Riley gives a kind Of 1Eusfl-and-lnils
view or human nature. Lots Of his
poems remind me OF those worked notices
they hang Oh walls in country places,
Heaven, Home and Mother and that
sort OF thing. That's what I Complain
OF many Jf the American writer's they're
hypOcriticsl. kipIiDE, now, never makes
the people he writes about auv better
than they would have been uader the
given circumstances. Can YOU imagine
Riley making a soldier sag that he wants
to 20 back to the tropics, Where there
aren't any Ten Commandments and a man
can raise thirst. Riley's soldier would
muse pinusly upon Samantha and husking
bees and crystal dTaHghts from the old
well.
Stevenson has the same kind Of nsaa-
illness. I've read every novel he ever
wrote, aGd only wish he'd lived TO write
more Crockett is good too. only some
tir1eS he is rather nieaIy-nouthed, ard
doesn't seem To realize. as Stevenson and
Kiptns i0. thst times come when 1,su
must dc desperate deed without look
ins either before OF behind. What I Ike
about Stevenson and KipliUe is that if their
characters have anything 70 Ito, they 20
ahead and 10 1t, nd don't tumble over ft
year Ike the people in that book OF
I5meS', 'EInha raS>nents' Lord, should
say il Is wei named. I stuck fast in tie
middle Of il, Ike a man in a bog What
lot Of bis, words about nothingl That
fellow James makes m think OF d man
/ used 10 know "a little. spindIe-shankef!.
hollow-ciiested chap, with thread Of
voice, bar H. nad that large way IF talk
ing. You'd hear him squeakine out .tre-
IaCndouS' Immense vast 'stupendous.'
about the most trivial affairs.
George Meredith? Wen, ne seems 70
have a story in his head. and isn't afraid
to tell it: but ne doesn't know how. read
one OF his novels, and kept thinking all
the time that II he only knew the tale h,.
was trying to tell I could understand those
hints lue keeps all the time casting out.
II is IKE listening TO the conductor on Il
railroa train calling out the names of the
stopping places; il you knew the names
beforehand you might understand the
gibberish he shouts out: but 1t doesn't let
much light in on the mind OF a stranger.
Same way with Carlyle. Once 7 got hold
OF his French Revolution because I WIS
advised to-and that reminds me that 1
never took anyCody's advice that I didn't
repent it. Rely on you own Judgment;
that's whatit was given You for. AsIwas
saving, l tackled the French Revolution
lat l soon found that, unless I had that
historical epoch st my fingers ends, I'd
make nothing out OF the book. or course,
l may be ell wrong, but it's my humble
idea that a book with that title ought To
/ teach tile reader something about the
I French revolution. 1 can't see why it
( should be considered a mark of mental
depth not to say what you mean. 1t
/ seems 10 ne more like m1ddle-heat.e t.ednssS
I -as il the writer is not a clear thinker
4 hiuiself. and 50 he can't make his mean
/ ing plain - his reader.
/ Il prefer a novel that has style as well
! as a story, but never get very far in
one that is al style and no story. I'm
not quite 81 simple as you think, even IL
I don't care for poetry and essays. Since
/ have read so many works of fiction I
/ am able 10 Compare them. 1t isn't suffi-
/ Gent now for an aatbGr to say, The
rose aud lily We'd in her check or Re
! was brave as a lion and as strong as an
4 OK l KNOW tie difference between that
sort of thing and the description that
4 makes He seem u see beautiful women
| OF a gallant man. That's one of the facul-
ties OF Anthony Hope lie brings thing
right before your eyes, and he dOesu Z
waste any time doing it. Yes. Hope has
Certainly that speed. directness, Iucidity
which Lang considers Indispensable for
I