The San Francisco call., 1898-04-24

every part of the Union and from the immense quantity of foreign books i'm ported. Yet, withal, Americans as class have been accused or belng very s~naiIoM ~ in real, actual knowledge and very super ficial and singularly inaccurate in matters pertaining to science and literature. 1T the European critic is to be believed, the average American reads little of every thing and never much of any one thing:
 Amusement. we are told, not mental profit; reputation for possessing an ex- tensive and general informatlon rather than being thorough and accurate in a limited field of knowledge are the pre- vailing motives for both reading ana study on this side of the Atlantic. NOW, while the writer is far from concurr1ng Tn these sweeping statements of our friends over the sea, yet he is obliged to admit that there is substratum of truth Tn their criticism, It is unfortunateIy true that millions have no higher or more noble motive for reading than mere amusement, mental intoxication or the willing away of leisure hours.
 The number of persons who have SyS- tenn about their reading and stick to that system with a dogged pertinacity which means success, and who, in pursuance or voted to the daily cares and duties of life a time to be sacredly reserved for literary and scientific reading, is lamentably small. Spasmodic work in any depart ment of labor, however energetic or eX- hausting its performance at the tlme, never has and never can accomplish much.
 This is as true of reading as of any other labor. The man, then, who would make reading of the greatest profit to himself must set apart regular tune TOT the pursuit; not allow other pursuits to rob him of that time: must study to un- derstand the authors words and thence his thoughts; must use all help that Will aid him to do this; and should read slow ly, carefully and meditatively. He would do well to write down remarks, criticisms, thoughts on the authors views. ana should in every possible way become inn bued with the very spirit of the writer. of thought, in defniteness of view, in cer- tainty of Knowledge, far more than com pensate for all the time and troubis which such a course Of reading must necessarily cost?
 Now in no profession should more time be devoted to careful and thorough read ing than in that of teaching. To perform with ordinary success and with ordinary satisfaction, the work of each day as it comes, requires much study and pa1nstak- ing preparation but any teacher who in doing this confines himself to the text books will soon find himself far behind the demands of the age.
 The true teacher will read the news paper as he should, with ScrupulouS att tention and care and for the purpose of learning and remembering sad ten- dency to skim is often developed by the habit of reading a little here and there through half dozen or more newspapers ana magazines, a hab1t contracted on the score that the teacher has not time for more accurate work. Now this habit often unfortunately sticks to one when called upon to give serious attention to reading of a more solid nature.
 While the teacher ought to be thor oughly acquainted with all the vital is sues of the day and should know what progress science. literature and art are from time to time making, he cannot afford to waste valuable hours in profit less reading, or to contract the pernicious habit of skimming. Let him therefore choose the very best newspapers and magazines and only read from these the best articles, and let the reading of these be careful and thorough; as it is not the amount of food eaten that nourishes the body and causes it to grow, but the amount digested and assmilated, so it is certainly not the amount read but the amount understood, and then remem- bered, stored away in the recesses of the brain, to be called forth at a moment s warning when wanted. that will give us mental power. AS food of poor quality or in improper quantity will often check or even prevent assimilation, so does in-