Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-22
A TASTE FOR READING.
behehts Derived From . Fondn~s. Of
Good Literature.

benehts Derived From q Fondn~.. ~
Good Literature.
From the Boston Herald
ASK any hostess Of your acquaintance
what type OF guest she has found the hard.
est to entertain during a protracted visit.
and she will answer, The woman who
never reads" says a writer I'm the Phpa-
delpha Inquirer.
Probably You know her yourself. She
SIPS INTO your guest room some day with
the promising assurance. Nov aon,r
want TO be made company OF Jus, LEI me-
self" ' ''' my
graduate yourself that your hospltaI.ty ss
10 De extended to one of your sex who IN
capable OF making her stay something be-
side a nervous strain on the part of your
eral.
You have fitted up that guest room OF
yours with especial reference TO the hopsd-
ior pooklsh tastes of its occupants. There
is soodiy assortment OF current literature
scattered about. Being a reader yourself
You can Imagine nothing moro ielightsome
tfan an opportunity for cozy companion
snip with the latest magazine or novel.
You deicately allude 10 your though ful.
ness In providing the, to you, literary
feasts and suggest TO your guest that she
take her pick Of all that the family library
contains, and then-well then comes the
disillusionment
Never while that woman is In your house
do you catch her with a book or paper in
her hand. Days when you run short OF
amusements for her she wanders aimlesslv
about from room to room; is plainly de-
spondent over bad weather and sets all
your hospitabie instincts on edge by the
il-concealed fact that she in bored.
OH YOU sigh. III she would only read
Just to see her ffteeen minutes of the cay
with her eyes fastened intcrestedly upon
some bit OF printed matter
A taste for reading no cpf-
tfvated as any other taste, and q healthy
appetite for good literature 10 as necessary
Tor mental nourishment as good food lie for
physical well-being.
To get right to the root of the matter
the reading habit needs to he cultivated in
the nursery. As soon children are able
to pick out the words in their primers they
should be taught to consider that more
5oyment is to be found between the covers
of a book than among all the toys and gim-
cracks that clutter up the play room No
need TO make bookworms OF them, but o
tactful mother may implant the reading
idea into the juvenile mind and so care
fully nurture il that In after years Il Will
bear intellectual fruits of incalculable belle
fit.
Laziness is usually the foundation for the
childish request, PLEASE read TO me-" pro-
v.ded the youthful petitioner is able 10 read
to himself. The same obliglng gra ndmother
or gracious aunt who is always ready 10 do
the youngsters bidding in this direction 10
also responsible for the fad Of spinning
nursery yarns to listeners who are old
enough and schooled enough TO Gull their
own tales from books.
When there is no personal application on
the child's part how can there he any men,
tai stimulus? No wonder We find SO many
insipd, vacillating minds amongst grown
ups when we remember how little thought
concentration is exacted from the average
child
There would be fewer restless men ana
certainly fewer disconnected women IL the
reading habit was made a feature OF nurs-
cry training.
Fortunate Is the man or woman who has
discovered in books that world which Will
widen the most contracted sphere ana
giorify the most commonplace existence.