Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-03-02
Home Studies in Literature.


Home Studies in Literature.
(synopsis of paper read by Miss N. E. Folsom
before the State Farmers Institute, Brookings,
8. d., February 18th, 1882
We all appreciate to some extent
the value Of good books in home.
We all appreciate that, no matter how
narrow or circumscribed our surround
ings may be, we may have bound
less source of pleasure In books; that
IL the prairie stretches out level,
barren, brown and monotonous, or
white, cold and bleak, when we have
Q spare minute we can draw up to the
cheery fire, put our feet on the tenders
and with our nose In book, be trans
ported to whatever cline we like, that
II at the moment We are tired Of the
people we live with we can find people
TO our liking In books, and nine chances
out OF ten when we come back TO earth
again We will find our friends not half
90 naggy or hum drum as we thought
them-just because we have gotten
away from ourselves for a little while
and brought back to them at least a
fresh spirit, II not something definite
for their enjoyment. A friend who is
fond Of city life, wrote me the other
day: Thank fortune for books.
What more inspiring friends can we
have than those who will come and
stay with US II we will but send few
dollars to Chicago?"
How many hundreds OF people in Da-
kota, I wonder, have felt the same
thanksgiving in their hearts? And II
We can't 60 east, west, or south, as
our heart might carry US, we can at
least bring much Of its spirit here for
q comparatively petty sum.
Many Of us can doubtless recall az
among the happiest hours of our lives,
those spent in the home circle when
someone read aloud some good maga-
zine article, story or poem; and we all
enjoyed 1t. Such reading is surely ca
pable Of affording nearly IL not quite
az much and varied pleasure In a
home as music, and it Is often avail
able where music is not. To be sure,
the ability to read well-svmpathet-
ically and interpretatiyely, is as rare as
it Is precious and joy-glving to the
readers friends. But pleasure de-
rived from books, like other pleasures,
ought to be shared. The habit of
reading together and talking about
what is read in the home circle Is we'll
worth cultivating and may bear much
fruit. 1t is not difficult to distinguish
IN a class Of college students those
who have and those who have not had
the advantages Of books In the home.
There has been certain something
communicated to their character
therefrom, that while not tangible, is
very perceptible. They look out upon
life with eyes that have already seen
something beside their own little cor
ner of the world, and so each addition
to their knowledge or experience as
sumes more nearly right relations and
proportions to the whole.
/ appreciate heartily that educa-
tion, the training and developing OF
the faculties and powers, does not
come solely or even mainly, from
books--that life is infinitely better
than books. Yet, every mans field
of action is necessarily limited. He
has his own little plot Of ground to
till, but / believe he can till IL better
by looking out occasionally upon the
plots of other men. Each has his own
particular interests in life, and each
his own particular work to do, but
what man IS, largely determines
what he does, and whether a man
earns his living as a farmer, mer.
chant, a lawyer. or minister, i be.
lieve the same things go to the
making of the man-inspiring forces
within and without, thought, hopes
and aspirations turned into achieve
ments or endeavors toward achieve
ments. We sometimes get to think
ing that the only things really worth
striving for are the material things
and that the only profitable outlay Of
time, labor or money is that from
which we can count on visible returns
But sooner or later we come to realize