The Washington times., 1904-07-16
SUMNER READING
Hot Weather a Profitable Time to Turn
to Literature.

/ Lazy days IN summer are just the
/ time to accomplish little reading. Not
/ necessarily so-caIled heavy reading, but
books that are being talked about By
people.
/ A woman who wishes to keep in touch
/ with the world should never neglect her
/ books They are the outward and visible
result of the ideas formulated in the
brains Of thinking people. and no truei
! view of the trend of the world can be
obtained than by the literature of the
period. This is gathered not only from
works on science and philosophy; take
a standard novel OF any generation II
Will give a truer insight into the habits,
the mental depths. the dress. the social
/ laws OF that period than. perhaps, any
history can do. An author of u society
novel draws life as he sees it about
him.
Books CT Travel Interesting.
| There are many books Of travel, and
now that there is so much interest
I centered in Russia and Japan. it will
/ be a good idea TO procure some welI-rec-
; commended works or both these great
nations. so that by a more thorough
( knowledge OF the life and influences
! surrounding the combatants, the reader
may judge better the causes and prob
able results OF the conflict. The his
tories Of these two countries the Gus
l toms of the people. and their develop
ment are extremely interesting. aside
/ from the desire OF the reader TO obtain
useful Information.
when Z Is too warm TO exercise the
/ brain too much there are plenty of light
1 novels TO resort TO. but superiuity of
D these will be found almost as exhausting
/ after tine as active physical exercise.
( II Is well 10 make q practice Of doing
/ Il little more solid reading every day
/ as little boy expressed 1t. eat some
I bread and butter with the candy" for
/ a steady diet of candy becomes monoto-
/ nous even TO the sincerest lover or
/ sweets.
! If there is a summer tour I'm pros
pect Il Is well TO secure some informa-
/ ton beforehand about the places to be
/ visited a little more in detail than gen
( orally given in d geography or encyclo-
/ pedia.
A Reading Class Helpful
| If there is a congenial party at the
/ summer hotel or boarding house. It is
not d bad idea to have a current event
/ class. one person taking charge each
week: this will while away the time
at morning porch parties and prevent
/ the idle gossip apt TO be INDUCED in
/ for lack Of sufficient matter Of interest
] 10 occupy the minds OF the clique.
A woman Of common sense made IL a
I practice 10 have her children read aloud
/ to her for an hour each day from some
! improving book. The little people took
+ turns reading. while the rest embroid-
| cred or sewed, and In this way each
I summer they finished one or two OF
Dickens works. or perhaps some stand
/ ard book of travels or science that was
not too deep for childish minds. The
children learned not only to appreciate
/ good reading. but also to articulate
smoothly and distinctly useful prac-
! tice. which they learned to appreciate
( In lated years.
! 1t is astonishing how much reading
J can be accomplished during the hot
afternoons when IL is necessary to keep
/ in the shade or TO seek shelter within
I doors. 1t is. of course, not wise to read
I too much when in a reclining position.
| but comfortable chair with broad arms
| and a foCtstool on which TO rest the feet
/ is a delightful place 10 lounge in on
such occasions.