The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-24

One of Mental Dissipation.
Standard by Which Good
Reading Is Judged Coinpilers
Of Best Lists and Their Diff
ferences- Translations to be
Valued - Exclusive Fiction
Diet--Poetry Problem.
BY Nathalie Siebotll-Kennedy
5tPrlncipal Of the sleboth. Kennedy School.
H " Chicago.)
E\/S/ poetess and one Of Thomas sheri-
BVV tu.,i . lnlee beautiful ua,s...ers. -sK-
ed pern,ssion 70 dedleass "a song rs f,,s sG
the Duke Of wellington, he based ms reiuse'
Il. II have Been chancellor OF Oxford, and j, IN
ohef situations much exposed sear TO aeesed Of
cowardicc. but the authors were an ever on
rii., more ,;5 e,, ' va range
betlmes retreat from their nssaults. nhe
fact is that once made free OF process ,,thnrs
The most arduous intellectual labor ever per-
formed in all probability by the grease,r, nuI
Der IL, Se Va aea for he to sy5c IS
in early childhood and tho reverence for print I'm,
resulting from SO much Intense ems a2plc &c, ac.
spite frequent insults hurled against our un :
de.t-t,rd'.s q hv.Sthe writ"g fnkt So ners.'
entity hopeful arc We OF what Is expressed
b., "a, pJ,>.,t letters that III iorelgn G"u..tl4,n
where there nre strange hphaD,sts' say "a
Russia, wo are Uncomfortable until we nase
mastered enough b, Of the eha char . s
home familiar notice in Its accustomed pla l',.
tpo nv n q
do We vest the printed word, The signs ana
notices do at least convey information vn nu.
thing less valuable. but no one would YEN YEN
tMre to assert that all books are as
young person must be safe and well employee
the 'nerest waste q tine |.
Gladly Diminishing the possibility Of reading
positively Vicious books n the =, nel ferce tha 10
aesaeS asS na ns @na sSn
by too much reading for 70 nGpsma nnsafe By
% . do n 1HF BE- oa' better read
part Of ourselves than 10 desour with .avldlty
a ponderous tome without thought on our
mstnkabie and and. direct source Of benefit, may
thus become the verest mental i;SsipSGtinE nnd
e fnn Y rhs oFss W mea ., apns T. fiction
only, It is possible both to read and COM
tiolN on the philosophy Of history. az we. well
as an inane romance. and not stand a whit
does nSt 'o Of necessity
possessing and using; on the contrary II 1. may
and TO 1e ,h Pack ka6 on
may digest his food and still not assmilat 4,
enough OF It to produce new IN si.
in r to sustain intellectual life and prevent
,atrophy. but that is evidently all.
When 1t comes to the consideration or en-
.iOynent reading face another aspect
Of the subject. We are meant to enjoy; as
the is eyeryWsers net IN
tai vision IS also nttled to find pleasure.
But Dame Nature has her own ways e en-
agreeable will finally result in enjoyment
~ ea t.iti eo4 t.e .ody, any ". nay.
her other child. the mind.
r What. then, is good reading? Is 1t possible
to Sc: up a standard, to specify books that
will mean ACQUISITION and character building
for everybody? Sir John Lubbock and many
Others in their desire TO be OF use have bust "a
themselves TO compile lists Of TIE best BOOKS
Of 10 ro picking
ont the ten best short poems, or the ten best
short stories. Taking into account the various
5od,,"Sted nann,e. this selecting night scen
sheer folly except for one telling circumstance g.
stories, appeared in every list. Earthly judg-
ine... q ..lIatt.oie. uut y IS wa. ne ave
available and we must abide by It. When
ten or twenty OF the worlds foremost think
ers. men who have proved their own ndebt-
edless To them, assure us that certain books
are the most worthful in existence. we come
+ to see that there is after all standard that
approaches absoluteness. 1t Is noteworthy
that no one Of these standard makers Is mis-.
led by his own speciality to choose books OF
technical instruction. They designate books
that in the broadest sense under the right
enjoyment.
TO take an example: In his first list Of
hs tire sr
Of the eheee The c Pail Mali Gazete Whah
Sir johns list or to send in isis Of their
own. promptly received protests from the poet
irving Wn Morrs on Farray
and many. others. and IN Lubbock's final com.
men We're a and te ob,ea
dstrr- ~ ~ fsr I've. * ~ "a d
nlac-s .le-r sc..e.ilss, out lie et.,,s- e.4d
e o hsnaa 9aF Hsh ana n'i at Is
where we English speaking people arc espe-
cially fortunate. It has happened in the his.
the Bible has given stability TO tongue.
Martin Luthers sp!endldly rugged translation
dld Ter the The, German o. his ms time what King
sa,es srfs' e@ a epr RET IN
the English translation Of 1911. made at a
b
s-f. & ,c>7-,r 81 i,'rr -tt,lH~ %. n ..-aSt
richness, an Incompatible union OF beauty.
.ius.... ara st.e.-t,t.. VI eseIlta Itself
That there does, then exist consensus OF
opinion in the judgment. Of books. as proved
BY the correction by many minds OF the omis-
sion In the first list. is a. satisfaction TO those
who dread the wasting Of time in mere ex-
Was il Longfsllow who aptly compared
translation to the pouring Of wine fron, the
golden tn:o the silver cup? After. all, tho
essential thing Is to have the wine. ard
no one can examine these lists without OBJ
serving the frequency OF traEslations In the
reading recommended. A person OF good ed,l-
cation may be credited with reading know
ledge edge, o. Two Or three modern LANGUAGES. and
scTit and Chinese ara clearly out OF the
question except with profound scholars. There
Is a foolish prejudice agains, reading work
Of translation Read it so Il /, Is not easily
nttainabie. otherwise, provided your desire is
10 read the book not % learn a foreign Lam
guage. which u quite another aim. In THE
Intellectual Life." PHILIP Gilbert Homerton
computes the number Of .yolumeH that may
be read III an ordinary lifetime, and II is
lam ,s smali eTsn for dilisent people
II rs not hard 10 rsfnsmber what one has
read during one NINTH 1 should susgeat
| tn yfrI a Eer tauf -,