The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-19
WHAT AN UNREAD PERSON SHOULD READ.
BY BAILEY MTLLARD.

The mood OF great books, and that often
We are TOO tired physically or too low
down on the depressed levels OF daily life
even to lift our eyes toward the Nils.
TO attempt the great hooks-or any books
al al!-in such moods and moments Is
mistake. For we may thus contract a
prejudice against writer who If ap-
| proached in more fortunate moments
/ would prove the very man we were look
ing for. He Is not much impressed with
the tremendous memories OF some read
nrs He thinks 1t is quite possible to
rem ember TOO much and thus turn ones
/ mind into lumber room OF useless IN
1 formation a good reader forgets4even
| more than he remembers.
There is consolation for those OF US
Who always miss the right wording OF
quotation In fact all through this lit-S
t,e hook the reader Will be led to think
that he Is not In such bad case after
All because he has not read more and
remembered more. He declares we prob
ably remember all that Is really neces-3
sary for us. and except In so lar as our
reading is techinal and directed toward
some exact science or profession accu-
racy Of memory Is not important. He
saws that as the Sabbath was made for
man so books were made for the read
~ and when reader has assimilated
from any given book his own proper
nourlshment and pleasure the rest OF the
book is so much oyster shell.
"The end of true reading Is the de-
yelopment of indi4iduality.
There is much In the volume that
should like to quote for my readers. Tor
the author is full Of fine suggestions and
has very original and fetching way OF
putting them but 1t Is difficult IN a
| short review to give much OF an Idea OF
what Is to be found In the work that IS
really auotable and praiseworthy. Here.
however, is a passage to which shoulu
like to call your attention. t.
1--WE read far too hurriedly, too much
in the spirit OF the quick lunch, No
doubt we do so a great deal from the
misleading idea that there Is so very
4 much to read. Actually there Is little
| "a read II we wish for real reading and
/ there Is time TO read 1t all over twice,
We Americans bolt our books as we do
our food. and so get far too little GOOD
out Of them We treat our mental d.
gastin,,s as brutaly as we treat our
! stomachs. Meditation Is the digestion
az the mind but we allow ourselves no
| fine for meditation. We gorge our eyes
| with tile printed page, but all too NJ
lie of what we take in with our eyes ever
| reaches our minds or our Splits, we
| assimilate what we can from al' tHls
hurry of snperfuous food, and the rest
goes to waste, and as natural conse,
n,,ence contributes only to the wear ana
| tear Of our mental organism
In this chapter on what an unread man
| should read the essaylst sets forth no
| list of .best hundred books" or anything:
| Of the sort. He tries to give an IDEA q
| what he thinks is really needful without
/ those Impossible catalogues which are
the despair Of the average reader, The
selections of reading matter are much
| simpler and fewer than those OF Emer-
son in his famous essay on the same
1 subject. or coutse, 1t is impossible for
4 me TO give the list that is recommended.
4 1t would be Well for every reader to go
/ over ii and make their own amendments
4 and abridgements. The suggestions VIII
be found OF much value to those who
l.haye not had the advantage OF liter
ary course In an institution Of learning,
In concluding would maintain with tho
i 'authnr that In a broad sense mo read
i liz does us any good that is not a pleas,
4 ure to u.s. We must not plod. we must
i not drudge. We must enjoy what we
read ana ne must read what we snjoy