Oxford eagle., 1905-01-05

great English historian and essayist
adopted a similar plan OF reading In
his youth.
Harriet Martineau said of herself: 81
am the slowest of readers-sometimes
page an hour is all read"
Il never knew but one or two ia.
readers. or readers Of many books,
thing" observes Rev r W. Robertson.
Il read hard or not at all. never skim
ming. never turning aside to merely
inviting books. and the thoughts Of
Plato. Aristotle. Thucydidss. Sterre and
Jonathan Edwards have passed. like
the iron atoms of the blood. into my
mental constitution"
My mother compelled me TO learn.
by daily toll. long chapters of the Bible
by heart" says Ruskin. "and to his dis
cipline | owe not only my knowledge
OF this work, but also much of my gen.
eral power for taking pains and the
best part Of my taste in literature"
II men and women whose intellectual
pre-eminence has made them guide
posts for future generations. had TO be
so patient and labor:ous in forming
correct reading habits. can the average
boy or girl OF the twentieth century
AFFORD to take less pains?
Wealth Of Reading a Snare.
The fact that the majority of people
to-day are less thorough in their read
ing than were their grandfathers and
grandmothers is largely owing to the
bewildering mass Of books. magazines
and newspapers at their command in
libraries. clubs and reading rooms. and
stalls. or in department stores
We usually appreciate advantages
according to the difficulty of obtaining
them. and it frequently happens that
II is not the boy who is brought up in
an atmosphere Of books. who has easy
access TO immense Libraries and read
ing rooms, and who has perhaps a
score OF magazines coming TO his home
each month. who gains most from his
opportunities. How often is II the
country lad. TO whom books are a lux
ury. who may never have seen a
library. but who devours the few vol
umes he can borrow as IL he would
never see them again. who is heard
from in after life Lincoln got more
real good out Of the half dozen books
to which he had access as a youth than
many a modern boy ever gets out of
the great city libraries and reading
rooms which are constantly open to
him.
Busy people complain that they have
not time to read carefully. that their
reading must be done "on the fy." on
the trains. on cars or ferryboats. or on
their way to and from store or Office.
or not at all. Others say that they
cannot reserve any special time for
reading. and that it is impossible. In
the midst Of household duties or other
distractions. to seize odd intervals of
leisure and read connectedly or with
any degree of profit
All May Have Culture.
II is not necessary to have a pre
hAtIN AtAhN ~ AtAhAAks vi Il t%Ttal1
number Of hours a day to devote TO il in
order to become well read. II the habit
of concentration has been fixed In how
hood and girlhood We can read to ad
vantage. no matter what our environ
ment or how limited or broken the time
at our disposal. Ii would. of course. be
greatly in our favor to have an hour or
two each day which We could count
upon absolutely for mental culture
But because we have not is 10 reason
why We should not be cultured II We
desire TO he. II the desire be there va
will make the most Of our opportunities.
as did Elihu Burritt. the Learned black
smith" who acquired many languages
and solved difficult mathematical prob
lens during the pauses of his work al
the forge.
Examples are not wanting TO show Us
what may be done by the earnest-mind-
ed
Standing in line with his fellow errand
boys at the post Office in Amsterdam
the eminent Greek explorer. Or. Schlie-
mann, with open book in hand. utilized
the moments Of waiting in LAYING the
foundations OF his future greatness.
Amid the constant distractions OF
household cares. which were never neg
lected. Mary Somerville completed her
Mechanism OF the Heavens" which
gave her rank as one Of the foremost
scientists Of her day.
1t is not lack Of time or opportunity
so much as lack Of heart and earnestness
that prevents most Of us from becoming
well-informed readers.
II. Ike Robert Louis Stevenson. on,
constantly carries a notebook and pen
ell in one pocket and book in another.
and IT, like Gladstone. always is pre- |
pared to turn 10 account the moments |
while waiting for train. a car or a
ferryhoat he will not only find time To |
read. but will also read with profit.
Copyright i+3 Is Joseph Il Rowie.1