Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-21
BY MARGARET +. SANGSTER.

what is their motive in reading. Do they
read simply for diversion, for the recea-
tiol and pastime which are legitimate
or do they read for mental enrichment
and information? If the first is the OBJ
iect in view the answer is easy. For
amusement and pleasure. girls, like
everybody else, must seek the story tel |
lers of the world. and lose the cares of |
reality in the romances that make them
forget the daily grind. The day for con-
demning novels by wholesale has for
ever passed. 1t is only narrow and |
prejudiced person who frowns upon fic- |
sists that all ones reading must be along |
lines of hard and fast actually.
Taste for novel reading in unimagina |
tive persons is sometimes dormant. |
They have had SO little time to read that |
they have left fiction out of the reckon
ing, But they are in the minority The !
love for a good story is as old as the |
human race. In every age and cline. in
every literature, under every sky. We
find people ready to listen entranced to
the man who can please them by de-
lightful story. Children and grown peo-
pie alike fall under the spell of the
story-teller. If therefore our girls wish
to read novels let them do so. They
have wide range of choice, and let it
be noted that many novelists exact close
attention from their readers and weave
into their narratives a great deal OF his
tory, philosophy and accurate descrip-
ton. The stories for example of Laf-
cadio Hearn are penetrated and infused
with the atmosphere of Japan, and no
one can fail to learn great deal about
that wonderful empire and the wonder
full people who inhahit it. if she reads
the picturesque books of this lamented
writer.
Equally, girl who would like to know
something of the life of India may learn
q great deal about it by reading KIM
that masterpiece of Rudyard Kipling, or
any book on India by Flora Annie Steele.
or little unObtruSive book entitled
1.-THE Bishops Conversion" the author
of which was long a missionary in that
land of mystery and romance. Oriental
civilizations are in the strongest con-
trast to our own. and one may learn
much more about them in the pages of
novels than in graver histories. Boys
read with great delight and profit the
long list of historical fiction which is
generally known as the "Henty Books"
A girl with little time to study might
read these books with much profit.
Girls as we'll as boys should read 'FrOiS-
sarts Chronicles and thus come into
touch with the chivalric days of the past.
The novels of Mrs. Oiphant of Char
lotte Bronte. George Elicit and Jane Aus
ten are good reading for girls and do
more than merely offer entertainment.
If girls desire more serious reading.
and wish to take up any definite historic
period. the best way is to let their read
ing focus itself about a single central
and conspicuous figure. Take for in
stance Queen Elizabeth. In studying
her era. one finds her surrounded by d
group of great statesmen and by an
other group of writers who are still
influencing and coloring English litera-
ture. Very profitable reading may be
done by circle of girls who meet at
stated intervals and take up the differ
ent phases of life under some great ruler
or other parsonage of distinction.
If Elizabeth be chosen, one girl may
select the ordinary household life of that
day, and let her reading turn toward the
various ways in which it contrasts with
our present day life. Another may take
Sir Walter Raleigh. another Philip OF
Spain. still another Mary Queen of Scots
Shakespeare and Chaucer will fall into
the reading of those who study those
days of historic England which led W
to the England Q: to-day
A very wide and interesting field fol-
Inquiry is presented to those who wisl
70 read about our own country. All thu
story of this continent from its discov
cry by Columbus TO the present day il
filled with graphic and dramatic Incl
dents which are full of excitement
movement and charm. Every librar.
has shelves filled with fascinating litera
ture. relating to some part of the histOr.
OF this new world. Let girl take, if sh
wishes, the history of her own state
and whether she live in Massachusett
or Kentucky, Connecticut. New York o
Tennessee. she will find an immens
amount of profitable reading about tn
people and the progress of that peculia
locality. Most of us are shockingly ig
norant of the things that lie about u:
Few {: lis know Very much about GU
own great country. In house file
with books and occupied by inteiligen
people, you shall easily find nobody abb
to give list of the successive pres
dents of this nation from Washington
Roosevelt. Girls cannot do better tina
to read American history.
i
A girl who is at business all day. an
who has only her evenings in which
read, must necessarily specialize.
she attempt to read in a desultory fasl
ion. taking book at haphazard from tn
shelves. she will read to little purpos
For every one of us. it is good thin
t. have some outside interest, entirel
different from the daily routine; an II
terest chat takes us into new worl
broadens our horizon and gives us di
ferent thoughts. knew young woma
whose life was a ceaseless round
drudgery. 1t was her great delight no
and then to read Ruskin and Emerso
What do you get from those writer's
asked oh she said, Il get beaut
full words and beautiful thoughts, fee
Inc nf tho SIx1 nd of to hrpaf he