Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-05-16
Propositions.

i
2. Too much reading Of any !:
sort IS harmful. !.
8. 1T were as well not to read, !:
D: as to read and not to think on
! b: what has been read
a book Is valuable not for ].
u: the thought it contains, but for L
the ideas it creates and for the 1
/ emotions it stirs In the mind and !.
Il: in the. soul Of the reader. v:
1888
It has been said that of the max.
ing Of books there is no end This
statement needs not to be argued. 1t
is also true that Of the reading Of
books there is no end, for books are
made to be sold. I.
Though in the main we are a read
ing nation we are not, in proportion
to our reading, a thinking nation; We.
read but do not reflect; we spend the
time with books but get no growth: 4
we grow older in years but not richer,
in soul life. We believe that nine
tenths Of the books read by nine;
tenths Of the reading part Of society.
are light books; light from the stand
point Of benefit derived even though
many in themselves possess merit
enough. The reader does not ponder
what he reads. He Is too busy read
ing the book through in order to get,
another one to read through. His
aim seems to be. words. words, words,
not ideas. Thinking is a bugbear;
ideas are repugnant. His reading
may be slikened TO pouring water
through a sieve Il
We are not prepared to say why
books (and other reading) are super
ficially and carelessly read. We know
that, for the most part, they are So
read This statement may raise 81
criticism Well then. let us be
critical. In answer to the criticism
| let IT be observed that it is not al
uncommon occurrence for a child to
take q book from the public, or from
the school library and to return it
read through in a few days. This Of
course means the pastime reading 81
light books. or the superficial reading
lsof books Of merit First, the book
might as well not have been read for
no ideas are gained, ana second, tie
reader becomes careless III the
pronunci ations and in the use 81
words, all Of which are evils. 81
Again, it is not an unc common thfng
for the reader to buy 4 book, read 4
| through IN few days, then lay II
away in the newspaper rubbish heao.
lost and covered with the dust of t1,s
passing days until disturbed il its
hiding place on some eventful house
cleaning occasion. The thoughts it
contains never had an opportunity &c
sinking into the understanding 81 the
reader They can never become 4
part Of, Or shape the thoughts or the
LIE Of the reader who is held in the
relentless grip Of the unsatisfied de-
sire OF change. He demands some.
thing new, II not something sensa-
tional. He is a stranger to the Happy
faculty Of letting the mind dwell IN
1 on fancy or Of weighing reason
against reason. or of sitting truth
from error, or Of building greater
thoughts, Or Of reaching greater
heights Of und erstanding. AS is his
reading SO il his conversation.
It has been said that writing
makes an exact man, conversation
ready man That depends. There
are various kinds Of "fullness.' We
may note, for instance, the plentitude
Of ideas and Of useful information.
land the fullpess aof worthless ideas
| and WORTHLESS information in short,
I the f,llness Of empt iness. Beauty
does not stand for virtue: noise ii
not music: rank in life Is not IN
itself q sign Of merit; words are not
necessarily wisdom. These truths
the reader needs to reflect and to act
upon. They should likewise not fJe
Ioyerloo ked by those having IN their
keeping the education Of the child. !
Again it: has been said that the
American newspaper Is superficial,
trifing. sensational This is III q
measure true. But the newspaper is
/ IL advance Of the reading public. BY
this we mean that d larger per cent
Of the readers of newspapers confine
their reading to the society page. to
the page OF sport, to the advertise
ments and 70 the spectacular in
what ever form and place found, than
70 the study. to any degree Of pro.
foundness, Of the countless number
of really meritorions articles touching