The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-03
THE INTERESTS or POPULAR EDUCA TON

ers Of the teachers. 1t also confirms
the books OF the popularzcrs Of science,
| the men who put science In shape to
be learned and understood by the poo
| pie. These are tho popular teachers,
with classes ns wide and varlod as tho
multitude Of readers.
Tho library, too. has the texts Of tho
pht-Ssophers from Socrates, the teacher
| or Athens, down through the limo Of
1 those who mostly. taught, not classes
| but readers, yet woro truly tcnchers,
| and some OF them, very pedantlc. We
| have philosophers whose Language was
grabbed and hnrd, those whose style
| was pure and good, like Sir wv. Halnil-
| ton. and that one at the end OF the
| series, whose sentences were as full
as his thought, and whose style was
n reflection Of the clcarest and highest
thinking yet attained by q human be-
ing. Herbert Spencer.
| Tho library. then, Is full OF tenchcrs
| lin fact. nll the teachers are there,
| witt, their final utterances. There tho
| scholar and his teacher sit down to-
Eethcr apart from all disturbing COM
rades. and the scholar assimilates nc
! cording to the capacity which has been
given him, tho WISE wisdom, tho fool
| lsh. foolishncss.
| Tho library Is rs popular and uni
! versal In It's scholars. as 1t is catholic
and all-embracing in Its teachers. At
| the college library the impecunious stu
dent may daily come and learn from
| the text book on tho shelves the les
/, son which he will reclte to his pro-
! fessor. All tho students resort to tho
! library for tho books recommended for
| them to read in connection with tho
| texts they are studying. The townsman
| Of tho college town may be studying
| tho same books in the same library at
1 Inc n H..
| vised. he may receive as much benefit
| as the students.
Why, then. Is not tho library a good
! school? 1t certainly contains all book
Knowledge accessible by every one. It
| cannot form habits, but 1t is the place
| which is necessary for ell learning.
| And. in the library, the intellectual
| force has free course to find the lines
along which 1t can act. and tho mater
| Ials for It's continuance and nugmen-
| tation. The library is the exercising
| aren't for the intellectual force.
The library is the school for self
education. It is certainly the school
| of the people. Can more BIO said?
| Yes; for. after all that has been said
| for tho library as an educational In
stitution. the renders In a good library
| read far more fiction than oil other
| books together. This shows, as does
| every attempt at popular education,
| that intellectual force only exists In
| very few individuals. for those who
| read fiction are not using their brain
| force, and probably possess little such
l forcefulncss.
When one is educating himself in
| a library. there are certain rules to DO
| followed and certain tendencies to be
| avoided ones reading habits must
I be kept under the subsection of the In
| tellectual force. and ones brain power
| should be consciously gauged and then
| carefully exercised.
Except for occasional relaxation. one
should read only the books in certain
| line or lines in which he Is most In
terested or which will be OF the most
benefit in his occupation. or for some
particular object of study or investi-
CATION One need not be too particular
in choosing his subject for reading.
Any subject may be made Important
by the mind that masters 1t thorough
| ly.
. In using library, good reading fab-
it's are important. The youth should
school himself to serious habits OF
serious reading. The greatest pleasure
comes from the CLEANS OF knowledge,
the rays Of light streaming In to ones
intelligence while he is reading the
hardest and most abstruse book that
is adapted to his mind. and therefore
interesting to him.
| 1T must be constantly DOTHe lll LiIIu
that nothing is really learned that is
not Interesting The interest OF the
mind indicates that the mind is in
condition to receive and retain impress
sions. We only remember that in the
daily paper which interests us. We
may read the same thing constantly,
but only after we have obtained an
interest in the subject do we receive
a lasting Impression from reading mat
ter connected Herewith.
There Is no rule as to thoroughness
in reading particular book. Some
are to be skinned over, some read
carefully. some read over again, and
inwardly digested. IT the reader is
on tho right subject, his natural incli-
nation will dictate the proper course.
But it may be repeated that reading
is study, and study nothing but re-
peaded reading, and so one may study
in the library as well as at school.
One should not spend too much time
or effort on book that one feels can
never interest him any more than he
should study such book at school.
But when one is on the right line Of
study he should be thorough in it,
both for his pleasura and profit. There
is pleasure in the feeling of command
over a department. Of knowledge, and
only in full mastershp is one capable
of using knowledge Alright.
For the satisfaction OF one who Is
so occupied that he can spend little
time reading either his own or library
books, we may say that tho greatest
mind can find plenty to do In any one
subject of knowledge and few books
connected Herewith. The general
stock of ideas and knowledge come
quickly to the receptive and forceful
mind not too much taken up in the
lumber rooms OF knowledge. One may
go about. his business and let his ideas
come to him after, he has done the
fundamental reading. Too much read
ing and coming OF others ideas may
vanish any of his own The one
who strives for originality through
reading may never find 1t. II
YOU want the special knowledge
You can call your own, and send forth
with your stamps, do not bother too
much with others knowledge. Read
little and think much There is not
higher pleasure than that OF original