Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-20
BY {. s. eooDHuE,
Holualoa, Hawaii.

-
Holualoa, Hawaii
At the request Of several friends
and some few correspondents un,
known to me, / am again taking up
my reviews Of books under the old
title. ( =
This. time, my commission Is q
rowing" one, occasional and irregular
AS free-lance furnishing purely
gratuitcus opinions. do not expect
to read any book for the purpose OF
reviewing Il, but shall limit myself
to books / would have read anyway
for the pleasure or profit to be di.
rived from them. =.
am fastidous about the friend.
books I have on my shelf.
II / am fooled or taken in" by a
book flor books are much like men
and women in that way-and one may
easily extend the intimate hospitali.
ty OF his house to weiLrecommend-
ed individual quite unworthy Of friend
ship, i shall be free to say so, with
due warning to save others from my
pains. ,
or course, the opinions are mine
and, am aware, that what say may
not save or damn a book for other
readers; nor should wish It to be so.
Still. the judgment of reader who
has read for half lifetime many
books on many subjects, carefully, at
least, and with ordinary intelligence;
whose hunger for the best is never
appeased, and who receives for his
published views neither books nor
other remuneration -the opinion of
such a reader, may say, is entitled
to some consideration.
And, in view of the fact that few
persons have time for any but the
best books; that advertisers Of read
ing matter are constituencies in their
praise of the books they sell; that
parents need suggestion and help In
their choice of reading for their
children, feel that man of ordin-
airy literary habits and discrimination
may have a mission quite apart from
the average literary critic" class, and
as distinctly altruistic as that Of the
clergyman or physician.
may say here that shall endeav.
or to maintain strictly neutral atti-
tude in my review OF books by authors
who are my friends.
It has been my habit for many years
to read good book slowly, side by
side with another good book Of diff
ferent character: generally am read
Ing four or five books at the same
time or INTERCHANGEABLE.
In this way each remains better de-
fined in the memory.
II two of Dickens or SCOTS novels
are read following each other at a
short interval, the characters of each
will be confused; there viii in the az
erage mind at least be no clear re-
Imembrance of the story.
But Shakespeare followed by Emer-
son, Scott, Myrtle Read, some poetry,
a light popular novel, win not be apt
TO cause mental indigestion.
"A good tablet to take for possible
disturbance that way is blank tab.
let, IN slips at hand FOR what strikes
the reader as worthy of remembrance,
for classical illusions or words to By
locked up Tor pronunciation or means
ing
This Is the way ! vocabulary is
gathered.
4 do not care for verbal memory
lpOssibly because don't have one J,
or the ability to astonish friends flike
Macaulay did with remarkable ref
erenoes and quotations (you remem-
Der Thackeray,s allusion to this gift
of the great historian, but for the
real JOY Of storing for easy reference
things which subtly stimulate indie.
pendent thinking or stir up the pleas
urable depths of an aesthetic sense
al of us possess in q more or less
degree.
And II you cannot commit to mem.
DRY readily, or soon forget what is
learned, the exercise Of transcribing
tavorite selections into a book for that
purpose becomes not only profitable
but delight.
AS we know, Bacon said, ''Writine
maketh an exact man.
Books must be adapted to mental
moods or whims, yes, whims We
must change our foods II we would
keep our appetite, so must we consid-
er the inclination We have towards
books, choosing the minute, hour or
day for a particular work.
Sometimes work as heavy as that OF
the psychologists or mathematieians
VIII Just suit for hours at time, then
again, It must be the charm of an old
essayist, novel or a poem.
With me, in the cool, fresh morn.
ing, thoughtful reading finds soil, and
| am refreshed by II.
Roundabout Papers" or sChance'
come In the afternoon, followed by
travel, observations Of naturalists,
light fiction, while. towards evening,
4 You read still. something ike
Smiths Dream Thorpe" or TX Mar
vel" VIII touch a mood.
IL you read after going to ben
(which as a physician / do not advise
you to dol, poetry is soothing.
One may go pleasantly to sleep
reading out of The Golden Treasury
or Rrowning's Men and Women.
The sympathetic person who reads,
Alright comes into touch with his fel-
bowman, not only of his own day but
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