El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-01-13


EASON and conscience are mans
~ two-fold crown and We are
~ responsible for their cultivation
and right direction
Our mental horizon must expand.
Our growth must be under the guild
ance Of a santified VIII and to do this
We must be careful to choose our COM
panions. Not only our living com
panions. but the silent companions of
our solitude. the books which We read.
must be selected with scrupuIous
care
Tell me what You read and I will
tell YOU what you are.
You viii not be better than the
books sou read.
Read books that are elevating in
tone. pure in style. sound in reason.
and keen in insight and YOUR mind
viii take on the same qualities.
Noltaire. at five years OF age. read
= sceptical poem. the impression OF
which made him the arch scoffer of
the century
BENJAMIN Franklin. when a little bov
read Cotton Mather's Essay to do
Coco" and from IL received that i'm
pulse toward beneficence and practical
morality, which even more than his
political philosophy and scientific
and his character an inspiring example
TO American youth
Psychologists tell US that our bodies
chanEe entirely every few years and 50
do our minds and they take on largely
the character Of the books We read.
Livery book you read leaves its auto
graph within. the character you read
about writes its autograph upon your
character. which character in turn
works itself out upon your face it
is photographed in your manners and
expresses itself in YOUR speech
Light Reading Weakens Mind
Few things weaken the mind more
: than light reading Theodore Parker
are those which make YOU think most"
Read books that make solid contri-
buttons TO the store Of human
knowledge or impart to the soul
strong and noble Inspiration To
prescribe fiction would be absurd. but
YOU won't lose much if YOU limit your
self TO one novel a MONTH
Novels have their place as a relaxs-
uon- they are only relish. not daily
bread They may refine. amuse. kill
time. or even indoctrinate in ligh-.
superficial way. but they cannot sup
plant serious study or give cCmp-e-
hensive knowledge
The man VINO is an inGiscrimi ina 10
and exclusive reader OF novels will he
HerVeiess. lnaue and nuisance. fit
neither for the office. factory or field.
while the woman who is a confirmed
reader OF novels will be untitled for
the duties of wife, sister and daughter.
ACQUISITION yourself TO read = portion
Of biography or history. every day
one poem a day viii make you an
idealist
Abraham Lincoin's log cabin had
neither floor. nor windows and he slept
iu the loft on a sack filled with corn
huSks- bur when he read the Life OF
Washington" i'm that humble house by
the light Of the log fire. he started
on his way to the white house.
IT Frederick Douglas. q slave. could
learn TO read from scraps OF paper.
posters on barns and patent medicine
almanacs OF the plantation. and that
by stealth. and thus preDarei himself
to become one OF Americas foremost
orators. what cannot the poorest boy
or girl Of TODAY do?
Build n Library
Use your public libraries. hut start
a library of your own. Begin today. \
library growing larger week by week
IS an honorable part II a young mans
history.
Never was there SO much choice
reading TO he procured for so little
money as now. He must be poor in
deed who cannot procure good IL
brary.
Go without pies or cakes. or butter
on your bread. but II you care for
your family's happiness and progress,
don't go without books
a few books thoroughly mastered
are worth more than whole library
skinned.
You may as well expect to grow
stronger by always eating as wise by
always reading. Reading that pre-
vok-s thought makes books service
able
Don't let Your mild become a garnet.
packed with rubbish. hut make it "A
living room. with the furniture so ar
ranged that YOU would not blush
should the whole world enter at any
time.