The Washington times., 1918-05-15

81 want to write and think What shall read?" thou
sand young people ask You might give thousand
all useful
Thinking to the mind what exercise is to the body
Reading is to the brain what eating is to the body
you eat too much and exercise too little you will have
physical dyspepsia. If you read too much and think
little, dyspepsia Of the mind will result.
The everyday American mind is starved for lack of
reading and the exceptional American has mental dyspepsia
You could read comfortably in six months all that
Shakespeare read in the way Of serious bookseavng
out his daily reading of plays etc.
You could read in six weeks than Abraham Lin
coin ever read in the way of serious books.
Shakespeare the greatest of all writer's he read
enough but thought always Ninety one hundredths
came out of his imagination.
Lincoln was an admirable writer He read enough to
be inspired for the werk that he to do.
If he had known more about slavery, more about the
difference between and about he might not
have won for the North.
What should you read? The is the doctors
ALL THAT YOU CAN DIGEST and no more and only
that which is good Here hapazard suggestions die
tated in Mr.. McAdoo's fastest train to Chicago:
To learn simple writing read Bunyan's Pilgrims
Progress Learn that the humble sincere mind locked
in prison, write that which has outved the writings
Of thousands highly educated
Read sterne's Sentimental JOurney-the most beau
tiful English prose written.
Read the Bible, Job and Isaiah especially for magnf
cent writing.
Read Voltare's History of Charles XIII and learn
how great story be written completely few words
Read Caryle's "Sartor Resartus' another kind of
beautiful writing Parts of it will annoy you TeufeSdrochs
description Of sleep in it is most beautiful.
It is not possible map perfect of reading
No matter who what you read you compelled to-
read too much of it. Literature and all writing need skill
ed butcher to select the best parts.
that has read steadily every day of his life for
than thirty years finds himself past fifty the very
beginning of what he should read and knowbfore pretend
ing to write for others.
aginave power Homer, Dante and Shakespeare the
three greatest writers thus far
You should read Homer for beautiful simplicity of
thought.
You should read Don ouixote" for humor His de-
scption of the Knight of the Mirrors fits Roosevelt to
T. R.
You should read half dozen comedies of Moliere and
La Fonaines Fables two three of Conees best rag
edies all of Shakespeare and read it all at least dozen
times
You should read the early English poets
You should read a volume or two Of Voltaires Pho-
sophcal Dictionary to teach your mind agility Read his
"Zadig," and see great brain at play.
Read the poems of Keats and ShelIey-the world is
more beautiful when you know them
You should read always to the day you die Study as
uonomy you grow older study and explore the universe
eternal justice forever ruling over it.
You may read little, and you have it IN you be as
great Shakespeare.
You may read much less and you have it IN you be
useful Abraham Lincoln.
Whether you read much or little THINK
And you must upon your thought Translate thought
into action, mental or physical
No one cares how much water sponge can suck IN
What your brain gives out counts not what it takes in