The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-10
Mrs. Wilson WOodrow's Article
BY MRS. WILSON WOODROW,
The world famou writer on vital subjects,

I frequently have letters asking me
to lay out a cours Of profitable read
ing. These generally offer. however,
no hint as to the writer's tastes and
in%clinations, and the field Is wide. "Of
making many books there Is no end"
and innumerable avenues lead out from
even a small bookshelf, One CORE
spondent may care most for poetry, an
other for books Of travel, another for
essays, and so on. But there is one
foundation course for reading on which
no n can go wrong, This is Amer
lean history.
1t is not so many years back that
a so-called "intellectuat'' would have
met the suggestion Of American history
no claims Of long descent; there was
no picturesque background such as
made interesting the record of renais-
sance, feudal and ancient times. But
we. have changed all that. W. are
told now that tho four brief centuries
Of our story are the most momentous
In the history OF the world, the first
century of the United States as a ma
tion the most significant to the human
race in the annals OF mankind,
in the words of q noted foreign HIS
torian, ours is a history of the growth
OF civilization under conditions new
TO humanity: Of the greatest effort for
iONutill oilt NAV = ValtpI CAptEIIleIlt
in democracy ever made by man il 1t
taught nothing-and 1t car teach the
student almost everything-it would
still charm with the fascination OF
romance.
THE reader win find In 1t the answer
to many questions agitating his coun-
trymen today, and he will insensibly be
led off into many fascinating byapaths
Of research and instruction.
For American history, we are, as a
rule, offered merely the history of the
United States down from the Revo-
%lutionary war, with, perhaps, a short
preliminary account OF the discovery
ton. But back OF the Revolution, in
the era between 1892 and 1916, lies
an enchanting and inspiring story.
Here n may trace in the impulses
which, brought the peoples Of that time
to an untamed continent and in the
reaction which the events Of the old
world had upon the new those springs
ly created the nation and are still
holding and shaping our destlnies to-
day, the sturdy growth OF the indi-
vidualism which thrlved from learning
to lean on ones self and to wrest from
the wilderness a living and a home.
There is no suTer way TO breathe in
the romance OF America or to be-
come familiar with the heroic figures
Of the era Of adventure and explora-
tion-those men who found our lakes
and rivers and left their anne upon
them-than by reading the histories Of
Francis Parkman. They are SO lumi-
nonsly clear, SO simply, yet so fasoinat-
ingly written, that one hates to lay
a volume down.
For that matter, the life OF Park
man itself is an inspiration, when one
recalls what he accomplished under
dire difficulties. As q boy he decided
TO write the history Of the French and
indian wars for he was filled with the
traditions Of old days In Maine and
Massachusetts, and the region along the
st. Lawrence river.
Later, accompanied only by a young
cousin, he set out to follow the Oregon
trail and cross the continent, living
most OF the time during this adven-
ture among the most savage and war