Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-15

1t is best to follow A fixed plan in
reading. Avoid excess in any branch
Choose not only what seems good in
itself, but what seems To fit in 10
make diversified and we'll balanced
selection. Among the subjects YOU
must include are history. biography.
fiction. poetry. travel and adventure.
ana miscellaneous subjects. which will
be mentioned later.
Nm important point Ia remember
when arranging a reading course is
that quality rather than quantity
brings real pleasure and profit. Choose
certain century or half century and
select the best books that were writ
ten during that period. Your libra ria n
or teacher will help YOU select these
BY this method YOU will gain great
deal of information about the man
nerS and customs. and the speech and
history of the period YOU have select
ed. or Won can choose n subject in
which NoI are particularly interested
and select the books that have Il
bearing on thai subject.
History.
Among The advantages that y"u will
derive from reading history none will
be greater than acquiring an acCu-
rate knowledge of life in other centu-
rieS than your own. for history does
not Contine itself To accounts of great
deeds, famous battles and wise states
men. 1t also reveals the life of the
people of the past. 1t tells of their
struggles, of expression of their
thoughts and ideals in literature, and
of their progress in the industrial arts.
1t acquaints YOU with their pleasures.
their hardships, their sports, their la
bors, their hopes and their fears.
BY clearly understanding the de
feCtS and shortcomings of the life of
old YOU will far better appreciate the
excellence of the new Reading his
tory will make YOU better satisfied with
the generation in which YOU live. for
you will realize that there never was
golden age" of the past thai was
SO fun as the present age of those ad
vantages and privileges that make for
happiness. If you rightly know the
past, as history alone can teach il.
you will never again believe that the
present is inferior to former ages.
Reading the history Of our own coun-
try Is a patriotic duty.
Biography.
Many and varied are the advantages
that you will derive from reading
biography. Since great men and
women are said to represent the ideals
of the age in which they live. reading
view of different historical periods and
make known to you some of the great
est characters of history. Although
It may have its lighter moments. his
tory is essentially sober, but bioGra-
ply may touch upon the lighter
phases of life, and take you into
quaint and delightful byways.
Fiction.
go much fiction has become truly
classic that you cannot hope to be
considered broadly educated until you
have acquainted yourself with large
number of standard novels and some
of the most representative short
stories. Fiction often reveals the life
of interesting peoples or throws a
clear light on important periods of
history without actually recounting
historical events. A novel, and usually
short story, has some underlying
theme as a foundation for the struc-
ture. a background for the picture.
Sometimes 1t is patriotic. Again, il |
may be the life peculiar to certain
places or IL may be some special trait !
of human nature, or a problem of |
human life.
Fiction shows you what the masters
thought OF life and its problems. BY
displaying their own Ideals in the &C
lions OIL true anu Nv set
ting forth their dislikes and diSap-
prevails in the actions of those charac-
ters who are base, they tell you clear
" enough what they believed about
life, how they enjoyed It's pleaSu
and with what bravery they faced the
difficulties and encouragement that
are common to humanity.
Reading fiction is like hearing the
best talk of great authors, when they
are in their supreme moods. 1t is lis
tening to their very Thoughts. We
should also find in reading fiction one
of the most delightful forms of men
tai recreation. On the other hand
the reading of fiction should only be
change from your chief interests, not
be made itself the chief interest.
Poetry.
The realm Of poetry is as wide as
the world We are free to wander
through 1t. to take as our own what
we like best, and to leave the rest
for others.
The man or woman who knows the
poets has no doubts or misgivings
about the essential goodness of human
Chara cter and the nobility of human
destiny.
Besides quickening the mind and the
emotions, the reading of poetry de-