Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-16

Word comes from the Frozen Soutl
that books continue to be the solace O
Comdr. Byrd and his men, campec
amid the snow.
Most of us left behind in civilization
| imagine that Il we were on the scene
of such exciting adventures we would
| not spend much time in reading.
1t is good for us to hear that the mer
| there on the job find books to occup.
exactly the same place in their live!
that books do with men placed differ
emily.
There is no place in the world, evil
IDENTIFY, where man is not the better
for a good book. Sometimes we tenc
to forget this, in the flow OF events II
civilization.
No doubt there is much more to dis.
tract the attention in civilization thar
in many weary waste OF the Arctic
or Antarctic.
Hemmed in as those men are, 1t i:
no wonder, some one may say, thai
they turn to books, for there Is moi
much else for them to do at this time
The interesting point, however, il
that they do read. Idle men are never
so great readers as busy men, men who
do things, and who seem to always have
their hands full.
In business life the observant know
that it is always the man who seem:
to be doing all that he can who invari-
bly, finds time to do something else. L
you want to get something done. some
one has said, pick a man who already
has his hands full.
The happy thing is that one doe
not have to go to the polar regions tc
ha ahla RI rapd
Books are more plentiful in civiliza'
ton, for one thing, and no doubt TIT
opportunity to browse In them 7!
greater, everything else being equal.
The desire to read is the keynote Of
the matter and this desire usually
comes in childhood. The boy or CIR
who early gets a taste for books usually
keeps it. That is why it is important
for parents, teachers and others who
come into contact with children to bt
booklovers themselves.
There is tendency today on the
part of some people to minimize the
Importance of books in the daily life
They see thousands of men prospecting
without the aid of books. They see
thousands making good" without re-
course to literature.
why should one read?" is their un-
spoken question. They forget that one
reads, first and foremost, because ne
wants to read. That he reads, in the
second place, because reading interests
him. That he reads, in the third place
to be entertained.
And only lastly, because he wants tc
be instructed, to be inspired, to be
helped. Now no pedagogue would ad-
nit the validity of our placings. II
would be unethical for him to tel
children that instruction, inspiration
help come last in the list.
Yet it is true as every person knows
who thinks a bit about the matter
The men on Byrd's expedition prove it
Nobody makes them read. No one
forces them to read. They read simply
because, in the first place, they want
to read.
They read, in the second. place, be-
cause books interest them. No one
stands around in his fur suit think
ing, Now I must read while I have
the time because it will be good fol
me-" :,
No, If he thinks of self-help he woulo
be more inclined to grab himself big
piece of blubber or whatever it is thai
explorers eat nowadays.
X x x
Above all, explorers, in their hours
of ease, read to be entertained. Such
inspiration, help, instruction as they