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it　is　a　true　prophecy　of　the　future　for　the　nation　and　for　the　individual。

Who　reads　history　knows　that　men　always　have　displayed　folly；

Weakness；　and　cruelty；　and　that　they　always　will；　even　to　their　own

obvious　ruin。　　Also　he　knows　that　every　time　and　place　have　had　their

few　good　men　and　women　who　have　honored　God；　and　whom　God　has

honored。　　Nothing　so　teaches　a　person　his　own　insignificance　and　the

small　part　that　he　plays　in　the　world　as　does　the　reading　of　history。　　Nor

is　history　to　be　found　only　in　the　book　called　history。　　If　you　want　to

know　the　life　of　the　ancients；　as　you　know　the　life　of　your　own

community；　read　Josephus。　　Do　you　want　a　glimpse　of　early　apostolic

times；　read　〃The　Life　and　Times　of　Jesus；〃　by　Edersheim。　　Do　you　want

to　see　the　battlefield　of　Waterloo；　visit　Paris　in　the　beginning　of　the

nineteenth　century；　stop　over　night　with　Louis　Philippe；　see　the　English

through　French　spectacles；　and　the　Frenchman　through　his　own；　do　you

want　a　glimpse　of　the　political　despotism；　court　intrigue；　and　ecclesiastical

tyranny　in　France　a　hundred　years　ago；　do　you　want　to　hear　the　crash　of

the　bastile；　and　see　Notre　Dame　converted　into　a　horse…stable；　do　you

want　a　picture　of　the　〃bread　riots〃　and　mob　violence　that　terminated　in

the　French　revolution　of　1848；　in　short　do　you　want　a　tale　of　French　life

and　character　in　its　brightest；　gloomiest；　and　intensest　period；　read　〃Les

Miserables；〃　by　Victor　Hugo。　　To…day　one　must　read　current　history。　　It

is　not　enough　to　plan；　work；　and　economize；　one　must　make　and　seize

opportunities。　　And　this　he　can　do　only　as　he　is　alive　to　passing　events。

In　a　few　years　one　may　outgrow　his　usefulness　through　losing　touch

with　advancing　ideas　and　methods　of　work。　　To　keep　abreast　of　the

times　one　must　read　the　newspaper　and　the　magazine。　　The　newspaper

is　the　history　of　the　hour；　the　magazine　is　the　history　of　the　day。　　The

magazine　corrects　the　newspaper；　and　〃sums　up　in　clear　and　noble

phrase　those　fundamental　facts　which　are　only　dimly　seen　in　the　newspaper。〃

A　serious　and　growing　tendency　is　that　the　newspaper　and　magazine　shall

take　the　place　of　the　best　books。　　A　few　minutes　a　day　is　enough　for　any

newspaper；　and　a　few　hours　a　month　is　enough　for　any　magazine。　　The

greatest　part　of　one's　reading　should　be　that　of　books。　　Who　gormandizes

on　current　events　will　pay　the　price　with　a　morbid　mind　and　with　false

conclusions　in　his　reasoning。





READ　BIOGRAPHY。



The　life　of　a　great　man　is　a　continual　inspiration。　　No　other　exercise

so　fires　a　soul　with　noble　ambition　as　the　study　of　a　great　life。　　Real

life　is　not　only　stranger　than　fiction；　but　it　is　more　interesting　than

fiction。　　No　boy　should　be　without　the　life　of　Washington；　of　Lincoln；

of　Webster；　of　Franklin。　　Every　girl　should　know　by　heart　brave

Pocahontas；　sympathetic　Mrs。　Stowe；　queenly　Frances　Willard；　and

kind…hearted　Victoria。　　No　private　library　is　complete　without

Plutarch's　〃Lives；〃　the　〃Life　of　Alfred　the　Great；〃　of　Napoleon；　Grant；

and　Gladstone。





READ　SCIENCE。



The　fourteen…year…old　child　may　master　the　practical　principles　of

natural　philosophy；　and　yet　how　many　intelligent　persons　remain

ignorant　of　the　most　commonplace　truths　in　this　branch　of　learning！

With　a　little　attention　to　the　natural　and　mechanical　sciences；　a　new

world　of　beauty　and　truth　opens　up　before　one。　　He　sees　objects　that

once　were　hid　to　him；　he　hears　sounds　that　once　were　silent；　he　enjoys

odors　that　once　retained　their　fragrance。　　His　whole　being　becomes　a

part　of　the　living　musical　world　about　him；　when　he　has　his　senses

opened　to　appreciate　it　and　to　become　attuned　to　it。　　One　should　read

some　science　throughout　his　life；　in　order　to　remain　at　the　source　of

all　true　knowledge。　　Here　he　learns　to　appreciate　the　language　of

nature。　　When　expressed　by　man；　this　is　poetry。





THEREFORE；　READ　POETRY。



Ten　minutes　a　day　with　Tennyson；　Browning；　Emerson；　or　Lowell；

will　teach　one　a　new　language；　by　which　he　may　converse　with　the

wind；　talk　with　the　birds；　chat　with　the　brook；　speak　with　the　flowers；

and　hold　discourse　with　the　sun；　moon；　and　stars。　　The　deepest　and

mightiest　thoughts　of　all　ages　have　been　expressed　in　poetry；　the

language　of　nature。　　〃Poetry；〃　says　Coleridge；　〃is　the　blossom　and

fragrance　of　all　human　knowledge；　human　thoughts；　passions；

emotions；　languages。〃





READ　BOOKS　OF　RELIGION。



〃Religion；〃　says　Lyman　Abbott；　〃is　the　life　of　God　in　the　soul。〃

Every　truly　religious　book　treats　of　this　life。　　The　only　purely

religious　book　is　the　Bible。　　It　is　the　source　and　inspiration　of　every

other　religious　book。　　The　Bible　is　a　〃letter　from　God　to　man；　handed

down　from　heaven　and　written　by　inspired　men。〃　　Its　message　is　free

salvation　for　all　men　through　Jesus　Christ；　its　spirit　is　divine　love。　　No

wise　person　is　without　this　letter；　and　every　thoughtful　and　devout

person　reads　it　daily。　　One　may　never　find　time　to　follow　a　course　of

study；　nor　to　pursue　a　plan　of　daily　reading；　he　may　never　know　the

wealth　of　Dante；　the　grandeur　of　Milton；　nor　the　genius　of　Shakespeare；

but　every　one　may　make　the　Bible　his　daily　companion　and　guide。





HOW　TO　READ。



Enter　into　what　you　read。　　No　book　can　thrill　and　move　one　unless　he

gives　himself　up　to　it。　　Lack　of　fixed　attention　is　the　cause　of　the

half…informed　mind；　the　faulty　reason；　and　the　ever…failing　memory。

The　cause　of　this　lack　of　attention　may　be　an　historical　allusion　of

which　one　is　ignorant；　or　a　new　word　that　he　fails　to　look　up；　or　an

overtaxed　mind；　or　unfavorable　surroundings。　　Whatever　may　be　this

hindrance　it　must　be　removed　or　overcome　before　one　can　enter　into

what　he　reads。　　A　thought　is　of　no　value　until　it　registers　itself　and

takes　a　room　in　the　mind。　　This　is　why　we　are　told　on　every　hand；

that　a　few　books　well　read　are　worth　more　than　many　books　poorly

read。　　The　secret　of　Abraham　Lincoln's　power　as　a　public　speaker

lay　in　his　clear　reasoning；　simple　statement；　and　apt　illustration。　　This

secret　was　secured　by　Lincoln　through　his　habit　of　mastering　whatever

he　heard　in　conversation　or　reading。　　〃When　a　mere　child；〃　says

Lincoln；　〃I　used　to　get　irritated　when　anybody　talked　to　me　in　a　way

I　could　not　understand。　　I　don't　think　I　ever　got　angry　at　anything　else

in　my　life。　　But　that　always　disturbed　my　temper；　and　has　ever　since。

I　can　remember　going　to　my　little　bedroom；　after　hearing　the　neighbors

talk　of　an　evening　with　my　father；　and　spending　no　small　part　of　the

night　walking　up　and　down；　trying　to　make　out　what　was　the　exact

meaning　of　some　of　their；　to　me；　dark　sayings。　　I　could　not　sleep；

though　I　often　tried　to；　when　I　got　on　such　a　hunt　after　an　idea；　until

I　had　caught　it；　and　when　I　thought　I　had　got　it；　I　was　not　satisfied

until　I　had　repeated　it　over　and　over；　until　I　had　put　it　in　language

plain　enough；　as　I　thought；　for　any　boy　I　knew　to　comprehend。　　This

was　a　kind　of　passion　with　me；　and　it　has　stuck　by　me；　for　I　am　never

easy　now　when　I　am　handling　a　thought　until　I　have　bounded　it　north；

and　bounded　it　south；　and　bounded　it　east；　and　bounded　it　west。〃　　And

so　to　enter　into　what　one　reads；　means　that　he　will　master　the　thought。

The　most　that　a　university　can　do　for　one　is　to　teach　him　to　read。　　Who

has　learned　how　to　read　has　secured　a　liberal　education；　however　or

wherever　he　may　have　learned　it。



Then；　one　should　learn　to　scan　an　author。　　This　means　to　take　a　rapid

observation　of　his　thoughts。　　Much　of　one's　common　reading　matter

should　be　scanned。　　All　local　news；　much　magazine　literature；　and

many　books　should　be　used　in　this　way。　　It　is　mental　sloth　and　waste

of　time　to　pore　over　a　newspaper　or　a　book　of　light　fiction；　as　one

would　a　philosophy　of　history　or　a　work　of　science。　　As　Bacon　aptly

puts　it；　〃Some　books　are　to　be　tasted；　others　to　be　swallowed；　and

some　few　to　be　chewed　and　digested；　that　is；　some　books　are　to　be

read　only　in　parts；　others　to　be　read；　but　not　curiously；　and　some　few

to　be　read　wholly；　and　with　diligence　and　attention。　　Some　books　also

may　be　read　by　deputy；　and　extracts　made　of　them　by　others。〃　　One's

mind　is　like　a　horse；　it　soon　learns　its　master。　　Feed　it　well；　groom　it

well；　treat　it　gently；　you　may　expect　much　from　it。　　It　is　reported　of

Dr。　Newell　Dwight　Hillis　that　he　has　read　a　book　a　day　for　over

twenty　years。　　He　has　learned　to　squeeze　the　thought　out　of　a　book　at

a　grasp；　as　one　of　us　would　squeeze　the　juice　from　an　orange。　　Take

a　glimpse　into　his　library。　　Five　hundred　volumes　of　sociological

literature；　four　hundred　volumes　of　history；　two　hundred　of　cyclopedias；

gazetteers；　books　of　reference；　four　hundred　volumes　of　pure　science；

one　hundred　volumes　of　travels；　two　hundred　and　fifty　volumes　of

biography；　one　hundred　volumes　of　art　and　art　history；　a　section　on

psychology；　ethics；　philosophy；　and　the　relation　between　science　and

religion；　and　a　thousand　volumes　of　literature；　pure