questionable amusements and worthy substitutes-第11部分

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WHY　READ。



Read　to　acquire　knowledge。　　Knowledge　is　the　perception　of　truth。

One　arrives　at　knowledge　by　the　assimilation　of　facts　and　principles；

or　by　the　assimilation　of　truth　itself。　　Three　sources　of　knowledge　are

experience；　conversation；　and　reading。　　Experience　leads　one　slowly

to　knowledge；　is　limited　entirely　to　the　path　over　which　one　has　passed；

and　is　a　〃dear　teacher。〃　　To　acquire　knowledge　by　conversation　is　to

put　one　at　the　mercy　of　his　associates；　making　him　dependent　upon

their　good　favor；　truthfulness；　and　learning。　　But　reading　places　one

in　direct　communication　with　the　wisest　and　best　persons　of　all　time。

To　acquire　knowledge　by　reading　is　to　defy　time　and　space；　persons

and　circumstances；　at　least；　in　our　day　of　many　and　inexpensive　books。

Through　books　facts　live；　principles　operate；　justice　acts；　the　light　of

philosophy　gleams；　wit　flashes；　God　speaks。　　Every　book…lover　agrees

with　Channing：　　〃No　matter　how　poor　I　am。。if　the　sacred　writers　will

enter　and　take　up　their　abode　under　my　roof；　if　Milton　will　cross　my

threshold　to　sing　to　me　of　Paradise；　and　Shakespeare　to　open　to　me　the

words　of　imagination　and　the　workings　of　the　human　heart；　and　Franklin

to　enrich　me　with　his　practical　wisdom；　I　shall　not　pine　for　want　of

intellectual　companionship；　and　I　may　become　a　cultivated　man；　though

excluded　from　what　is　called　the　best　society　in　the　place　where　I　live。〃

Kingsley　says：　　〃Except　a　living　man；　there　is　nothing　more　wonderful

Than　a　book！a　message　to　us　from　the　dead；from　human　souls　whom

we　never　saw；　who　lived；　perhaps；　thousands　of　miles　away；　and　yet

these；　in　those　little　sheets　of　paper；　speak　to　us；　amuse　us；　terrify　us；

teach　us；　comfort　us；　open　their　hearts　to　us　as　brothers。。If　they　are

good　and　true；　whether　they　are　about　religion　or　politics；　farming；

trade；　or　medicine；　they　are　the　message　of　Christ；　the　Maker　of　all

things；　the　Teacher　of　all　truth。〃　　The　wide　range　of　truth　secured　through

reading　acts　in　two　ways　upon　the　reader。　　It　spiritualizes　his　character；

and　it　makes　him　mighty　in　action。　　Knowledge　on　almost　any　subject

has　a　marked　tendency　to　sharpen　one's　wits；　to　refine　his　tastes；　to

ennoble　his　spirit；　to　improve　his　judgement；　to　strengthen　his　will；　to

subdue　his　baser　passions；　and　to　fill　his　soul　with　the　breath　of　life。

It　is　only　upon　truth　that　the　soul　feeds；　and　by　means　of　knowledge　that

the　character　grows。　　〃It　cannot　be　that　people　should　grow　in　grace；〃

writes　John　Wesley；　〃unless　they　give　themselves　to　reading。　　A　reading

people　will　always　be　a　knowing　people。〃　　　Reading　makes　one　mighty

in　action　when　it　gives　one　knowledge；　since　〃knowledge　is　power；〃　and

since　power　has　but　one　way　of　showing　itself；　and　that　is；　in　action。

Knowledge　takes　no　note　of　hardships；　ignores　fatigue；　laughs　at

disappointment；　and　frowns　upon　despair。　　It　delves　into　the　earth；

rides　upon　the　air；　defies　the　cold　of　the　north；　the　heat　of　the　south；　it

stands　upon　the　brink　of　the　spitting　volcano；　circumnavigates　the　globe；

examines　the　heavens；　and　tries　to　understand　God。　　With　but　few

exceptions；　master…minds　and　men　of　affairs　have　been　incessant

readers。　　Cicero；　chief　of　Roman　orators；　whether　at　home　or　abroad；

in　town　or　in　the　country；　by　day　or　by　night；　in　youth　or　in　old　age；　in

sorrow　or　in　joy；　was　not　without　his　books。　　〃Petrarch；　when　his　friend

the　bishop；　thinking　that　he　was　overworked；　took　away　the　key　of　his

library；　was　restless　and　miserable　the　first　day；　had　a　bad　headache　the

second；　and　was　so　ill　by　the　third　day　that　the　bishop；　in　alarm；　returned

the　key　and　let　his　friend　read　as　much　as　he　liked。〃　　Writes　Frederick　the

Great；　〃My　latest　passion　will　be　for　literature。〃　　The　poet；　Milton；　while

a　child；　read　and　studied　until　midnight。　　John　Ruskin　read　at　four　years

of　age；　was　a　book…worm　at　five；　and　wrote　numerous　poems　and　dramas

before　he　was　ten。　　Lord　Macaulay　read　at　three　and　began　a　compendium

of　universal　history　at　seven。　　Although　not　a　lover　of　books；　George

Washington　early　read　Matthew　Hale　and　became　a　master　in　thought。

Benjamin　Franklin　would　sit　up　all　night　at　his　books。　　Thomas　Jefferson

read　fifteen　hour　a　day。　　Patrick　Henry　read　for　employment；　and　kept

store　for　pastime。　　Daniel　Webster　was　a　devouring　reader；　and　retained

all　that　he　read。　　At　the　age　of　fourteen　he　could　repeat　from　memory　all

of　Watt's　Hymns　and　Pope's　〃Essay　on　Man。〃　　When　but　a　youth；　Henry

Clay　read　books　of　history　and　science　and　practiced　giving　their　contents

before　the　trees；　birds；　and　horses。　　Says　a　biographer　of　Lincoln；　〃A　book

was　almost　always　his　inseparable　companion。〃



Then；　read　for　enjoyment。　　Fortunately；　a　habit　so　valuable　as　reading

may　grow　to　become　a　pleasure。　　So　that　as　one　is　gathering　useful

information　and　increasing　in　knowledge；　he　may　have　the　keenest

enjoyment。　　Such　an　one　sings　as　he　works。　　He　has　learned　to

convert　drudgery　into　joy；　duty　has　become　delight。　　But　even　for

such　an　one　a　portion　of　his　reading　should　be　purely　for　rest　and

recreation。　　If　one　has　taught　school　all　day；　or　set　type；　or　managed

a　home；　or　read　history；　or　labored　in　the　field；　or　been　shopping；

heavy；　solid　reading　may　be　out　of　the　question；　while　under　such

circumstances　one　would　really　enjoy　a　striking　allegory　or　a　well…

written　novel。　　Or；　if　one　is　limited　in　knowledge；　or　deficient　in

literary　taste　so　that　he　may　find　no　interest　in　history；　science；

philosophy；　or　religion；　still　he　may　enjoy　thrilling　books　of　travel；

of　biography；　or　of　entertaining　story。　　In　this　way　all　may　enjoy

reading。　　〃Of　all　the　amusements　which　can　possibly　be　imagined

for　a　hard…working　man；　after　his　daily　toil；　or　in　its　intervals；　there

is　nothing；〃　says　Herschel；　〃like　reading　an　interesting　book。　　It

calls　for　no　bodily　exercise；　of　which　he　has　had　enough　or　too　much。

It　relieves　his　home　of　its　dullness　and　sameness；　which；　in　nine　cases

out　of　ten；　is　what　drives　him　out　to　the　alehouse；　to　his　own　ruin　and

his　family's。　　It　accompanies　him　to　his　next　day's　work；　and；　if　the

book　he　has　been　reading　be　any　thing　above　the　very　idlest　and

lightest；　gives　him　something　to　think　of　besides　the　mere　mechanical

drudgery　of　his　every…day　occupation；　something　he　can　enjoy　while

absent；　and　look　forward　with　pleasure　to　return　to。〃





WHAT　TO　READ。



First　of　all　read　something。　　〃Southey　tells　us　that；　in　his　walk　one

stormy　day；　he　met　an　old　woman；　to　whom；　by　way　of　greeting；　he

made　the　rather　obvious　remark　that　it　was　dreadful　weather。　　She

answered；　philosophically；　that　in　her　opinion；　'any　weather　was　better

than　none。'〃　　And　so　we　would　say；　excluding　corrupt　literature；　any

reading　is　better　than　none！　　In　this　day　of　multiplicity　of　books　who

who　never　reads　may　not　be　an　ignoramus　nor　a　fool；　but　certainly　he

robs　the　world　of　much　that　is　useful　in　character；　and　deprives　himself

of　much　that　enriches　his　own　soul。　　Then　one　should　select　his　books；

as　he　does　his　associates；　and　not　attempt　to　read　everything　that　comes

in　his　way。　　No　longer　may　one　know　even　a　little　about　every　thing。

It　might　be　a　mark　of　credit　rather　than　an　embarrassment　for　one　to

answer；　〃No；〃　to　the　question；　〃Have　you　read　the　latest　book？〃　when

the　fact　is　recalled　that　30；000　novels　have　been　published　within　the

past　eighty　years；　and　that　five　new　ones　are　added　to　the　list　daily。





READ　HISTORY。



One　has　characterized　history　as　both　the　background　and　the　key　to

all　knowledge。　　No　other　class　of　reading　so　much　as　this　helps　one

to　appreciate　his　own　country；　his　own　age；　his　own　surroundings。

Extensive　reading　of　history　is　a　sure　remedy　for　pessimism；　prejudice；

and　fanaticism。　　In　so　far　as　history　is　an　accurate　account　of　the　past；

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　mag