HINTS ON READING.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 235, 6 October 1886, Page 4

HINTS ON READING.

How Different Poople are A-cus tomed to Peruse Boohs.

The readers Coleridge has divided into four classes. Ho says : " The first class ot readers may be compared to an hour glas-,, their reading boing as tho sand—it runs in and runs out, and leaves not a vestige behind. A second class resembles a sponge, which imbibes everything and returns it in nearly tho samo stato. A third class is like a jelly bag, which allows all that is puro to pass away and retains only the refuse and dregs. Tho fourtli class may bo compared to the slave of Oolconda, who, casting aside all that is worthless, preserves only the pure gems," It ia to bo feared that in flic present day tho greatest number of roadors belong to tho first of these classos. Tho amount road is something almost fabulous, but tho results aro comparatively trilling. Volume after volume ia perused ; pamphlets and papers are mentally eonsumod, but tho stores of knowledge aro not percoptibly increased. This charge lies not only against thoso who read secular works ; it applies to too great an oxtont to thoso who read tho Scriptures and other treatises upon things divine. Lord Hacen onco said that " reading makes a full man," Ho could not have meant tho kind of roading that is now too prevalent. Tho omnivorous readers, the readers who skim through page after page; tho butterfly renders, who taste somo flowers of literature here and there, but never eottlo down to a rosoluto extract of tho sweots, are found at tho year's ond, after all thoir reading, not more " full" intellectually, but often more foolish than boforo. Why is this? Becauso in theso express days tho reading has beon dono as quickly as possible, nnd becauso what is read ono hour is buried beneath a hoap of multifarious matter the next hour. But if a man read upon a prudent plan, if lift digest what h. montally receives, his rending will become a delightful source of vory extensivo information and sound wisdom.

Reading.-'hould bein moderation. It is possible to devour whole libraries, and learn nothing. It is said that Miss Martincauoftci read in one hour no moro than a single page of a good book. An eminent divine and author is said to havo had but threo books —the Bible, Joseplms's works, and Cruden's Concordance. A celebrated French author, being laughed at because of tho emallncss of his library, replied : "Ah, when I want a book I make it." On the other hand, Mire, de Stacl-Holstein is said to h.ve devoured 600 novels beforo she was 1,5 years of age, and to have read those 000 in three months—on an average six each day ! Louis XVI, whilo imprisoned for a period of livo months and seven doys, road 157 volumes, or ono book a day Such literary gluttony could havo loft littlo good rosult. Too much reading is aa injurious to the mind ns too much feeding is to the bo_y.— "Quiver."