PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2273, 23 September 1897, Page 51

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Rate of Reading and Writing.

The other day Icuaa across a couple of articles dealing with the subject of my heading, and I thought that tha gist of them might interest you. As the British Weekly is my authority you will' see that the infor-, mation is probably accurate, and that h.eing Bo.it will bo seen that a methodical worker can get through a great deal, whether the motive be pleasure or profit.

One writer for the London daily preas gives an outline of a day's work. Every morning, between 7 and 8, he writes one or two leader notes from 350 to 550 words each — the shortest time taken being 20 minutes, and the longest about twice that ; thea two or three personal paragraphs are worked off. Bab these items are only a preface to the day's work. A portion of the editorial work ia the shape of from 20 to 60 letters then eng&gas his attention — some being answered privately, others being consigned to the w.p.b. (waate-paper basket), and the remainder licked into shape for the printer. The writer thinks that if, in addition to this quantum, he turns out a couple of leaders of a column or a column and a-half ho has accomplished a pretty good day's work. Au actual day's work" that exceeds this is given in. detail, but I shall not inflict you with it.

The same ,writer gives his experience as a reader. I am afraid, however, that he doesn't derive much pleasure from that source, as his whole energies seem bent on the skimming of a huge .mass only for the purpose o£ being up to date. Hiu words ara : " I take in seven London dailies a.nd magazine* and weeklies innumerable, and besides these I get through half a dozen books a week^ I rapidly skim through "current papers, read carefully those things bearing directly on my work, cutting out and filing such articles a^ may be useful for reference." This writer, however, doesn't give hie rate of reading.

Bat " O'andius Clear,'' one of the permanent staff of th& British Weekly — indeed I have been told be is tbe editor — states that of those who sent letters to him some own to as low a rate as 8000 words an hour ; but the vast majority read an ordinary story at a rate varying from 16,000 to 18,000 in that time, while he himself can leave 40,000 words and taoro in the rear ! Now, 16,000 words a day— -say an hoar's reading — means a three-and-sixpeany novel a week, or 52 in a year. One reader — a lady — got through neaily a huntirud volumes, and among them were such books as " Paradise Lost," " Mind of the M*#ter" (Dr Watson's), " Scott's Journal," " Lourdes" (Z»la), " Three Musketeers" (A. Duma*), and a score or more of sueh — either slow reading or more bulky tban an ordinary novel. These rates of reading and tha lista seat in do not include many theological books nor books philosophically written. The dialed; book', too, so much tho vogue during the past three or four years, cannot with pleasure be read at cne rapid rates mentioned.

My main purpose, however, to-day is to show my readers what an amount of literature can be read in a year if the work ia done with anything like method, and at such a small cost, too. " Claudiuß Clear," in urging &11 to cultivate the taste for reading, mentions a fine three-and-sixpenny edition of " The Scarlet Letter," juHt published, and among other things says'of this fine piece of writing : " The story is enthralling, and the style shows such mastery of the English language as is possible only to a few in any century." Yet this book is procurable in an unabridged form for one penny I And so are " The Vicar of Wakefield," " Hyperior," and other equally classical works. Just imagine : reading for an hour a day for a week for a permy — four and fourpence a yea* I Of coarse all classic* cannot be got at that rate, and new books unfortunately are too expensive for small purses. Take the three successes of the present year, Naneen's English edition of "The Fur Nortb," Ciptain Mahan's "Life of Nelson," and General Roberta's " Forty-one Years in India ": these run into £5 and more. These are books to buy, if possible — if not, to beg or borrow ; and fortunately by one of these, courses 1 have managed to lay hands on the lot. Bat reading up-to-date books is not necessarily to be undertaken by a book lover, for many prefer the old and tritd to the new and often evanescent, and will, in the long run, derive more benefit from them.

S*d to say, however, many — too many — do not care for literature. " Olaudiu* Clear " says that the vast majority do not read : gossip?— yes ; visiting? — yes ; driving about ? — yes; domesticuie;*? — yes; reading? — no, not if it can be helped. He is optimistic, however, and not only thinks we are improving in this respect, but is looking forward to the day when the majority will much prefer to forego a daily meal th%n their daily opportunity of reading.

Now there's one good thirg about reading : ifc grows upon one. So those who deplore /their indiff«rence can become readers in a 'short time by a little determination. Bead at first, say, a quarter of an hoar a day, and if the right books are chosen it will almost inevitably follow that what was a task soon becomes a plaasare and a daily necessity.

Dr Johnson once said it^didn't matter very much what a man read if be read four hours a day. In his time, however, though much that was trash was published, yet the classics were a far greater proportion of the whole than now, so his remark as to reading anything isn't so weighty now as it was then. But in the main he is right.

In country districts much could be done to stimulate the love for reading and to provide reading matter by the establishment of clubs. These are getting quite common in Dunedin. Six, more or less, take a monthly magazine, and at stated intervals exchange. This answers, very well for those who do not do any connected or systematic reading, and deserves encouragement in t<lat it counteracts evil tendencies, and provides a means of passing time pleasantly and harmlessly. But it would be advisable to form clubs also for tbe buying and circulating of modern books that have outlived the fancy of the passing hcur.

May I give a word of advics to my senior readers? Djn't grudge half-a-crowa on a book for a boy or girl. There are too many who don't mind spending a pound in some article of luxury or in an amusement, but who feel as if parting with their life blood if asked to buy a book. And mothers are even worse than fathers in this respect — at least that is my experience of mothers, and I have made the acquaintance of a few hundreds iv my time, and I'm not very old yet. I heard the other day of a man bemoaning the, poverty of the time*. He said bis wife and children had had to give up their little luxuries and even some of the necessities of life, and he was afraid bis tobacco would have to be the next thing. Take my advice : give up tobacco and whisky and buy books. Tobacoo may appear a necessity to many, but I don't tbink it can be looked upon as an essential in the formation of character or in the advancement of a nation. Books are necessary lo both.