For Our Young Readers.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 17, 3 September 1897, Page 27

For Our Young Readers.

WHAT AND HOW TO HEAD. When you read, read with attention. This is the fundamental condition of all successful reading. It is a habit that can be acquired only by constant practice. Where the reading matter is congenial to the reader there is little difficulty, but where the matter is not of special interest, or where the mind has not been properly trained, then it requires an effort to cultivate the faculty of attention. I would set down the following rules ; no doubt they are common to you all :

1. Set aside daily, according to leisure or occupation, a given portion of time. It will soon create the habit and finally become a pleasure.

2. Keep up the practice, if possible, of using that time for your reading or study and nothing cl.-c. This will make your work all the more profitable. This principle pervades all nature. The seasons make their rounds within the appointed times ; the flowers blossom, the grass grows, the sun shines, the water flows according to the laws of nature. Good or bad actions make the soul beautiful or ugly in the sight of God. for virtue or vice are habit?, and so it is in the daily recurrence of attention in your reading. 3. Fix your attention while reading so that the mind becomes wholly occupied. Read with method. Distinguish between the statements that are doubtful, probable and certain, between those that are of opinion, credence and presumption. This practice will help you very much.

4. When you find your thoughts wandering, lay the book aside and take up another subject. This has been a custom of great men, such as our great Leo XLil., Gladstone, and others. 5._ Take notes while reading It stimulates thought and fixes attention ; consult your dictionary. Read wita a purpose. Lay out for yourself a definite object and make all your reading converge upon attaining that purpose.

6. Learn the art of forgetting. It is a great blessing to know how and what to fonjrot. There are nruiy things in books, even in books not professedly kid. that aiv to bj ignored. It is not difficult. All good readers u neons -io>; -ly ilu it. Mr. Janvs Anthony Froudc has brought this to bear upon his distortion of history. 7. Be lion st in your readings ; cultivate honesty of judgment, honesty of expression, so that you may bo able to form an estimate of your reading. Be hone-t m your researches, lleail both sides of every human question undi-r prop-r guMance. Individual judgments are misleading, and it is only by eompari-o'i that we ran sret at the truth. It may till a^aiast your pet author, or hnourite principle, or your darling hobby. Let in the light, you w.int the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. For we Catholics have no fear of the truth, but we have a tVar of whitewash. Our Holy Father has set the example to the intellectual world by throwing open the Vatican Library to the historian. 8. Seek to master tne book you read, and get all the assistance you can. 9. Select your reading carefully. Remember that reading tends to the growth of character as well as intellect. SPEAKING THE TRUTH. A boy twelve years old conquered a smart and shrewd lawyer fighting for a bad cause. Walter was the important witness, and one of the lawyers, after cross-questioning him severely, said : " Your father has been talking to you and telling you how to testify, hasn't he ? " " Yes," said the boy. " Now," said the lawyer, '■ just tell us how your father told you to testify." "Well," said the boy modestly, "father told me that the lawyers would try to tangle me, but if I would just be careful and tell the truth I could tell the same thing every time " The lawyer didn't try to tangle up that boy any more. A BOY'S ESSAY OX COLUMBUS. The master told the boys to write a short essay upon Co'umbus. The following was sent up by an ambitious essayist : — " Clumbus -J^asa man who could make an egg stand on its end without broking it. The King of Spain said to Clumbus, 'Can you discove"r America?' 'Yes,' said Clumbus, •if you »ive me a ship.' So he had a ship, and sailed over the sea in the direction where he thought America ought to be found. The sailors quarrelled, and said they believed there was no such place. But after many days the pilot came to him and said, ' Clumbus, I see land.' ' Then that

is America 1 ' said Clumbus. When the ship got near the land was full of black men. Olumbus said, 'Is this America ? ' ' Yea, it is,' said they. 'Then,' he said, ' I suppose you are the niggers?' ' Yes,' they said, 'we arc." The chief said, ' I suppose you are Cluinbus ? ' ' You are right,' said he. Then the chief turned to his men and said, ' There is no help for it ; we are discovered at last.' '