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ONE DISH AT A TIME.

turtle, eels or elfins,

only eat and you will

be robust, fair, and in perfect health. Does not the merest child know that we are nourished most and best by the plain dish, and one dish at a time; that it is not the amount that we eat, but the amount that is digested and incorporated into the system, that gives us health and vigour? The mind that reads a good book slowly is much more likely to be enlightened and fed than if it read ten books in the same time. "A good book," says John Milton, "is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life." The most remarkable men that have lived are usually those who have lived at some marked epoch in the world, and who, in Providence, were then called out to make and to leave their mark upon the world. Hence it is that history and biography are so instructive; for history is only the record of great movements and changes and events; and biography is the story of the agents who acted in these epochs of the world. You must have revolutions to bring out Washingtons or Buona

GREAT MEN RAISED UP.

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partes; and these strong minds wake up the nations, and call out character and cause events which never cease to affect the world. Or, as Milton beautifully says, "When God shakes a kingdom with strong and healthful commotions to a general reforming, it is not untrue that many sectaries and false teachers are then busiest in seducing; but yet more true it is, that God then raises up to his own work men of rare abilities and more than common industry, not only to look back, and revise what hath been taught heretofore, but to gain further and to go on some new enlightened steps in the discovery of truth." It is therefore to be understood, that you can scarcely read a good history or biography without finding a mine rich with instruction. do not try to read too many of these. It is better to understand and remember the history of one period, or the life of one remarkable man, than to go over the history of many ages, or ramble through the whole biographical history. Hence

My second caution is, not to read fast.

Now

I once had the misfortune in my boyhood

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HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR VOLUMES.

to fall upon a set of books called "The World," in one hundred and twenty-four volumes, and, feeling that my time was limited, I read them all in six months! I might as well have poured gold-dust through a coarse sieve, thinking that by pouring it by the bushel my sieve must certainly retain much. Had I read but two volumes during that time, I am sure I could to-day have told you something of their contents, but now all I can remember is, that they were English books in a pretty shape, with many pictures, and very interesting. And now, if I have not given you a great amount of information about my one hundred and twenty-four volumes, you may feel assured I have given you all I possess. A book should be read no faster than you can understand it, digest it, and remember it. The most accurate and best-informed reader that I have ever met with was never less than six months in reading an octavo volume. He usually read walking his His method, as well as I remember, was as follows to read the title-page, and see how much and what he knew about the

room.

A BOOK READ IN SIX MONTHS.

123

He

author. He then read the preface to see what the author had to say by way of claim to attention. He then read the whole table of contents over very carefully, to see what the author professed to accomplish. then closed the book, to see if he could give a connected account of the contents of that volume. He next made the contents of the first chapter his own, by reading the chapter through, and then closing the book to see if he could, from memory, give the contents of that chapter. So he went through the whole volume, reading every chapter twice, and reviewing, analyzing, and understanding every thing. At the end of six months, the volume was his own, and two such volumes in the year made him rich in the learning of men. Let me say here, that no book is worth reading which is not worth reading twice. For in reading for improvement we have two objects in view: we want information, knowledge of facts; we also want to strengthen the power of comprehension and vigorous thought. A small spot well cultivated makes a rich and beautiful garden; and the same

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SILVER BOOKS AND GOLDEN BOOKS.

time and labour spent upon it produces more of value and of beauty than if spread over hundreds of acres of hungry land. Do not waste time and energy in trying to read, and master, and retain a poor book. John Newton says: "I have many books that I cannot sit down to read; they are indeed good and sound, but, like half-pence, there goes a great quantity to little amount. There are silver books and a few golden books, but I have one book worth more than all, called the Bible; and that is a book of banknotes."

But some feel that they cannot read a book that is not amusing,-" interesting," as they call it. They read solely for amusement,and they have their reward. They obtain the amusement, and nothing else. What is called a dry book, however important may be its subject, or however rich its thought, they cannot endure. Just as well might the stomach be sustained by jellies, custards, whips, or confectionery. Understand that it is easy to school the mind so that a dry book shall become interesting. Henry Kirke White, writing to his brother, says, "The plan which

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