Reading

s.Thissortofgingerbreadisbakeddailyandmoresedulouslythanpurewheatorrye-and-Indianinalmosteveryoven,andfindsasurermarket. Thebestbooksarenotreadevenbythosewhoarecalledgoodreaders.WhatdoesourConcordcultureamountto?Thereisinthistown,withaveryfewexceptions,notasteforthebestorforverygoodbookseveninEnglishliterature,whosewordsallcanreadandspell.Eventhecollege-bredandsocalledliberallyeducatedmenhereandelsewherehavereallylittleornoacquaintancewiththeEnglishclassicsandasfortherecordedwisdomofmankind,theancientclassicsandBibles,whichareaccessibletoallwhowillknowofthem,therearethefeeblesteffortsanywheremadetobecomeacquaintedwiththem.Iknowawoodchopper,ofmiddleage,whotakesaFrenchpaper,notfornewsashesays,forheisabovethat,butto“keephimselfinpractice,”hebeingaCanadianbybirthandwhenIaskhimwhatheconsidersthebestthinghecandointhisworld,hesays,besidethis,tokeepupandaddtohisEnglish.Thisisaboutasmuchasthecollegebredgenerallydooraspiretodo,andtheytakeanEnglishpaperforthepurpose.OnewhohasjustcomefromreadingperhapsoneofthebestEnglishbookswillfindhowmanywithwhomhecanconverseaboutit?OrsupposehecomesfromreadingaGreekorLatinclassicintheoriginal,whosepraisesarefamiliareventothesocalledilliteratehewillfindnobodyatalltospeakto,butmustkeepsilenceaboutit.Indeed,thereishardlytheprofessorinourcolleges,who,ifhehasmasteredthedifficultiesofthelanguage,hasproportionallymasteredthedifficultiesofthewitandpoetryofaGreekpoet,andhasanysympathytoimparttothealertandheroicreaderandasforthesacredScriptures,orBiblesofmankind,whointhistowncantellmeeventheirtitles?MostmendonotknowthatanynationbuttheHebrewshavehadascripture.Aman,anyman,willgoconsiderablyoutofhiswaytopickupasilverdollarbutherearegoldenwords,whichthewisestmenofantiquityhaveuttered,andwhoseworththewiseofeverysucceedingagehaveassuredusof—andyetwelearntoreadonlyasfarasEasyReading,theprimersandclass-books,andwhenweleaveschool,the“LittleReading,”andstorybooks,whichareforboysandbeginnersandourreading,ourconversationandthinking,areallonaverylowlevel,worthyonlyofpygmiesandmanikins. IaspiretobeacquaintedwithwisermenthanthisourConcordsoilhasproduced,whosenamesarehardlyknownhere.OrshallIhearthenameofPlatoandneverreadhisbook?AsifPlatoweremytownsmanandIneversawhim,—mynextneighborandIneverheardhimspeakorattendedtothewisdomofhiswords.Buthowactuallyisit?HisDialogues,whichcontainwhatwasimmortalinhim,lieonthenextshelf,andyetIneverreadthem.Weareunderbredandlow-livedandilliterateandinthisrespectIconfessIdonotmakeanyverybroaddistinctionbetweentheilliteratenessofmytownsmanwhocannotreadatall,andtheilliteratenessofhimwhohaslearnedtoreadonlywhatisforchildrenandfeebleintellects.Weshouldbeasgoodastheworthiesofantiquity,butpartlybyfirstknowinghowgoodtheywere.Wearearaceoftit-men,andsoarbutlittlehigherinourintellectualflightsthanthecolumnsofthedailypaper. Itisnotallbooksthatareasdullastheirreaders.Thereareprobablywordsaddressedtoourconditionexactly,which,ifwecouldreallyhearandunderstand,wouldbemoresalutarythanthemorningorthespringtoourlives,andpossiblyputanewaspectonthefaceofthingsforus.Howmanyamanhasdatedanewerainhislifefromthereadingofabook.Thebookexistsforusperchancewhichwillexplainourmiraclesandrevealnewones.Theatpresentunutterablethingswemayfindsomewhereuttered.Thesesamequestionsthatdisturbandpuzzleandconfoundushaveintheirturnoccurredtoallthewisemennotonehasbeenomittedandeachhasansweredthem,accordingtohisability,byhiswordsandhislife.Moreover,withwisdomweshalllearnliberality.Thesolitaryhiredmanonafarmint