he has had
enough or too much. It relieves his home of its dullness and sameness,
which, in nine cases out of ten, is what drives him out to the alehouse,
to his own ruin and his family's. It accompanies him to his next day's
work, and, if the book he has been reading be any thing above the very
idlest and lightest, gives him something to think of besides the mere
mechanical drudgery of his every-day occupation, something he can enjoy
while absent, and look forward with pleasure to return to."

WHAT TO READ.

First of all read something. "Southey tells us that, in his walk one
stormy day, he met an old woman, to whom, by way of greeting, he made
the rather obvious remark that it was dreadful weather. She answered,
philosophically, that in her opinion, 'any weather was better than
none.'" And so we would say, excluding corrupt literature, any reading
is better than none! In this day of multiplicity of books who who never
reads may not be an ignoramus nor a fool, but certainly he robs the
world of much that is useful in character, and deprives himself of much
that enriches his own soul. Then one should select his books, as he does
his associates, and not attempt to read everything that comes in his
way. No longer may one know even a little about every thing. It might be
a mark of credit rather than an embarrassment for one to answer, "No,"
to the question, "Have you read the latest book?" when the fact is
recalled that 30,000 novels have been published within the past eighty
years, and that five new ones are added to the list daily.

READ HISTORY.

One has characterized history as both the background and the key to
all knowledge. No other class of reading so much as this helps one to
appreciate his own country, his own age, his own surroundings. Extensive
reading of history is a sure remedy for pessimism, prejudice, and
fanaticism. In so far as history is an accurate account of the past, it
is a true prophecy of the future for the nation and for the individual.
Who reads history knows that men always have displayed folly, Weakness,
and cruelty, and that they always will, even to their own obvious ruin.
Also he knows that every time and place have had their few good men and
women who have honored God, and whom God has honored. Nothing so teaches
a person his own insignificance and the small part that he plays in the
world as does the reading of history. Nor is history to be found only in
the book called history. If