of our memory. Of course we must begin by reminding you of the ever present necessity of interest and attention—we cannot escape from these principles of the memory. The trouble with the majority of people is that they read books “to kill time,” as a sort of mental narcotic or anæsthetic, instead of for the purpose of obtaining something of interest from them. By this course we not only lose all that may be of importance or value in the book, but also acquire the habit of careless reading and inattention. The prevalence of the habit of reading many newspapers and trashy novels is responsible for the apparent inability of many persons to intelligently absorb and remember the contents, of a book “worth while” when they do happen to take up such a one. But, still, even the most careless reader may improve himself and cure the habit of inattention and careless reading.
Noah Porter says: “We have not read an author till we have seen his object, whatever it may be, as he saw it.” Also: “Read with attention. This is the rule that takes precedence of all others. It stands instead of a
