PREFACE. No more important duty is incumbent upon teachers than that of inculcating in the minds of their pupils a discriminating love for good books. The acquirement of the ability to give correct oral expression to the printed or written word is, after all, only a means to this more important end. The young person who can read intelligibly to himself, and in a manner that is pleasing to his hearers, is quite sure to find much pleasure in books. If his tastes have been properly cultivated and he has been taught to discriminate between that which is good and that which is worthless, this habit of reading will prove to be of incalculable value to him in after life; but, on the other hand, if he has been permitted to acquire a liking for that kind of writing which is neither instructive nor beautiful, and a distaste for the nobler and more enduring forms of literature, it would have been better if books had never been placed in his way. In the preparation of the series of reading books of which this volume is the eighth and concluding number, the importance of thus cultivating the literary judgment has been constantly borne in mind, and every reasonable means has been employed to assist the pupil to discover and appreciate things which are beautiful and true in literature and art. The selections in this volume have been chosen with the special view of opening the way to much supplementary reading on many important subjects and from books that can be safely recommended. The notes in connection with certain of the selections, as well as the notes on "Books" (page 236), are intended to assist in the attainment of this purpose. It is presumed that pupils in this grade have general access to dictionaries and other works of reference on all subjects; hence, no space is given to biographical or explanatory notes, but only a brief list of the authors and artists whose works are represented, with the date of the birth and death and, in most cases, the title of the most famous work of each. The educative and æsthetic value of the full-page illustrations will be readily appreciated by all. |