Chip  Reading.


CHIP  reading!  What  is  that?  some  of 

our  young readers may say.  Read the   

following talk of a father  to  his son,  and  you 

will find  out.  All  boys  and  girls  who  are 

fond  of  reading the  cheap  and  silly  fiction 

that is so  plentifully seen  in  these days, will 

understand the  talk about chips.  Here it is:

A  boy  returned  from  school  one  day 

with a report that his scholarship had fallen 

below the usual average.

"Well," said  his  father,  "you've fallen 

behind this month, have  you?''

"Yes, sir."

"How did that happen?"

"Don't  know, sir."

The father knew, if the son did not.  He 

had observed a number of dime novels and   

illustrated story  papers  scattered  about the 

house;  but  had  not  thought  it  was  worth 

while,  to say anything until  a fitting    

opportunity should  offer  itself.  A  basket of  

apples stood upon the floor.  And he said to his 

son: 

"Empty out those apples, and  take the 

basket,  and bring it to me half full of chips."

Suspecting nothing, the son obeyed.

"And now," he continued, "put those   

apples  back  into the basket.

When  half the  apples  were replaced,  the 

son said: 

"Father, they roll off.  I can't put in any 

more."

"Put them in, I tell you, my  son."

"But, father, I can't put them in."

"No, of course you can't  put  them  in. 

Do you  expect  to  fill  a  basket  half full 

of chips  and  then fill  it  with  apples?  You 

said you  didn't know why  you  fell  behind 

at school;  and I will  tell you.  Your  mind 

is  like  that  basket.  It will not  hold more 

than so  much.  And here you've  been  the 

past month,  filling it  up  with  CHIP  DIRT  

dime novels and silly stories!"

The boy turned on  his heel, whistled,  and 

said,  "Whew!  I see the point."

No such  reading  has  been  seen  in  that 

house from  that day.



YI