HELPS TO STUDYING 195 



especially on a country scene, the curtain is unnecessary. The best 

 situation is where there is a rather extensive view from the window, for 

 then the student can from time to time rest his eyes, wearied by their 

 short focus on the book, by letting them focus on the distance, the 

 farther away the better, without there being any moving factors in the 

 scene to particularly claim attention. Under these circumstances, his 

 eyes being rested, but his attention not caught, the student's mind will 

 often go back naturally to what he is studying, and will reflect on the 

 points just learned. Given such a window, with such a view, and ab- 

 sence of unnecessary noise, and the student should do good work in 

 daylight. 



At night the conditions are very different. Artificial light must 

 be used, and of what kind and how placed is all-important. The writer 

 may have had limited experience in some of these regards, but the fol- 

 lowing are the results of his observation, and are given for what they 

 are worth: 



First, the illumination should not be general. The only matters 

 concerned are the student and the book, and as the student will get his 

 illumination from the book, it is only the proper lighting of the latter 

 which is to be considered. A lighting scheme which lights the whole 

 room is worse than useless, it is undesirable. The better the book is 

 lighted and the more the rest of the room is in comparative darkness, 

 the easier it is for the student to keep his attention fixed on the book 

 and the less is he distracted by seeing the other things in the room. Is 

 it not an old trick of the artist, to focus and hold the attention by a 

 brilliantly-colored " center " (such as the child's face in Correggio's 

 "Holy Night"), in the midst of an obscure back-ground? Therefore, 

 applying common sense as well as artistic perception, illuminate the 

 book to be studied as much as is necessary, and the rest of the room as 

 little as is necessary. By so doing, concentration on the book is won- 

 derfully assisted. 



Second, place the light in front and preferably to the left. We are 

 not here speaking of how to sit in an easy chair and read a novel most 

 comfortably, with the light coming over one's shoulder; but we speak 

 of the student with a book which needs mastering, probably with pencil 

 in hand and a pad of paper alongside. Such requires the student sit- 

 ting squarely at a table, with his paper and pencil ready for action. In 

 this case, the light should be close, not over three feet away from the 

 book, better at half that distance, so that practically only a small circle 

 is illuminated, with the book nearly in its center. If placed directly in 

 front, the glaze on the paper may easily interfere with reading; and 

 if writing (with the right hand), placing the lamp to the right will 

 be likewise annoying because of the reflection from the glaze. The best 

 position is for the light to be to the left a few inches, as far forward as 

 the top of the book or paper, and no higher than the eyes. A green 



