Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-03-12
From the Connecticut Courant.
TIE BRIEF RE.h.ffkER.

TIE BRIEF RE.h.ffk'ER.
Dr.. cation JMalhrr, Of venerated
memory. in order 10 escape the Gu
lamity Of tedious visits. wrote over
the door Of his stud, in large letters,
BIZ SH0R 4 pithy sentence in
truth il is, and we'll worthy Of re
membrane in great Rany more
cases that Ieaa now snumerate.
The Interchange Of friendly visits
is one Of the most precious sweets
of lift Bui then. il mus nJi be
ovcrdrae: else il heso,oes irk'o'ue
and disgusting. Hence. in the book
Of the Wise MaD We meet with tho
following wholesome counsel with
draw Thy foul frnm thy 0eish"or's
house. list he be weary If thee"
No the nrcessar. discipline of the
foot, which is ere inrnlcatpd, Is. IL
' my presume 70 comment. of the
following im'ort.-Beware Of spin
ming out YOUR riendl. visits beyond
due length Retire. ifyou perceive
in hand any neres,ar. business which
your stay might interrupt; retire. ere
rhe family after On hours yawnins
begin TO steal Of. one b, one. 10 bed;
retire, ere pltin symptoms OF Weari-
ness appear in the countenauces "fihe
little circle yon are visiting; retire.
ere, in snMe iDdiscribable manner or
other before il he made manifest that
your room is more wanted tban your
com pany :--~hen You have maize
your friends glad by your company,
stay not SO long as to make them
still more glad by youT going away.
In time long past, the lord Of a
manor in one OF the neighboring
states, is id TO have had way Of
his own 10 clear MS house Of visitors.
When his tenants TO whom he WAS af-
fable and courteous, seemed disposed
to prolouS the visits which they now
and then made him, hs dropped the
Dutch tongue. and began speaking
90 them in English: whereupon the
honest Dutehmen, kho wing what was
meant by the token, forthwith made
off with themselves.
But the sage counsel. be short. sp-
IpIies no, to visitors only: il might be
made Of like precious Use 10 authors
and public speakers, who too often
lack one valuable kind Of knowledge.
namely, "that Of discerning when to
have done"
"Eedioasness," IS . writer of emf
nent abilities observes. lis the fault
that most seneralls displeases, since
| il is fauI' that Is felt BY all, aud by
all equally. You may offend your
reader DR. nearer iu one respect. and
please him in another; but If you
Il him Out vita your tediousocss
you give him uaningled disgust"
4 hook can do bot little good If i,
be but little read: destiny that he
falls almost every hook rha, is found
to be unnecessarily proIix and bulky.
This VAS the error Of a formc: age
Tue msssy folios OF the asst century
but one. folios written nv men of
great parts and astonishing learning.
have lain az lumber and been con.
fined 10 the shelves, of the curious,
FOR no other reason than because
every thread has been spsa Out TO the
greatest possible length. Whereas
had The highl, respectable authors,
Learned to be short, or given heed to
the artsofcOmpressing their thoughts
they never would have wanted for
readers.
! v Writer'S sometimes. exc out their
subject far beyond what need re
qsires. from a mistaken ambition of
Eof making a great book of it
But readers of tho presen; age gene
rally lean 10 the sentiment in the old
Greek proverb. "A soeai book is a.
great evil" II frigh,eus them tho,
will scarcely open it. and much les.
sci themselves 10 earnest 30 the task
of reading il throughout.
Thus, in this respect il is viii.
books AZ with money. As small
change, by its quisk and constant
circuIatien, does more good than in
gots Of gold and silver that are hoard
ed Up, % Q small book thas has q