Virginia statesman. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1828-1829, 1828-06-04
From tie ViS.tcr and Telegraph.
NOVEL, READING.

NOVEL READING.
We received a request several weeks
since to copy an article from the Religious
Herald on Rorel reading. A compliance
with this request, which merited attention
at an early date, has been delayed to make
room for the communications Of our valu-
able correspondents. As the indiscrmi-
nate reading of novels Is one Of the evil
practices of our times, we regret that we
I cannot insert TINS writer's essays entire;
but our limits viii only permit US to make
a single extract
I'm the first essay the writer shews that
much of the time, spent in reading novels,
Is time lost; that Indulgence Of this kind
corupts the taste, weakens the spring OF
intellect. and disqualities one for turning
/ to good use even the time nominally deyo-
ted to solid pursuits.--In the second ard-
Gle on this topic, the writer proceeds as
follows:
''To the mischiefs more properly intel
lcctu0l,-and the objection applies equally
to plays, and the whole class of what is
called Eg5t reading; I win here add, that
It causes the attention to rander. when we
are ever so DESTROYS to frit upon serious.
important subjects. 1t induces a habit of
glanciug loosely at what we read, and of
listening carelessly, Give listen at alp to
what we tear. Hardly any reader can be
ignorant. that every faculty of the mind,
like every member of the body, is strength
eaed by exercise, and becomes freak by the
5gaut oft. The taste, the judgement, the
memory, the attendon,-all derive force
from the employment we give them; and
are strong in proportion to the frequency
and intensity of that employment. Now,
I'M a young PERSONS progress through an
Interesting tale, not one Of these faculties
is, In general, called usefHiy into play.
The FEELINGS, indeed, and the indignation
are deeply enlisted, and wrought up to the
highes pitch; butthe understanding remains
torpid. The thread of the story-the adj
ventures of the hero or heroinc-and the
closing catastrophe of death or marriage
.eagross all the readers cares; while the
beauties of sentiment, strength and clear
ness Of expression, business of thought, 81
continuity of reasoning the merits of
style and Of plan--are not needed, or not
understood. To follow up this thread,
without attending to the other less obvious
but more improving objects, leaves the
mind wholly uneXercised; and when 1t has
once become accustomed to read hastily,
and without attention, the custom soon
grows into ha5H Running throughmnyI
volumes. without weighing eXcellencies or
faults, it is no wonder the faculties are ha-
buated to slumber, and become utterly en-
tccbIed. The very excitement Of feeling
produced by the interest of the narrative,
renders the mind more incapable of close
application; for TO rouse the passions, is at
once to dispel the power Of attention. Let
this habit of iuattenton to what we read
once become fixed, and it is transferred
from book of amusement to our INSTRUCTIVE
studies-those studies, by which. perhaps,
our livelihood is to be gained. Accustom-
ed, i'm LIGHT readiHg, to turn over two or
three hundred pages IN a day, we march
at the same strides over history, criticism,
and morals-not attending to their sub
stance, to their facts, their reasonings, or
their general scope without reflection or
determination. It's of such desultory
readers, thatDr. Watts says-"They may
read with constancy and diligence, and
vet make no advances in true knowledge
They are delighted with the notions which
they read. as they would be with stories
that are told; but they do not reigt them
10 their minds as In a Just balance, in or
der to determine their truth or falsehood
They make no dissertations uD0R them, or
iufrcnccs from them. Perhaps their eye
ghdes over the pages, which vanish like a
rhapsody of evening tales, or the shadow
of a cloud flying over a green field in a
summers day.''-"Ihus they dream out
their days in a course of reading without
real advantage. As a man may be eating
all dav, and for want of digestion is never
nourished, so these endless readers may
cram themselves in VAN with intellectual
food, without real Improvement of their
minds, for want Of digestiHg it by proper
refeotionsl
FROM THE ''TANKEE.H EDITED BY JOHN