Litchfield enquirer., 1831-03-03

feel too ely that | shall die the victim
The physician then endeavurcd to dis
pei the illusion thus. The patient, then
lying in bed, was asked, in what part Of
the chamber he conceived il to APPEAR
lmmediateI y at the foot of my bed, where
the curtains are left little OPEN was the
reply. The skeleton, to my thinking,
fills the vacant space The doctor then
rose from his chair, and placing himself be-
tween the two halt-drawn curtains of the
foot of the bed, asked if the spectre was
still visible. MOT now, because your per-
son is placed bclwixt him aud me-, but
observe his skull peering above your Shout
der!'
1t is added, that the patient sunk into
deeper and deeper detection, and died in
the same distress OF mind in witch he had
spent the latter month of his life.'
Hints ON Rcoding.-M Many persons read
as II to find the end of the book were their
sole object, without any regard to improve
n'ent. In some this arises, probably from
the vanity OF being thought to have read
extensively. Others read for the purpose
OF mere amusement, or to pass away leis-
ure hour. Nothing can be more mi furious
to the mental faculties than this indolent
manner Of reading. From being accu>tom-
ed TO be the passive recipient q k""wledae,
the mind becomes relaxed and incapable
OF being brought forward at pleasure, or
usetully applied.
The method which Hamilton practiscd,
was to read page, then shut the book and
try how much he could remember. The
practice Of transcribing works ofparticular
value, is emineniIy calculated to fix their
contents III the memory. Demosthencs
transcribed Thucy ddcs' History of Greece
eigh, timcs. A gentleman OF our country,
now distinguished member of Congress
ii is said transcribed Hume's History of
England almost as often. The celebrated
Professor Person, twice copied "a huge
Greek Lexicon, which cost immense labor.
One of the besr methods of proii'ng by
reading, perhaps, is epitomizing. A dis
,lngushed gentleman, now at the head st
our colleges, used to tell his scholars,
whenever you SO thoroughly understand
any author, as to be able to construct an
extended table of contents of bis writings,
you have completely mastered him. And
thor, SO as to comprehend his most import
ant idels, those most worth remembering
within a brief space, requires more Tabor
and greater mental effort of those unpracti-
sed in it, than might be supposed. No exef-
else, however, can be more beneficial, and
little practice will enable any one to per-
form it with remarkable facility. In addi-
ton to the direct advantage accruing from
this practice, in treasuring up knowledge,
another important object is gained. There
are few authors the whole of whose works
it would be useful to read and remember.
To be able to cast the eye over page, and
select with rapidly such passages as are
worthy of being read aud remembered, is
valuable attainment. This talent was
possessed in an extraordinary degree by
Sir Isaac Newton, who would read conl-
mon work almost as rapidly as he could
turn over the leaves, at the same time tina
lie retained the substance of the work b,
our countrywoman Hannah Adams ant
by the late DIR. Payson, whose powers o
rapid and yet prof able reading arc wei
known. No exercise can be better adapt
cd 10 the Improvement Of this talent, thai
writing with care the ahridgcments Of goo'
authors. History and biography are par
ticularIy Gued for this purpose. Senec;
tells uS that he never passed day, with
oul epitomizing "a portion of some Greck o
Latin aulhor.-B0St0n Courier.
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