Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1848-04-27
SELF-IMPROl EMENT.

r t4tH SAIA cA1vA1 1eO
Speed, the historian, was tailor.
p, apprentice; Coli, the Italian phloso-
pier, was a tailor, working a, his trade,
and delivering lectures to princes -
Haden, surgeon general TO 'he Russian
army, was a tailor; Robert Hill, the
self-,aught Greek and Latin scholar,
was a HeI,fordshire tailor; George
Billiard, a learned Saxon srh.lar and
historian, was tailor; Joseph H.
Buckingham, of the NE. Galaxy, was a
poor boy, and becoming reporter, he
was soon at the head of the corps edi
torial Of Boston. EIihu Burlitt, the
learned polygIot, who knows ffy-six
languages, was Of poor family, and
was apprenticed to blacksmith. He
began the Latin, and could read Virgil
in one winter; he studied Greek al,
the anvil; he then wen, thro' French,
German ant, Italian; all before he was
eighteen. He learned Hebrew with
ease, doing all his reading before break
fast. VT
Mr.. Burrist says: "that by perse-
verlng culture ofthe mind, an eminrnce
nigh, be attained, equal 10 any that
has formerly been won ! that wha,
man has done, man can do again and
He who formed our spirits, placed a.
mong our common faculties. those that
may be polished into an exquisite per
lection, as ever the mind Of man ha.
heretofore shown them TO have been.
"From the earliest stage Of life up
to manhood, the mind Of man was CON
stantly receiving false images and in
huences. He was ,arght to believe
THAI there were some, who were born
with faculties which were denied 10
others, and he who possessed these ia
cuiles more than another, was said TO
possess native genius. II man out
stripped his fellows, and reached the
eminence which was the sure reward
Of his exertion. the world ascribed !, 10
his native genius, unmindful of the ST.
syphus-iike labor Of each step, which
led him toward the accomplishment of
his purpose.
''The idea that native genius was
confined 10 the few, has deferred many
from tasting the fruit of the tree OF
knowledge. Nothing was TO be gain
ed without effort, and if the resolution
could be formed, and maintained with
sturdy energy. to press forward regard.
less of the influences which the world
spread around him on every side, he
might attain to highest eminence!!"
DR.. Oln,hus Gregory says: "Wih
few exceptions, SO few indeed, that
they need scarcely be taken into a
practical estimate, any person may
learn any thing upon which be sets his
heart. To insure success, he has sim.
ply SO TO discipline his mind as ,c
check its vagrancies, to cure it of It's
constant proneness to be dong two OIL
more things at time, and to direct its
combined energies. simultaneously, &c
single object, and thus 10 do one
! thing at once. This consider as one
of the most difficult, but one of the
most useful lessons a young man can
learn"
Dr.. Claiming says: eft is asked,
how can the laboring man find time
for self-cul,ure? Ianswer, that an ear.
nest purpose finds time, or makes time
seize upon spare moments, and turn
fragments into golden account. A
man who follows his calling with in
dustry and spirit, uses his earnings &c.
onomically, will always have some por-
:,on Of the day a, command. And il
is astonishing how fruitful of improve
{ ment a short season becomes, when
eagerly seized and faithfully used. Il
has often been observed, that those
having,he most time at their disposal
profit by it the least. A single hour in
the day, steadily given to the study o.
some interesting subject, brings unex
pected accumula,ions acknowledge"