The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-05-16
4 /; From Tho New x York Morning starr:
\ .FIY.E PAGES E1A DAY IS


YE PA GEs A DAY.
70 all sehonsit mag concern. Bs-
ware of undertaking too much: There
cannot be greater fauItin the business
Of life. knowledge is acquired d-wealth
gained-Gf that knowledge is worth
having, or that wealth, to be reckoned
upon with safety by little and little.
High prizes never made man rich.
Vast and sudden acquisitions by the
memory, never made a man wise. Be
patient, hopeful, preserving. Be salts
fed with very little at first. Be not
discouraged, even though, for long years
you may not be sensible of great pro
gressiin your pursuit. Be faithful to
yourself, and your reward is certain.
Five pages o day read carefully, and
thought over, will do more toward
strengthening the upper faculties of MAN
than three hundred pages day, read
Us three hundred pages must be read,
though ono were to do nothing else.
at the end of five years, he who has
read FIVE octave pages day, regularly,
every day, and neither more nor less,
under any temptation, has read 9125
pages equal to thirty volumes octave
of 800 pages each.
Now, thirty volumes octave, of we'll
chosen, well-understood, and well-dises-
ted science, would be worth moro than
collegiate education, to ninety.nine
persons out of hundred.
Is there any manor any boy-so
busy, that he cannot find time to read
i've octave pages day?-one volume
OF 800 pages in two months? or six VOL
umes in year?
Many are they, among women and
girls, and men, moro foolish than
either, who average volume day,
year after year of what is called
miscellaneous reading novels, newspa-
pers and magazines. And what is their
reward? at the end Of long life,
what are they good for? What do they
know? What are they able to commu-
nicate to others?-to their companions
for life?-to their children?-to their
fellow-men? What do they leave be-
hind them to be remembered by?
Suppose they had been satisfied with
reading five pages day-and only
i've pages day-suppose the average
reading life to be fifty ycars--and that
all began to read with advantage at
FIVE. Instead of thousands or tens of
thousands of books hurried through,
and forgotten; leaving no more impress
sion upon the understanding, than the
drifting clouds leave upon the summer
sca-in no way exercising, clearing
up, or strengthening the Judgement
they would have read, or studied,
thought over aud remembered, but SO
as to be always ready their knowledge
to the every day concerns of human
life, only two hundred and seven.thrce
volumes, octave.
But ifthese two hundred and seven
ty-thrce volumes were properly chosen,
and we'll adapted in every case to tho
chronological character of the indiyid.
ual--he would be master of more facts;
he would be familiarwith moro science;
he would be richer in the knowledge
that is gained by books, than perhaps
any other living man of equal capacity.
In other words, he would know more.
And yet, he would meet with persons
every day, who had managed to read
in the course Of their fifty years, ten or
twelve thousand volumes--of nobody
knows what.
Suppose young man aboutlearning
trade. Hcis already acquainted with
reading, writing and arithmetic. He
has had common.school education, and
nothing more. He has been brought
up to believe that learning is a sort of
luxury--only to be had in colleges; that
The learned professors, as they arc cal
led, are the anointed rulers of the mul-
titude. At any rate, he sees that such
is the fact, understand it as he may.
1t never enters his head, poor fellow!
that he can educate himself without the
help or mortal man-without his Hving
he, that is. Ho wants to take high
p..~e among the sons of God--but feels
discouraged and ashamed. lie is poor
and his bread must be earned by a
life of hardship, drudgery and self.deni-
al; and~it never for moment passes
through his mind that Books are
IEAcHERs-that he wants no other,
help than he may find in any one Of
thousand libraries, open to all the world.