Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-11-05
A CHAPTER ON READING.

There are three kinds OF reading. First, that
which is designed for the discipline of the mind,
like the works of Stewart, Locke, and Edwards
Second that which is designed for information,
as politics, history, travels, and the works on
the arts and sciences Third, those intended for
amsement only, such as stories, novels and the
like. The young man does not need amuse-
ment from reading. He can pick up flowers
enough as he passes along, without planting
garden on purpose to raise them. The first OBJ
ject you need to accomplish, is to discipline the
mind. The second is to store it-or, as the
hunters say, first put the rifle in trim and then
load it carefully On these two points should
the eye be fixed in all your reading. In the Sc
lection of books, remember that you want but
few at first Don't try to see how fast or how
much you can read, but how slowly, and how
thoroughly you can make it your own. The
distinguished Grimke says he was six months in
reading single volume of the size of Stewards
on the Mind, when he began to read to real adj
vantage. The books which you need are those
which have stood the test of time Such as
have been the means of disciplining multitudes
of minds that have gone before you The young
man who has mastered Stewart, Buffers Anal
ogy, and Edwards on the Will, has done great
work. He may safely turn to history and be-
gin to drink at inexhaustible fountains Poetry
such as successive generations have pronounc-
ed to be poetry-wll refine the taste, quicken
the imagination and purify the feelings. But
the world of light reading, like cheap novels
pray you to shun. You can hardly abuse
the mind more than to make it feed upon
such trash. 1t would shortly starve the most
vigorous intellect, benumb the finest sensibili-
ties of the heart, and create morbid appetite
for fiction the most impossible, adventure the
most marvellous, and unnatural deeds the most
foolhardy, and scenes the most revolving to a
noble heart. To attempt to point out the books
which you may not read, by name would be like
the physician who, at the request of the indulg-
ent parents, attempted to prescribe what the
convaescent patient might not eat. The list
was formidable in length, and the physician
thought it very complete. Unfortunately it did
not contain roasted goose, and so that was pro-
cured, eaten, and the patient ruined Better lay
it down as principle that you will not read, at
least for years to come, anything that can waste
your time without adding to the discipline of
the mind, or to your stock of information. Ibe-
lieve single volume read in the manner of
Grimke, even if it takes six months to read it,
would be more valuable than six volumes read
every week in the manner that books are too
often hurried over. You might try to live upon
the floating islands which fill the dish and sit
so gracefully on the top of the ladies' whip, but
if you are expected to strengthen the body or
prepare to taste the ordinary food, you would
be much disappointed. The food on which the
swan feeds, and which makes her so beautiful,
so strong and so long-lived, grows deep at the
bottom of the clear running river, and she works
hard to wrench it up from its moorings among
the stones on the hard bottom. Todd.