Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-01-23
fhen take thy long re pose
beneath the shelter of the deep green SD;
m, Death bnta brighter halo O er thee throws
my iame, lhysoui alike have spurned the clod. :
Rest with thy God.

rhy lame, thysoui alike have spurned the clod.
Rest with thy God.
But to the letter
TO II. W. MILLER.
baltimore, December 20, 1888.
MY DEAR Sir:
| Your letter, dated "University OF Chan
, ell Hill, December 12," was rec eiyed YES
tefday morning, and although it find
me extremely busy in preparing for tn
, Supreme Court Of the United States,
am so pleased with its spirit, that / ca n
not reconcile myself TO let it pass unan
swercd. If were ever 80 well qualified
to advise you. to which do not pretend
but little good could be doneby singl,
letter, and | have not time for more
knowing nothing of the pcculiarities O
, your mental character, can give no ad
vice adapted to your peculiar case.
am persuaded that education may be SC
directed by sagacious and skillful teach
er, as to prune and repress those facul.
Ties OF the pupil which are too prone ,c
lnxuriance, and TO train and invisorare
those which are disproponionately veal.
or slow SO as 10 create just balance
among The powers, and enable the mind
to act with highest elTec, of which il is
capable. But II requires previous &C /.
quainlance with the student, to ascertain
the natural condition of his various
powers, in order TO know which require
the spur, and which the rein. In some
minds, imagination overpowers and
smotSers all the intellectual faculties {;
in others, reason, like the sturdy oak, !,
throws all the rest into a sickly shade.
Some men have morbid passion for
the study Of poetry - others, of math.
ematics, &c. All tits may be corrected
by discipline as far as il may be judicious
to correct it. But the physician mus,
understand the disease, and become &C.
quanted with all the idiosyncracies OF
the patient, before he can prescribe. |
have no advantage of this kind with re.
gard to you. and 10 prescribe by conjec.
lure, would require me 10 conjecture ev.
cry possible case tha, may be yours, and
to prescribe for each would call for
pondcrous volume, instead oil letter.
| believe that in all sound minds, the
germ Of all the faculties exist, and may,
by skillul management, be wooed into
expansion-but they exist, naturally, in
different degrees Of health and strength;
and this matter is generally left TO the
impulses Of nature in each individual,
so that the healthiost and strongest germs
&c, the start-give impulse and direc.
tion TO the efforts Of each mind-stamp
It's character and shape its destiny. As
education, therefore, now stands among
us, each must be his own preceptor in
this respect, and by turning his eyes up.
on himself, and dccrying the compare.
tive action Of his own powers, discover
which of them requires more tone,-
which, if any, less. We must take care,
however, not to commit the error O ma.
king an erroneous estimate Of the facul.
ties, and thus commit the sad mistake
of cultivatns the showy at tie expense
of the solid. With these preliminary
remarks, by way of. explaining why |
cannot be more particular with regard
oyour case, permit me, instead Of chalk.
ing out course Of study, by furnishing
you with lists of books, and the order in
which they should be read-and no lis,
of books and course of study would be
equally proper for all minds = to close
this letter with few general remarks.
If your spirit be as stout and pure as
your letter indicates, you will need little
advice beyond that which you will find
in the walls Of your university. A brave
and pure spirir is "more than half the
battle not only in preparing for life, bu,
in all conflicts. Take ii for granted
that there is no excellence vUhout great
labor. No mere aspirations for eminence
however ardent, will do the business
Wishing, and sighins and imagining and
dreaming OF greatness, will never make
you great. IL you would get TO the noun !.
tain's top On which the temple of fame
stands, !, will not do to stand still, look.
ing, admiring, and wishing you were
there. You must grid up your loins,
with all the indomitable energy of Han
nibal scaling the Alps. Laborious study
and diligent observation Of the world,
are both Indispensable to the attainment
Of cminence. By the former, you must
make yourself master Of all that is
known Of science and letters by the
latter, you must know man, q; large,
and particularly the character and geni.
US of your countrymen. You must cul.
tivate assiduously the habits Of reading
thinking, and Observing. Understand
your own language critically, grammat.
ically, lhoroushly-learn its. origin, OF
rather, its various origins. which you
may learn from Johnson's and Webster's
prefoces TO their large Dictionaries
Learn all that is delicate and beautiful
as we'll as strong, in tho language and
master all its stores of opulence. You
will find rich mine Of instructions in
the splendid Language Of Burke. His die
ton is frequently magnificent /; some
times TOO gorgeous, think, for chastt
and correct taste but he will show you
; all the wealth Of your language. You
must, by ardent study, acquire mastery
Of the language, and be able both Il
speak and write it promptly, easily, OIL
eganlly, and with that variety Of style
which different subjects, different hearer,