Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-02-13
MENTAL DYSPEPSIA.

!
This was the title OF recent lecture delivered b,
a Rev. Mr.. WIlli;ts Of Philadelphia, at the Concer
Hall in that civ 1t WAS, doubt, very apt and ap
propriate, where il was uttered II il 30 here, an
We, therefore reproduce it in part. The lecturer de
clared ihnt,if tha meE,. habits of oar people wer
not altered, rlents! dyspepsia wond become as ma
tionai Lsesso rs physical dyspepsia now is. Moder
gormandizing of ali The trash issued from the pres'
remiudedhi of tho Yankee who at public Dime
table, undertook 10 sat through the whole "bill d
fare" The lecturer continued:
suppose i; wern to tell some of our moder
| educated yours ladies that never read volume o
Scott or BuIwer, or Dickens or .hackeray, ana tha
she could not fud one in my library, she would es
TEEN ns u man Of very dry taste, aud think my II
| brary must have a very musiy smell But while
could NJ" show her OF he-o, could show her III
stead, Milton, Shakespeare, Spencer and Ben. John
son-'';he birds sublime" who drew up tier buck
cts dripping with crystal coOlness rom the very Dot
| tom of the ws of English indebted And uiI
| part though il may sayor o. "old tosyism, prett
| these.
The lecturer then went on to say that he did no
intend to advise that the former WORKS should not o.
admi;tad 10 our acquaintance but tnat they shoult
not be cnurrG 10 tue exclusion OF the sterling writer
who had s;oCd the test Of three centuies That th'
| young especially, did not need any OF that KIND o
literature that was written to move the passions, be
with them ;le emotional nature Is always NOR,
! fully developed than the intellectual aud such read
ing only provokss il 10 eXor5iiant action and makes
| a one-sided and morbid development which even
years Of subsequent training cannot wholly correct
The entire devotion Of many readers to the ligh
literature OF the day was also topic Of remark. DE
thous hit the recipe adopted 70 govern their reading
by such peope-the;r recipe for 4 mental drink
would be much like Paddy's plan Of making
punch: First pnt IN the sugar, then the lemon
then Al il up with whi'key, then your wather, bu
mind ye every drop OF wathsr sp'i~S MS punch.' -
We read too fas;--as should Fat 10 live, aud no
live to eatso we should read TO live and not live Il
read. II is not the amount we resd, but the quality
Some seem to think the only way To Intellectual i'm
proveinenti is 10 read great deal They might just
welt say, Eat grea. deal, and you'll be fair Ia
and healthy-down with it! the more the better, and
the faster the quicker. Never mind The quay-ap
! pies or archokes beef steuks or Bologna sausageS
catfish or cncumbers, dnmplings or duuehnus, ee!s
ur rlrphHnts turhos o. ;crrhpina-no matter what u
good for The stomach for II can't select for itself and
| of 80 great variety" Now, any child ought to
know that it is not tho amount OF food we eat, but
the amount that is incorporated into ths system. The
mental law r analogous. We must read slowly and
| thouphtfullv, il We would he enlightened The
| speaker then related u story about tho Rev. Mr.
| Todd. who usually read q book walking his ROOM
His method we'll a. csm remember was TO read tho
title page aud see how much and what he knew about
the author. He then read the preface, to see what
the author had 10 .ay by why of claim to attention.
carefully to SEE Whist the author profsssed 10 accom-
| pIish lie then closed the bouk to see if he could
give connected account of the contents OF that vO
lume aud by pursuing this course through the book
at the end OF six mouths sad The speaker the volume
was hs own, and two such volumes in the year made
him rich III the learning of men. All! that's the
way to read a buok-but a book must be a book to
he read that way. Ii would hardly pay TO read in
this manner the last ATT, citing story Of love and sui
eide by Miss Laura NJ Matldn Diraway; that illumna.
ted that immortal sheet the New York Badger, that
ia brust under at every corner, having been
sent all the way here TO develop the minds and exalt
the intellect of the people Of our benighted inland
village.
A most important aptidote 10 physicadyspepsis is
exerecse Read and learn for, use-and use what
We learn. How much of the enjoyment Of life is de.
rived lron conversational How important to be
nbI. 10 converse ineiiisibly'n bear part in con
r.rsa,ion so well fitted TO enlichen the mind, TO i'm
n-ove the hear! aud ad"ru the character-a fine field
Tor mental training. lii n noble thing to develop
,bi. wonderful mind which God ha. given us, and it
i. worth all the Toll required Mr. Wtts then closed
.on,.whai NJ followe; II !s and ought 10 be motive
enough, 30 know that moulding into sympa-
thy and efficacy great spitad- not only the most
excellent aud Il -niGod portion uf our nature, but Ell
dowing for the FUTURE sources of pure, n.rhaustble
,arj.faction all, all 10 bn the minds treasure and
swelling Joy. Oh who, who Will be content to be a
weak puuy loiterer In The vesibule OF knowledge
.hea .uch chambers Of lish, aud magnifcepce await