Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1857-11-05
Literafure.

tst taste III literature, ana yet 1aISe taste III
art, and it is a phenomenon which puzzles me
! not little but have never known any One
with false taste in books and true taste in pic
lures. 1t is also of the greatest Importance to
you, not only for arts sake, but for all other
kinds Of sake in these days of book lleuge, to
keep ont of the salt swamps of literaturt, and
live Oil a little rocky island OF your own, with
spring aud lake i'll it pure and good. / cali-
not, of course, suggest the choice of your LIBRA
~ to You ; every several mind needs different
books but there are some books which VIC ali
need, and assuredly, if you read Homer, Plato.
EschyluS, H'roditus, Dante, Shakespeare, aid
Si@tae as n'uch as you ought, voa will not
require wide enlargement of sh' Ives to ri ght
ana left OF them Ior purposes ofperpetua! study.
Among modern book AVOID generally Ia;s;t.
zine aud review literature. Some ti;nes it may
contain useful ahridgtmen or a wholesoni,
piece of criticism but the chances are ten to
one 1t will either waste your time or msleaG
you. II you want to understand any subject,
without pains, by reviewers help, nvoiu
especially that class OF literature which has ii
knowing look ; it has the most poison of all
Every good book. or piece OF hook, is full OF
admiration and awe 1t may contain frm
assertions, or stern satire, hut it never snrtr>
codly, nor asserts haughtily, and it always
leads you to reverence or love something with
your whole heart. 1t is not always easy t.
distinguish the satire Of the venomous race OF
books from the satire Of the noble and pure
ones but in general you may notice that the
cod-bloodcd Crustacean and Bactracian books
will sneer at sentiment and the warm-blood-
ed human books at sin Then in general the
more you can restrain your serious reading to
lyric poetry, history, and natural history, avoid
ing fiction, and the drama, the healthier your
m nd will become Of modern poetry keep to
Scott, Wordsworth, Keats, Crabbe, Tennyson
the two Brownings, Lowell, Longtellow, and
Coventry Patmore, whose Angel in the
House" is the most finished piece of writing,
and the sweetest analysis we possess of quiet
modern domestic feeling while Mrs. Brown
inS's Aurora Leigh" is as far as know, the
greatest po.m which the century has produced
III any language.
Cast Coler'dge at once aside, as sickly and
useless aud Shelley as shallow and vericSe
Byroi unt.! Your taste is fully formed, and yoa
ar able to discern the mAguticence in HIM
IRON the wrong. Never read bad or conllnou
poetry or write any yourself.
VI I'll ctvc prose-, rc:td chiefly Bacon, John-
SoA and Hops. Carlyle Is hardly to be ham
cd Us Il uooA Ior bcglnatrS," because his tcac.l-
mgS, though to s,r'c are vitality necessary, to
Others they arc nurttul. Ii you uuu,l stand
him and Ac n1n, read him If he off lids
yon, you arc not ready for him, and PERHAPS
may never be so at all events, give nnn up,
as You wout give up sea-batning, if you tounu
1t nurt yon, till yoH WEE stronger. Oh iiclIo.
read SIR Charles Grandson SCOTS novels,
Mss EiS,w"rths, and If you are Il Young E.tiy,
Madame de Gtnis's the French Mss L, q
worth linking these, met al, your Constant
co'npanoHS. Oi course you must, Or will read
other books for unIu>enlcnt, once or twice but
You Will lind that these have all clement ol
pcrpetuIty i'll thcm, eX sting III ,othry else ..
thvlr I'D ; White their peculiar qul tncss and
iepoSe OF manner w.Ii also be Of the greatc,t
value in teaching you to feel thu saline churac
tiers IN ant Head little 1T a time, trying to
teel interest III little things and reading not 50
much for the Sake of the story as to get &C
qualuted with the pleasant p, olle into whose
company these writers bring you. \ co,uiLou
book Will often give you much amusement, but
t.. only IA noble book which will give you d, al
friends Remember also that It is OF less i'm
portancr to you i'll your carrier years that the
book, YOU read should be clever, than that
they should be right. do not mean. opprts-
,iv,'y or re"ui lively instructive; bnt that the
thoughts they expressed should be just, and
tue feel ngs they excite generous. 1t is not
necessary for You to re!:d the w,ttest or the
most suggestive hooks it IS better, il, general
to hear What is already known, and may bt
simply SAID. Much Of the literature OF the
present SAY, though good 10 be read OF ripe
acc, has IA t5ud''.cy rather to ;gitate than cor
.irt.., and leave its rran to lt!piess or hope
i's> mt gna ton, the worst os>Ii.ie state into
VIII Oh the mind OF youth can b" thrown. 1t
may, Indeed, become necessary Ior yua as you
advance IN life, to set your hand to things
that need to be altered iii the world, or apply
your heart ,i'tly to what must be ptied in it :;
tut for young person, the s;:fst tculper is ohy
OF reverence, and the safest place one OF obscur-
!ty. Certainly at present, and perhaps through
all your lille, your teachers are west when
they make you content with quiet virtue, and
that literature and art are best for you Which
point out, in commoA with Life and familiar
thinSS, the Objects for hopeful labor and hnnl-
Ole loVe--Frcm "Elemeats of Draulng'
He who is proud of his knowledge, has yet
to learn that he knows comparatively nothing
Alright. He has not yet received the first ru-
d'ment of wisdom, that is humility. Let us
for moment reflect, that were the universe of
created intelligences, archanges, angels aud
men, to pour forth and concentrate all their
knowledge in one grand reservoir Of light, it
could no more compare with the knowledge Of
God, than burning taper at midnight, with
the unclouded effulgence of the sun at noon
day.
In times of darkness and adversely, it is we'll to
remember with gratitude to the Divine Being, the
many brig days and prosperous we have en-
josed and patiently watn hope for SUMMER future.