The Nevada Democrat., 1858-06-09

THE USE OF BooKs.-How many persons there
are who continually say to themseves-"If
had time, should read.O There never was
greater mistake than this, There are few, who
have not ample time to accomplish themselves
in almost any study, provided there is a deter
mination to do SO, and every opportunity is i'm
proved. There is innumerable examples of the
truth of this assertion. The history Of the men
who have raised themselves TO eminence and
fame in spite Of the most dsheartning and op.
posing influences should encourage every one
who, with the desire to learn, fears that no op-
portunity is afforded him. The best opp0rtuni-
ties are always those which are made to COM
pei fortune is better than to wait for her smiles,
which may never come. The present age is en-
phatcally O reading age. The increasing issue
of new works, the reprnting of old authors. and
the tendency of the public mind TO educational
movements, one of the most marked features Of
which in our own country is the founding of
public libraries and above all, the almost un-
limited demand for books show that great and
pervading sentiment is abroad. That what has
been heretofore confined to the so-called educa-
Ted classes is now equally prevalent among that
Of more scanty learning. Not that the same vol
umss are equally sought by ALL Each person
has favorte authors or subjects, but the con-
slant tendency OF all this intercourse with books
is to cultivate the taste and expand the intellect
till what once satisfied no longer affords any
qualification; and the process goes on by degrees
till nothing but the pure, strong, terse language
Of the best writers will content.
This is according to the natural law of our
minds. The mind improves as much by exer-
else Of its powers as does the body; and as when
sports which once tasked the muscles to the ut
most becomes casey Of accomplishment, we turn
to those which require more effort, SO does ia
miiarity with one style create desire for some
thing higher and better. We hear much about
the right way to read to acquire taste for read
ing, and many and eloquent lectures have been
written upon this point. But unless our time is
limited and we must needs select that which will
with the least trouble bring us to the desired re-
suit, the true way to become our own guides in
the matter ofreading is, to read every thing that
Genes along. If this course is pursued, Just as
surely, to use the simile often adopted by a much
respected teacher, as one who is accustomed TO
examine day by day the quality of any article of
merchandise, in the end becomes an expert, will
the constant reader acquire knowledge Of
what is good and what is false in style, and his
own taste will have acquired discriminating
power that nothing can destroy.
In another view reading is important and
beneficial to the individual, net so much from
the amount Of it as from tho attention given to
what is read. There is an old saying that "read-
ing makes full man, writing ~ correct man,
tnthhiu8 U AatshJ uhu IdihtHB u Tehuy mhn."
This is apparently self-evident, and to ensure
the full effect, they should all be combined. 1t
is very much with reading as it is with eating.
If we eat slowly and thoroughly masticate our
foed, we get the full effect of the flavor and it
10 most likely to do us good If, on the other
hand, we swollow it in hasty man nsr, unmas-
tieated, and almost untasted, we shall probably
not only have but little idea of what our meal
was composed of, but it will be found that we
have eaten % little purpose. So in reading, if
we hastily glance at the conteuts Of a book or
article, taking the whole at single effort, it is
not likely that such reading will ever be avail
able to US for use or profit There are some
bseks that are only to be treated as we do
fewer in which slight trace of honey exists !;
that extracted, the rest is good for nothing.
Others require deep and thoughtful attention,
every sentence study, and almost every word
having an important meaning L. is true, there
Is much trash as the phrase goes written and
printed but II is, like the froth and foam that
IL inseparable from the mighty waterfall, the
evidence rather of the power and momentum Of
the current.-Boston Transcript.