St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-01-12
Sllistellanp.
vJTTER EVENINGS.

Winter evenings present to youth
favorable time for improving their
minds by devotion to study. They
are too ant to spend their evening
hours in idle conversation or dissoiute
nursuits. which are weakening to
their virtuous principles, and destruct-
i've to their moral energies. The mind
Of man, like his body, requires regu-
lar food. and it must be supplied with
that which is good and wholesome, or
il will become diseased and disquall-
fed fer usefulness. Youth is the
spring time Of life, i'll which it IS as
essential To SOW the seed Of mental
Improvement, as it is for the husband
man to sow on plant il he would reap
Il rich harvest.
Time often hangs heavily on the
hands of the young, and many of them
have but few books which are sutti-
cicntly attractive to prevent their
lcavinn home, to spend their evenings
with others similarly situated, and
perhaps more loose i'll their habits.
Thus their time is spent unprotitably,
and they but too often contract those
evil habits, and indulge in those pro-
pensitics which ever prove q barrier
to I,rh and honorable attachments.
The iniul becomes Initiated, and evil
prinriplcs become so firmly fixed, that
Notwithstanding their judgments may
condemn, they have no tortltude to
eradicate them.
If the young would render them
selves respectable and useful in after
life. they must apply themselves will
assianity to those Studies which vii
qualify Them to fill honorable stations
in society There is no one from th'
pgc of twelve to twenty-five, howev
or ardu2us his daily toll, who canno
find time to store his mind with 'muct
useful knowledge. Many Of the most
Respectable, Intelligent and influential
members Of society, Of both sexes,
have struggled with the scverest prI-
vatioms in youth, aud per8evered under
the most dscDnraGiDg circumstances
in their pursuit Of knowledge, and
now they are honorcd and respected
for their learning, and many of then
are beloved for their philanthropy anI
buncvnleuec.
Their example should encourage
all, whatever tleir privations may be
80 use the utmost diligence i'll the al
tainngent of learning. Those youn:
people who spend their evenings ii
studying algebra, geometry, astrono
my, or any other useful branch o
learning. OF devote them to reading
the history Of their country, OF ma
tons. or Of individuals, or in CAREFUL!
pcrusjng any other useful work, viii
rise in the morning more refreshed b,
their nights rest, and much better sa'
isfied with themselves, than If the
had spcat their hours i'll vanity an
dissipation, in social parties or no'
tnrn,l revcls. They will have no vi
hraiding conscicnces to disturb tn
TRANQUILITY Of their bosoms, but al
proving monitors within will applau
their laudablc efforts.
Study and labor are ever essentia
to success, and if the young wish I
succccd in any Of the various pursuit
Of life, if they desire TO be useful
themselves or others, or if they woul
be respected and esteemed i'll aft'
life, aud lave the appreciation of the
own minds, they must not spend the
evenings or other leisure hours
idleness or frivolous amuscments, br
devote them to study, and to the car
FIJI and thoughtful reading of usef'
books.