Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-11-10

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is incorrect, remember it is q new one, and ii is
hard to learn old dogs new tricRs) having heard
tina; novelreAding was the bese,ting stu VI modern
young ladies; und | was beginning to compose,
mentally, q homily against this vice, to be deliv-
cred some morning at the breakfast table, Auto
craft fashion. | was going to divulgo my lifelong
experience; reveal the great number Of young To-
dies | had known, in my day. who had imbibed
extravagant and pernicious views Of life through
the perusol Of fciions; how very many had shat
tered their minds, and a still greater number sown
the seeds Of consumption, and reaped premature
death, by sitting up till midnight in cold rooms,
wandering through the phantastio mazes Of the
exciting story, with icy feet aud t~hrobbing temples,
At this knot in the string Of my discourse, l
would turn searchingly, halEknowingly, on the
fair face Of my graDd-child, and make the appli-
cation by a glance. without a single inuuendo.
! had already got through the 'seyenthly' Of my
imaginary discourse, and was vigorously occupied
on the application, ON night, before sleep had
paid his accustomed visits to my old lids, when l
thought l could distinguish sounds as a pencil
passing, with its quick, jerking motions over a
slate, making figures. I l~istened-there! she
made a dash Strange novel reading that-novel
reading on a slate. A pen scratching over the pa
per! | was convinced; Lizzie was studying, not
reading novels; and discarded my application
forthwith, as inapplceble.
now began to look upon my granddaughter
from a very different standpoint. began to re.
gard her with tha. species of tender reverence
which age experiences towards the buds Of genius,
whose unfolding beauties he may not behold, and
whose ripe and lucious fruits he may never hope
to taste. Her words became significant, her
thoughts profundities. Ia her dull eyes (always
dull in the morning, after her protracted noctur-
nal application l fancied l could see the smolder-
ing fires of scintilating genius. l began to map
out a glorious career for my dear relative; and
almost wished that I might live my long life over
again, just to write her biography.
Still, my admiration for my fair grand.child
was not unmingled with apprehension. What
would be the consequences of her midnight brain
laborsH Doubtless, her brain was u vigorous one;
but ID il not a fact that even an iron bar may be
bent? Nay, would hard study, during the hours
which nature has allotted fer repose, be much less
deleterious than soft novel-readingH True, the
results could not be identical, but, 80 far as under
mining the constitution, and injuring the delicate
cerebral structure is concerned, would they be
any less disastrous ? And, oh what irreparable
loss to herself, to her friends, and to the world
would it be if her intellect should be blasted, or
its light even 80 much as dimmed Such corsid-
erations occupied my mind, and I began to think
that my friendly interference was as much needed
as if her midnight hours had actually been given
to novel reading. But it was plain that there was
no preaching needed. All that was necessary, was
a scientific essay on the physiological evils of nigh,
~study-that was all. Accordingly, l actually be-
y gan ;his labor o. love; but before it was com pie
ted, events precipitated my design, and revealed
facts which, to me, seem of very grave import.
Three weeks ago, last Tuesday morning. Lizzie
rose unusually late, having studied till past one,
the night previous. Her eyes were more swollen
than usual, and she was hoarse. The night had
been chilly, and checked circulation had induced
a cold.
why, childr I exclaimed, you have caught q
bad cold Well, it is not to be wondered at; for
the night was damp aud cool, and the clock struck
one before you retired. You love learning a little
Q too we'll, Lizzie. You will fnd tina, hours GU
from sleep are cut from life-especially intellect
q ual liie.'
y Why, grandpa p did my retiring disturb you
!" last ulBut IL rleu 10 Ue 80 sui
= Bless you, my child! I have lain awake, nigh
attOr night, listening to the squeaking of you
slute-pencil and the scratching of your pen, for
fortnight or more, thinking all the time, as | hav,
seen you rise, dull and sleepy, in the morning
that | must warn you against loving knowledg
mot wisely, but too WE'LL But now you see Ia
effect. Last night, 1 guaranty, you went to be-
= with feet as cold as ice.'
= 4 thought they were-pretty near
~ And head hot as an oven-almost hot encugl
to bake the brain p
. You speak as if you knew how my burninI
y temples throbbed and sched.'
4 DO know. All that is necessary to know that
IN is, to understand the alphabe: of physiology-th
~ laws of the circulation. Now, suppose you cor
tnue your course, catching cold after cold, no,
= long do you suppose it will be before you will b
,d down with a fever ? and how much longer befor
n you will settle down into pulmonary consumption
under the same treatment? l think. my chile
you had better abandon your night study. I'll
day is long enough
She seemed so feel the force of my remarks; bu
bo she looked down, and with half-dogged expression
said
i'd Il can't help it, grandpa. III don't study nights
ha | can't keep up with my class
Glass = I exclaimed, in astOnishment, new ligh
m bursting confusedly on my mental vision.
al thought you studied from pure love Of it. You d
, not mean to say that you arc compelled to stud
10 nights in order to keep up with your class at tn
10 public schoolr
Certainly; nearly the entire class have to d
\ the same-all but the very aptest scholars. A
:. have to get the greater part Of their lessons out @
school-hours; for Rotations take up nearly all c
that time
you astonish mel How many Rotations d
- you have in q dSyT
Or an average, about fve-sometimes more
But Why do you not drop some of your studies
! and proceed with what you can attend tor