The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-09-04
Literary culture.

In spite of the sacredly recorded fact
that of "mRking many books there is
no end,n I think the dearth of book
Knowledge among the young folks of
our generation sonnet ething1 at which to
marvel. And by that, I do not mean
what ls taught from, or studied in
books, but what may be learned of
books. Many a young girl, for exam
|ple, of more than ordinary natural in.
telligence and aptitude for literary cul-
tpre, after few struggling aspirations
4oE ff1ililirg ful1-i5.f0t+ Is sfrr d
Something better than she. has known" =
in this line of mental development, her
school days once over, is carried out
upon the great ocean of fcommonplacesi
Society loses an orn8ment, and the
coming generation q mother capable of
forming young minds SO that their
vague 1ongings shall meet fairer fulfil
ment even than her own has had.
In the false American view OF society.
yopng people 'are forced into the social
saloon long. before they are fitted by
character or culture to bear creditabie
part theFein1 What can be more fade
and insipid than the twaddle of a gath
ering Of young folks nowadays. They
doinpt talk; they babble; they gossip;
discussing trivial matters in a manner
even below the topic. Dress, style,
beauty, sentiment, all regarded in the
same confined, cramped circle, an elm
finite deal of nothihgn uttered, which
leaves upon asensibla mind an impress
sion Of having lost something in every
repetition of these unmeaning meet
dngs. uf " ifH G,aaa
~ . Tor truly IL one brings nothing away
one must have parted with what one
took with him. This loss of time is
sad thing to consider, when we recall
how fieeting is the blessed season of.
enthusiastic youth wherein every grow
fnng OaTla htIffu nf fiFnfYI aud hanFf + FYrf.
stretching its tendrils for some object of
thought, affection and interest. The
power of admiration is one of which
any mind above idiocy is capable; fill it
with objects of mental tribute; let it
grasp the thoughts, fancies and senti-
ments of noble minds, and as the body
assimilates in a degree to the food shat
noufishes It, so will the mind expand
and take its form and hue from the
books which form itsifeasts.
Holmes says that Society is q strong
solution of books" he means that
name. The poverty of language and
lack of adequate power of expression
80 Iamentably apparent among those
even who are oninated t'edncatedn
people may be safely attributed to this
dearth OF literary knowledge. Ednca-
ton In this connection may be said to
pc indeed eductng what is already lat
ent1n the mind, merely awakening the
powers that are within. But after the
waking the same needs food, the brain
requires culture, and this must come
partly IL not wholly from without; II
Is something added Incorporated, made
our own, and II IL meets d aspark of
true originality within it blSzes up in a
spoptaneous volcano, which we call
gentns5 andslo q prodigy ora poet is.
born. q Birds do not sing. unless sthey
have hardened TO other birds piping
their perfected melodies, and yet
we do not term the songsters
either copyists lor moolEinR birds.
10 our own sex, who of necessity
pass SO much of their time in seclusion,
not to know books, and those Of the
,bes tsorts; Is to deprive them of much
consolation, companionshipS and de-
ilightsi A man, in his ceaseless contact
with the world, with its business cares
and political Interests, may, pass
through existence viewing libraries as
supeEhuity, worthless except to men
Of recognised letters; but q woman, nm.
less she would narrow her sphere to a
soul ul-wearying 'round of littleness,
needs books. Within, their family fra-
grant bindings she may now and then
creep 1ns as to a peaceful refuge, and
shut out tttheuWofldy her cures, and
most desirable of all-herselfl 4 tl5l,7
TO parents Is the unfolding of this
precious avenue of knoweledge most
entfusteds teachers can do little, for
school learning, however elaborate, is
merely aa the first toddling steps on
the road to literary culture; girls
should be taught 70 regard the end Of
school routine, not as the period when
the parlor shall be their realm, the the
atte on which to exhibit at once their
youthful beauty and their crude and
caaracterless chat, but as aValtied va
eatton, when their minds shall BAN
quet on the ambrosiali fruit Of the tree
Of knowledge, or sip the sweet nectar
ofthe singing bards from the as yet
sealed fountains existing In the many
leaYed forest of books.
..dCoPPRRHEAD-JoHNsoE SwINDLR.-
Ihe1aet is being developed that the
Eonnar-I Inhnaon.L party vim rnEnIanfad