Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1867-07-17
WHAT TO READ, AND HOW TO
1#a $50 READ. #
BY MISS SEDWICK.

What is a book, my young friends Is
it not cabinet which contains the most
interesting creation Of Goa, the mind of
human being, a portion of the Divine
mind ? From this mind you may have
been separated by intervening ages. oceans
may have divided you But here it has
come to your home, to dwell with you, to
impart to you its best thoughts, to com-
municate to you its observations and ex-
perience: and to share with you the treas
ures Of knowledge acquired by days and
nights, and years Of iaborious study
Time was, when books could only be
obtained at great pains and expense,
when they were the rarest luxuries now,
they may abound in the humblest of your
homes. The historian recounts to you
the history of past ages, and makes you
acquainted with all the nations of the
world. The traveller opens to you the
farthest East, guides you through the
heart Of Africa, and familiarizes you with
the manners, sciences, and arts Of the
polished nations of Europe Tha biogra-
pher tells you the story Of the great and
good. The man OF science makes you
acquainted with the stars, and dIscloses
to you the secret treasures hidden ia the
bosom of tie earth Ihe poet throws a
veil of enchantment over the realities of
life, and The writer Of fiction stlrs up your
heart through the medium of you. imag-
nation One book does more than all
these 1t tells you Of Il i'm who was be-
fore the world was made-it instructs you
in your duty and destiny. Do not such
friends deserve respect, honor, and all
observance
Think of your favorite author, whoever
he may be. You would have esteemed
it an honor, and lnexpressible pleasure,
to have been IN his society for half an
hour Y GU would have listened for every
word that dropped from his lips, and
have rememb bered and repeated it,. And
here, il his book, tie Treasures ct his
mind are given to y u; you have not
merely limpse Of them - they abide
with you They wait your leisure and
convenience. If you are, by any mistor
tune, cut off from occupation and society,
there they are, 10 instruct and cheer you
Books are the best property of the iich;
think what they are to the poor who
really Tore them
1t was but yesterday that [ was at the
humble home OF a revolutionary soldier
a pensloner | found his wife reading
Her eight children are dispersed south
and west, aud the old pair are left alone.
They live far away from the village, and
hard y put their heads out of doors from
/ November till Mar Oh | involuntarily ex-
pressed my sympathy in their solitary
condition. Oh replied the old lady
cheerily, Il have company-boohs, the
best OF company!'
A love for reading is with me the
keen appetite OF superior mind 1t
would be felt under any circumstances
whatever. But these are the tew-the
gifted. With most p, rsons, the taste for
1 reading must be cultivated. | believe
there is no habit easier to form-inteli-
gent children, who live in reading fami
lies, with very few exceptions, are fond
of reading as soon as they can read with
/ facility.
But, if you have been so unfortunate
as not to acquire this habit OF reading
early form it aow for yourself.
Ii would be too painful for me to be-
lieve that there is one among you, to
I hom it is Necessary to say, Regard the
Bioie as the frs and best of books" But
fear, my young friends, that you read
the Bible much less than you should
The multitude. Of religious. books and
| tracts nave. in some measure, superseded