The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-03-20
A Sermon on i. !

y,
on the obligations of International law and the
J duties to each otherof government and people
but they are seldom themselves the subject o
a sermon. We have to record an instance o
!. this nature in discourse br the Rev. Brooke
Herford, of Manchester England. It's short
f and would merit a transfer entire to our columns
!. but as this cannot be, we shall make, for the
benefit of our readers, an abstract OF some
things said by the reverend gentleman. They
exhibit a pleasant contrast to the rawlings Of
Dean Afford on newspapers.
81 cannot &C." Mr. Heriorl begins
with the celebrated saying of Richard Golden
that there is more to be learned from sheet
of the Times than from all the histories oil
Thucydides. Yet for all that | hold their
readng-their earnest and intelligent reading,
mark you-as one OF the essentials of life.
Newspapers deal primarily with the realms of
humanity, and they tell US what is going On in
that realm at the present time. IS not this the
primary requisite for a wcl-instructed life
Surely it concerns us more closely to know
about the world of man than to know about
the world Of matter-to learn what is doing
in human history now than what has been done
! in former times OF course there must be a
great deal of triviaIitv mixed up with the story
Of human life of TO day. This is simply
inevitable.
"Time sits out the petty details and leaves
| the larger features more conspicuous; yet he is
not wise man who is impatient Of all these
| details, and sneers at newspapers because of
| them. It does not seem to me to be true
and healthy culture which draws all a mans
thoughts to abstract science and reconcile
learning, and leaves him ignorant Of the great
conflicts passing in the world around him, and
impatient of the things which concern the
practical welfare Of the society in which he
lives. The worst of it is, that this contempt
for newspapers is too often only a symptom of
a deeper detecL-a careessness Of the world
and of man. | do not think this need be so.
There is nothing necessarily incompatible be-
tween deep study in one special direction and
warm interest in what is going on in the liv-
ing world. From this. as thecentre, stretch
out your thought and interest and learning as
far as you like, back to the childhood of our
race, back into old geological periods if you
will, or away to the tinest star that the tele
scope reveals, just glistening on the farthest
verge Of space. But first, and underlying all,
are man and the world around you and-he
newspaper.
"And let me especially urge the reading Of
a Newspaper AS distinct means of self-culture
upon women. It may sound strange at first,
but think it almost more importantto women
than to men, and for this reason: Men, 60
ing out into the world from day to day, are
pretty sure to be swept up to the level of what
is passing in it whether they read the paper or
not but it is not so with women. They, in
their quiet household life, may 60 on for weeks,
hardly hearing word Of what is passing in
the great world outside, and the little that they
dohear conveying no living meaning to them |
| think this is a great evil 1t not only mar
rows the range Of woman's~ life, but she loses
great deal Of the happiness which would
come of intellectual companionshp and COM
munity Of interest with men-with a father, |
brother, Or husband, Is it not often the case
that the wife and husband live, to some ex-
tent, in different worlds Of thought and inter-
est? Part of this may be attributed to mans |
ncommunlcaiveness, but part Of the cause
lies deeper II is because women are SO sell |
dom educated to take an interest in what is |
going On in the world around them, and so
are unable without tedious explanations to en-
ter into the news which each week brings from
every quarter Of the globe. I woull advise
women not to depend On the explanations and
comments OF men, generally given, when at
ALL In brief phrases but to read the news
papers as a distinct, and to them especially, |
an important part Of selfculture. And read
it Alright; not by voting politics and foreign
news bore, but by keeping an open mind for
the passing history of nations and the great
interests which are stirring the heart OF the
world. -~-
-" There are, on The other hand, things in
the world, and they are related in newspapers,
which are not calculated to enlarge the mind.
but minister, instead, to gossipping, morbid
curiosity, and sometimes indeed to arouse de-
PRAYED feelings. But newspapers reflect alike
the worlds light and shade. TO the pure all
things are pure, while the impure will find
things which will ma Ike them more
impure. There are some who go through the
world like vutures, looking out for garbage
and corruption; they will fnd it in newspa-
pcrs, as they will find it everywhere"
Here we would interrupt for moment the
thread Of the reverend gentlemans discourse
by the remark that not IL few of the newspa-
pers Of the present day are distinguished for
heir high standard of ethical prophecies, and
sudious avoidance of whatever would bring
1 blush to the cheek of modesty.
Willie speaking of the value Of newspapers {
IS agentsi in Christian civilization, the preacher
5 careful not to omit to mention their uses as
popular educators, teaching a homely, prac,i-
a wisdom to whole classes, who, but for them, i
would be at the mercy of every clever dema- E
rogue or every gust of popular suffering or :
passion. Best. perhaps, OF all the uses of :
newspapers in the general culture of society is O
hat in which they keep alive and encourage
uick and wholesome sympathy among men. :
It's not the small gossip OF a neghborhood, .
is the Joys and SORROWS of the world, that
re brought to our very doors from day to-day
I the newspapers. These thrills of sympathy
ONE right athwart our daily life-an element
f deeper and diviner feeling, for which God
e thanked. Mr. HEREFORD concludes his dis NJ
curse by recommendation to read newspa-
ers Discriminatory, choosing their wisest les {
ons, gathering their largest use, and after a
shion they will come to be regarded as
scripture, not without something sacred in G.
lem, an ever-changing bible, not, indeed, of
'me calm, venerable past, but of present
which God is as near as he was in the DAYS r