The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-26
SELF-CULTURE.

kbPEClAb REPORT FOR THE EVENING TELhehAPH'l
Last evening the regular monthly meeting
of the Young Mems Christian Association was
held at their rooms, on Chestnut street, above
Twelfth. The President, Mr.. p. b. SimOns,
occupied the chair. After the reading of the
minutes was concluded, the Rev. John Moore
read an essay on "selfCulture." On being
introduced, Mr.. Moore spoke as follows
There is an important sense in which every
educated man may be said 70 be self-educated.
He may have been surrounded with all possl-
BILE facilities for cultivattng his mind and ac-
auiring knowledge, but the work never would
have been done, had he not applied his own
mind to laboriOus study. The mere possession
of advantages will never educate a man with
out labor on hisown part, There are those who
have been sent to the best institutions Of learn
ing, where they were surrounded with libraries
and the ablesL instructors, and at the same
time they are far from being educated in the
true sense for the good reason that after others
did all they could TO educate them, they made
no special effort to improve themselves. They
are ciphers in the world, and always will be.
1t is related of Groteste an old Bishop of Lin
coin, possessing great influence in his day, that
he was once asked by his stupid ana ldle
brother TO make e. great IN man an, Oh MN:
broken Ill pay for the mending of it, or, II
your OK should die, I'll buy you another; but
cannot make a great man of you; plOughman
1 found you, and l fear ploughman must
leave you"
We sometimes speak of persons having COM
pleted their education, Suppose they have
enjoyed all the advantages tnat could be
afforded, and tney took great pains to improve
their minds if they would be or do much in the
world. They must carry on the work of self
culture, without being favored with the usual
privileges which surround those who are going
through what is popularity called a course OF
education. What is commonly called educa-
tion is in fact only the beginning or founda-
tion of the work which should be carried for
ward in after life. The celebrated DR.. Rush,
of this city, having once heard q physician
allude to the fact of having completed his edu-
cation at a certain time, very aptly remarked
quite advanced in life, and expected to con-
tinue it till his death. Some who gave the
highest promise in the early part of life,
and made rapid Improvement in their
school studies, but neglected after leaving
school or college to cultivate their minds
they should amounted to very little; while
Others less promising, and making less pro
gress at first, became eminent, and made their
mark in the world, because they continued to
apply their minds to study and to improve
constantly. The enjoyment of early advan-
tages for mental culture should, of course, be
highly priced but whoever would be perrna-
nentIy benefited by them must carry on a
course of self.culture after he has entered upon
the active duties of life.
There is a large class of persons who have not
been favored with superior, and. in many cases
ordinary, advantages of education. They see
and feel their defects, and have some desire to
repair them. They never expect to be able to
attend any institution of learning; their time
is very much occupied in mechanical, CONNER
cial, or other kinds of business, which require
great deal OF their time and energy. But the
case of such is by no means hopeless SO far as
self-culture is concerned. They can do some
thing, and even much, in such work-none
should despair.
In order to success in this direction there
must first be real determination to improve,
and such q determination as cannot be shaken
by difficulties. While do not fully endorse
the maxim that where there is q will there is
way" L do believe there is tremendous
power in an iron will.
Closely allied to this is another requisite
namely, that of self-reliance. While there is
degree OF reliance that we should place on the
help OF others, yet our main RELIANCE must be
on ourselves. If our powers are called out, no
one else can do IL for us; we alone can do it,
There is a famous speech recorded of an old
Norseman, which, though short, expresses
much:-"I believe neither in idols nor demons;
put my sole trust in my own strength OF body
and soul" On the crest of an ancient pickaxe
stood the following expressive motto-"Either
will find way or make one" That famous
educator of youth DIR. Arnold, of Rugby aimed
to call out this quality in his pupils, and always
appreciated it most highly, even when not ac-
companied with brilliancy said he:-"I would
where he must work for his bread, than send
him to oxford to live in luxury, without any
desire in his mind to avail himself its advan-
On another occasion he remarked:-"If there
be any one thing on earth which is truly admt-
rable IL is to see Gods wisdom blessing an in
feriority of natural powers, when they have
been honestly, truly, and zealously cultivated
and in speaking OF pupil of this character he
said, II would stand to that man hat in hand p
Once when teaching dull boy, he spoke some
wnat sharply to him, on which the pupil looked
angrily? Indeed am doing the best l can
Years afterwards, Arnold told the story to his
children, and added, II never felt SO much in
my life; that look and speech have never for.
gotten" Ifthose who are engaged in the active
business of life relied more upon themselves
and did the best they could how much vastly
higher would be the tone of thought and in
telligencel Such self-reliance is inventive, anC
will be attended with improvement under any
circumstances.
In prosecuting the work of self-culture, VIZ
should regard books as an importan
nd M EtrpOpthaninO
improving the mind. These contain the bes
thoughts of the best minds, and at the presen
day, however limited persons means may be
II he is really in earnest, he can have access u
some of the best authors. 1t should be borne IL
mind that IL is not the number or books reaC
that conduces to our Improvement SO much al
the character of them and the manner in whief
they are perused. a few good books, thoroughly
perused, contribute vastly more to our improve
ment than many hastily read. We should ain
to make what we read our own-by digesting it
by thinking, and thus we not only acquire
knowledge, but mental power. Milton says tha
"a good book is the precious -lite-blood OF {
master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up Oh
n.,rnos- ro - life beyond life" That life.blooC
can oniybe assimilateo t9 Qgr life By thinking.
cannot better express what nave TO say
further on this point than in the language Of al
eminent American writer;-"In the best books
great men talk to us, with US. ana give us the
most precious thoughts. Books are the voices
of the distant and the dead. Books are the true
Jewellers They give to all who will faithfully
use them the society and the presence of the bes
and greatest of our race. No matter how poo
ammo matter though the prosperous of my
own time will not enter my obscure dwelling
Iflearned men and poets Will enter and tak'
up their abode under my roof If Milton will
cross my threshold to sing TO me of Paradise
and Shakespeare open to me the worlds of i'm
agination, and the workings Of the human
heart, and Franklin enrich me with his prac
tical wisdom, shall not pine for want of intel
lectual companionship, and l may become
cultivated man, though excluded from what i
called "the best society in the place where
live"