Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-09-17
Judgment in Reading.

Judgment in Reading.
1t is not those who read most who acquire
most knowledge, any more than it is thos'
who eat the most, grow the most obese
Digestion has great deal to do in boil
cases. Excessive reading is as bad habi
as excessive eating If one overloads thu
stomach, the other overloads and stupche'
the mind, and renders it incapable Of retain
ing what it has received. The mind capno
properly dispose of mass of reading on va
riouS subjects hastily crammed into it. Tho
knowledge which is merely received by the
mind yanishes like a dream !; but the knowl
edge that is not only received but elabora-
ted. appropriated and assimulated by refec.
ton becomes a part of the intellectual man
as truly as digested and assimulated food be-
comes tissue in the physical man. Many
persons who read hastily and read a great
deal, wonder that they forget so much, and
charge the fault to a failing memory. But
the memory is not to blame. The trouble
is, they cram knowledge into their minds
faster than their minds can appropriate it,
and the abused memory is bound, in self-de-
fence, to disgorge the whole load. 1t is
this class of readers who boast of their abili-
ty to get through an elaborate novel from
the pen of a first rate author in single day.
But the truth is, they had better not read
at all than to read in this way They per-
ceive no more of the beauties of the book
than so-called tourist, who walks into the
Louvre at one door and out at the other,
perccives Of the spirit and power of the mar
vellous pictures and statues that adorn its
gallcries-or than the weary traveller per-
cciyes of the details Of picturesque land
scape through which he has been shot by the
express train at forty miles an hour. But
besides doing no good, hasty, promiscuous
reading does great deal OF harm. 1t is a
vice. 1t debauches the mind. 1t blunts its
powers, impairs its reccptivity, and denies
to it the healthful vigor and acumen which
systematic reflection imparts. 1t renders it
callous and incapable of receiving and retain
ing impressions.
There ought to be judgment and system
in reading as well as in business or labor
1t must be attended by meditation. Two
hours week devoted to deliberate and care
full reading will give more real knowledge
than three hours a day of the "skimming
over" which is SO universal a habit with
young people
THE INDUSTRIOUS BLIND.-It is astonish.
ing to observe how many Of our Creates
thinkers, writer's, and workers, have been
blind 10 say nothing Of Homer or of Mil
ton, we find the following Europeans in the
catalogue of eminent men afflicted with
blindness Thomas Blackjack, poet, linguist
and divine; Nicholas Sanderson, Professor
of Mathematics at Cambridge; Leonord Eu-
Ter, Professor Of the same at St. Petersburg:
John Cough, mathematician and philoso-
pher John Metcalf, of Knarcsborough
DR.. Henry Moyes, lecturer on music and
chemistry John Stanley, composer and Or
ganist Edward Rushton, poet; Turlagh
Carolan, Irish poet and musician; John lis
ca, Bohemian general and reformer; John
Troughton, Puritan divine /; Dennis Hamp-
son, bard James Wilson, author Of Bio
graphies Of the Blind )" William Talbot,
performer on the Irish pipes John, King
Of Bohemia Joseph Strong, Weaver, of
Carlisle; William Kennedy, Mechanic, of
Tandaragee Nicholas Bacon, advocate, of
Brussels; Nathaniel Price, bookbinder !;
John Gonelli, sculptor; Count de Pagan,
engineer and astronomer James Holman.
traveller Nj. Huber, naturalist, of Geneva
Theresa Paradis, pianist of Vienna Sir
John Fielding, magistrate of Westminster !;
Didymus. theologian and astronomer and
last, not least, the Rev. DIR. Cruise. of whom
the story is told that he suddenly found him
self deprived of sight while entering his pull
pit /; but that so far from being disconnected
he preached extempore with such effect, that
an old lady. who had long been a member
of his congregation, said to him, "God be
praised that your sight is gone; | never
heard you preach such a powerful sermon in
my life For my own part, | wish that the
Lord had taken away your sight eig ht-and-
twenty years ago"