The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-02-09

Reading.

READ Read constantly and. sys-
tematically, if you can, but read =.
Or. johnson said, that while a father
was debating which Of the two books
his son should read first another boy
would read them both. Have a book
for every unemployed hour,-a book
for journey, book at your bedside,
book within reach at work. Think,
my young friends, what library is
In the preface to "Gil Bias" the au-
thor tells the story of a Spanish
student who had placed over his
treasure a stone with the inscription,
Here lies buried the soul Of the LiceH-
Giate Pedro GGrcid8." This is but
step from the titI6-page of the book.
So every great author puts his soul
into his work the title-page is sym
bol Of his tombstone and no matter,
in after years, through what illimita-
BILE fields his immortal part may be
straying, here, at least, we can com
mune with its earthly manifestation.
In my library, l love to imagine
myself surrounded by the souls Of the
great departed. For me they live
still and all that is most pungent,
most delicate, most Imaginative, most
witty, wise, and genial in their con-
ceptions, speaks to my heart as truly
as though [ met them in the fesh.-
At such times, 1 feel that the nervous
elegance of Pope, the majestic har
monies of Milton, thesweet and pen
sive melancholy of Gray, and the all
comprehending genius of Shakespeare,
are filling the silent air as with u liv-
ing presence.
Lord Bacon said, somewhat proud
| ly, Il have taken all knowledge to be
my province" We, who have not
the command of his vast field Of Wis
ion, find that nothing of real value
comes amiss. Poetry, science, phi
losophy, criticism, though apparently
disconnected, in time come to illus
trate and strengthen each other. The
whole circle of human knowledge is
l'connected by common chain and
/ to the earnest seeker, the golden
links will sooner Or later appear.
But, while I urge you to make ex-
eursions on all sides into the field Of
literature, l must caution you against
too much time in reading fiction. l
think that every scholar should read
Scott, Dickens, and Thackeray, and
perhaps two or three more eminent
novellsts. But most novels are de-
signed only to amuse a leisure hour !;
they do not dis ipline any # the facul-
ties, and rarely give any valuable
information, or leave any profound
impression. Such works should no
more form the staple of reading than
confectionery should be the chief
course of hungry mans dinner
Some years ago, 10 the course of Il
lcOnversatiOn with Thackeray, in
which the great novelist dropped his
usual icy reserve, and talked with the
otf-hand frankness and airy good hu
NOR of boy enjoying a Christmas
holiday, asked him if be had read
Mrs. IS novels, and what he
thought of them. With an indoscrib-
able shrug, and a deliciously comical
glance he answered, "why no You
see am a pastry-cOok. l bake tarts,
4nI sell them. | eat bread and but.
ter"
In urging you to study the open
book of nature, and to explore the
great treasures of human thought
and feeling, am merely pointing the
way to your highest happiness and
US fulness. The difference between
the truly educated and the totally ig-
norant man is precisely all that
makes. life noble and precious. The
one plods in a dull round Of labor, Or
duFler round of coarse Pleasures
The only phases of the seasons that
concern him are those that affect his
crop of potatoes or prevent his out
of-door sports. A landscape for him
is pretty piece Of moving, or it is a
steep and rocky hill, impassable to
his carts, and on which the gnarled
trees would be hardly worth cutting.
ga primrose by the rivers brim,
yellow primrose is to him.
Aud it is nothing mUre."
from Oliver Optics Magazine.