Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-01-31
THE FAULTS OF CULTURE,

world or the world to come, let US
it, and so have the pleasure
of uttering avery earnest conviction.
Any competent observer cannot fail
to have noticed that the seeking of
that which is most admirable in intel
lectual finish and furniture, simply
for the sake of holding it in possess
sion, has the same degrading effect
upon the soul that comes to
the miser from boarding his
gold. The greatest, wisest and mean-
est of mankind was typical devotee
of selfish culture; and it is safe to de-
clare that all men and women who
pursue culture as an end, failing to
devote it to auy purpose involving |
self-suEveader, are mean in their <i5Eff
gree. So it often happsas that, as
men grow more learned by study and !
more skilled in intellectual practice,
and more nicely adjusted and finished
i'll their power, and more delicate and
exact i'll their tastes, do they lose
their sympathy with the world of!
common life, and become fastidious,
diSaainfnl and cold. They seem,
also. to warm, only toward those who
praise them and who set All cXtrav-
agant value upon their possessions
and to hold fellowship with none but
those of kindred pursuits.
1t is often noticed. with surprise
and regret. tlIat as culture comes i'll
faith goes out. The fact seems strange
TO those who think that faith, if it
is Il rational thing itself, should grow
vigorous and far-reaching with the
rising power and deepening dciicacy
of the mind. is it only the ignorant
who have faitll!" they ask, and must
man surrender tliiS divincst of all
possessions when culture enters? Ave.
he must. if culture is pursued as an
end III itself. Culture thoroughly
Christianizcd-cultu pursued for
ends of bcnevolcnce - strcnthcns
faith: but culture that ends in itself
and its posscssor is intidcl i'll every
tendency. The culture which is pur-
sued for its own sake makes Il God of
self, and SO turns away the soul from
its relations-carthly and heavenly
that self becomes the one great fact
of the universe. \ culture which
does not serve God by direct purpose
and with loving and reverent dcvo-
ton. Is the pufest type Of practical
! intiuclitv: and there are notable indi-
vidual instances, even in so Young a
civilization rs ours, i'll which con-
s,antly ripcning culture has been a
constantly descending path into Pa
ganism. We fear that any Thoughtful
American undertaking to Hanc those
in his own country who have carried
intellectual culture to the highest
point, would be obliged to indicate
men and women to whom Christiani,
tv has no high meaning, and by whom
it wins no victories.
I w fltlt Cultult 10 StlllSil, illl llS ~ III
pathies arc clanish. There is moth.
ing oatsidc of its circle to be either
admired or tolcrased. Such culture
can nave no broad aims, except the
selfish aim to be broadly recognized.
! Whatever work is done is done fol
the few. TO contribute by Kind and
Selt-adaptivc purposes to the wants
Of the many is what it never does. l,
is too proud 10 be useful. 1t would
b. proud to command or to lead. but
I it will not serve. 1t works away at
its own refinement and aggrandizc-
mcnt, bat refuses to come down into
the dusty ways of life, to point men
upward and.to help them bear their
burdens. The world might go to the
dogs or the devil for anything that
selfish culture would do to prevent
it. That WORK is done, and must
always be done by those who have
failh--by the humble who have some.
tiIin" better than culture. or the hiyl
who have placed their culture under
the control of that law of love whose
feet stand upon the earth. and whose
hands grasp the throne.
Tue farmer Ill recommending an
animal to 4. purchaser, talks of flesh
that is worked on. in contradistinc
ton to that which is acquired while
standing still and feeding. The one
acquisition is rcconynizcd as possess
ing qualities of power and cnduranc,
which the other does not. 1t is pre-
ciScly with culture. That which i.
worked on - that which come:
while its possession is busy in minis
; try-is as beautiful as it is valuable
This, indeed, is the only culture tl,a
comes to man as L Legitimate, health
full and valuable possession. The
florists can show us flowers whost
beauty has been won by culture bu
it has been won at the fatal cost o
their fragrance. There may be mucl
in even selfish culture to admire
but if there is nothing to inhale, oul
hearts are still hungry. We are
obliged to go near to see that whicl
should come to lis Oh all the wings o
the air.
There is sort of blind worship o
culture among the people; whicl
could not be worshiped were it no
blind. II they could comprehend it:
:, narrowness of sympathy and its sci
fishness of purpose if they could Sc
and measure its greed for praise, ant
its contempt for them and their &c
: QUESTIONS and pursuits; if they coul'
teelit arrogance and pride,its charm
: would all disappear. If they coult
see how, i'll their earnest coveting O
; the best gifts, those who possess then
had utterly forgotten the ''more ex
cellent way" they would shrink fron
them in terror orpity. 1t is sad t
: think that frem the most noted schoo
: of personal culture in the country
faith long since departed, with limp
i ing wings, while devotion to tn
work of making the world bette
d went out with faith. Men who min
l