The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-30
Reading

Reading should be avoided when it in
terferes with necessary repose, as it does
when pursued at late hour of night. II
then has a pernicious influence upon the
health first, then upon the spirits then
upon the mind itself. The knowledge
gained in this way is for the most part but
of little value, for it is gained by the ex-
pense of mental vigor, and sometimes even
Of life itse f. TIE celebrated william
Pinckney, the great Maryland orator, fell
a sacrifice to late reading. To read when
you ought to be in bed, especially to read
in bed, is to infict great evil upon your
self without an equivalent. 1t is to ipjure
your eyes, your brain, your nervous sys-
TEN, your intellect. A person mentally
indolent may be fond of reading. He
may love to read in a recumtent posture
till he falls asleep, every day or every
night of his life. 1t may be too much to
say that his room resembles the fam
furnishes proof in his experience, that the
leaves of book are as sure an opiate as
the leaves of the poppy, the symbol of that
god Indeed, we have known those who
regularly take book to bed with them
every night as "a shot-horn to pull to sleep
Will. luuceu, We uhNc Sccu tuc WHOfC
family, each with book in hand, to which
each seemed to be bowling in devotion, ex-
cept enc bright young girl, who archly
sung; ~ ,,,., 81, u,, ro,,,,,
We are all noddin' at out house ut home.
In order to profit from reading it is ad-
vantageous to converse with those who
have read the same books. Two persons
of equal capacity may read the same book,
and yet receive from it very different i'm
pressions. By exchanging their views in
the commerce of thought, each is a gamer.
The difficulties which one meets with are
solved by the other, and the truths upon
which they agree are more firmly fixed in
the minds of each. By thus bringing their
minds in contact with each other, in con-
versation upon the work, their feelings are
warmed into most vigorous exercise, and
by the collision of their opinions, the light
Of truth is struck out. Moreover, by con-
versing concerning the books that you
read, with those that are older and have
had better opportunities for observation,
you will be the better able to form cor
rect estimate of what you read. Their ex-
perience will help to guard you against the
errors and evil tendencies of the work, or
eHdDle you " apprcCiate Ito cASShCnCiCo.
Are you deficient in taste? Read the
best English poets, such as Gray and
Goldsmith, Pope and Thompson, Cowper
and Coleridge Scott and Wordsworth.
Are you deficient in Imagination? Read
Milton, and Akenside, and Burke.
Are you deficient in the power of reason
Read Chillingworth, and Bacon, and
Locke.
Are you deficient in judgment and good
sense in the common affairs of life? Read
Franklin.
Are you deficient in sensibility? Read
Goethe and Mackenzie
Are you deficient in vigor of style? Read
Junius and Fox.
Are you deficient in political knowledge ?
Read Montesquieu, the "Federalist," Web
ster.
Are you deficient in patriotism? Read
Demosthenes and the "Life of Washing
ton
Are you deficient in conscience? Read
some of President Edwards works
Are you deficient in piety2 Read the
Bible.