Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-04-09
For the SPECTATOR.
BY

Some one has truly and beautifully said,
our hearts, to be kept Alright, we should look
daily upon some beautiful picture, read some
beautiful poem, or listen to some strain of soul
stirring song, for our natures have partaken of
the earth earthly We must strive to elevate
our thoughts; they will naturally fall in with
the base alloy; there is, it is true, the blending
of the good and bad in every nature, and some
are truly so pure that they naturally cling to
the pure, whilst others are so base that moth
ing earthly can bring good out of them. We
believe that Blood is Destiny" not that
blood which claims for itself the aristocracy Of
wealth or standing, but that which flows from
heart too pure to cast out from it the filth
which lucre too often draws from the heart
We may believe also in 1.-THE divinity that
shapes our ends, but we should also believe
that the ''hewing' is left in great measure to
ourselves. If we look upon evil We will nat
urally partake of it. Ii we train ourselves to
the good, the beautiful, we will partake of it.
If we hear daily scandal from our associates.
however much we may detest it at first, yet
We gradually learn to love it and roll it as q
sweet morsel under our tongues" If we read
Eight reading" our brains will become so light
they car bear nothing heavier; whereas, if we
study the deeper, hrmer, our brains will grad
ualy expand and take in all we can desire
If we are thrown with the good and intelli-
be satisfied with the husks,
In this very age 10 which we live how much
do we see and read that will demoralize. We
cannot take up secular or even religious paper
that there are not accounts of murders, cases
of poison, shooting affrays, and everything
that satan himself could desire. Some papers
embellish all the scenes connected with these
tragedies Those, alas, too often take fair
forms 10 their embellishments, whilst In others
are portrayed all the misery. What effect this
has upon the minds of the young is indeed
fearful to contemplate.
Are there not many children who would
look upon "Harper's" number of Jim
| Fisk see him pictured-dying, with his
wife cDgDg to him; see him in his coffin,
bedecked with garlands, friends standing sadly
| around-whose little hearts would feel that
Fisk was hero-somethlng for them to almost
emulate.
We hear of horrible deeds done all over the
land our papers take up the refrain. repeat,
comment, and after while their readers think
1t Is not so bad after all, but with the remark,
well, the world as growing worse" await
anxlously for the next sensation
wish something would take place, that they
may read of it, If these murders, rapes,
and suicides must take place, or rather do take
place, why repeat them In all their horrid de-
tail? Truly not for the sake OF the innocent
and surviving friends, and II merely 10 graft
ify morbid taste for such literature, the
sooner this appetite subsidies the better for US
as people.
The pulpit, the press, our schools and fire.
sides can CRY out against all these, without
having them as food for our childreo to grasp
after, and our young men, whose minds should
be educated to love the good and the pure.
Fathers and mothers, look to it that your
children have impressed upon their hearts in
childhood and youth the beautiful in life.
Ii we remain God-fearing people we must
do away with these denominations, and cling to
that which will elevate US. We are making pro-
gress 10 all the sciences and arts, tbs true;
Americans are generally reading people, and
the mass will desire that which will excite, but
alas! it leaves it's imprcss-as the age is too
surely telling-not for good. War has demor-
allied, and it is left to this generation to ex-
ert our influence the more for good, that not
vestige of this decentralization be lett
There is no thinking man or woman but can
testify that we are elevated by the converse
of some and lowered by that of others. So it's
with our reading. We arise from reading a
book or paper that elevates with feeling Of
our God-given mission here, feel borne above
the base, and yesrn for more knowledge like
this.