Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-10-13
WINTER EVENINGS.

l. NC Duoy ScdoOu vi tuc year 10 ucdiiJ
passed, and the heightened evenings,
afford an hour or more of leisure,
which can be spent in recreation or in in
tellectual pursuits. How shall these
hours be spent Time is too short and
too valuable to be wasted, and no one
who appreciates its value will spend the
long evenings of winter in idleness
That way of spending time, not devoted
to business pursuits, is best, which both
pleases and instructs. Itrests the body,
cheers the soul and cultivates the mind.
This kind of recreation may be found
in music, in reading, in attending lee
lures, in clubs, societies, and social
meetings, which are of a respectable and
elevating character. Music of all
sources of pleasure is one of the most
inexpensive; it is made by breath, or
by the most simple instrument it
charms the wise, it cheers the sorrowful
and heightens the joys of the happy; it
refnes, elevates and puriies. The fam
lily that devotes portion of time to its
pursuits, need not go beyond its own
doors to find pleasure and that which
will benefit the embers of household.
If we we're to rear family in place
where it was surrounded by the allure
ments of vice and the enticements of
sin, it would be our first work to Guilt
vate love for music, and knowledge
of the best and sweetest Instrument that
we could obtain. believing that by this
means, home would have superior charms,
and the souls trained to love music,
would not seek pleasures elsewhere.
Reading is another and perhaps, the
best means afforded us for improvement
and benefit Those who have acquired
taste for it, make it the source of
much of their happiness. 1t is the best
means that most of us have, for enlarg-
ing the capacity of the mind. The null
tiplicity of books, and the amount of
reading matter is so great, that every
taste can be gratifed and every mind
find just what it needs to enlarge and
crafty it. Hence to be ignorant is to
be guilty of great abuse to ourselves,
and there is no excuse for the shameful
ignorance that we see in many. 70 be
unlearned is not only Instantaneous
to him who has allowed himself to be
SO, but it is disagreeable to his compan-
ions and the world. The mistakes and
the simple utterances of the fool
would make him SO ashamed of himself,
that he would hide in chagrin,
if he could but see himself as he is seen.
But ignorance is generally coupled with
self conceit, and the twain often make
their possessor happy, so that in one
sense, the saying that ignorance is bliss,
may be true. The person who occupies
his leisure moments in reading will not
be very unwise. and he may easily be-
come learned, if he reads with this de-
sire. To make reading beneficial to a
family, some member ought to read
aloud, that the young, the aged, and
the busy housewife whose work is never
done, may share in its benefits. We do
not discard what is called light reading
entirely; it may crafty for moment
and leave no harm behind, but we have
not for years, found time that we could
waste over that class of reading, which
could not both please and benefit. The
practice Of having and attending lee
lures in our country villages is increas
ing, and this is affording us an opportu
nifty to spend some of our evenings to +;
great advantage 1t is one of the mos
pleasant privileges that we enjoy, to lis
ten to we'll spoken and well prepared
lecture; there is not only qualification
in the speaking and the oratory, but ais
IN the knowledge that may be gained b,
listening. Every village can raise mean
to procure good and interesting lecturers
during the fall and winter to come, ant
this sort of pleasure is much cheape
and far better than the amusement fur
nished by band of fiddlers or travel
ing show.
Literary societies onght to be main
tanned in all our towns in the white
season; we need something to cheer tn
dreary days of winter, and the youn
and old can be benefited by good socie
ties of this character. Debating socie
ties, reading clubs, and even social gath
erings where young and old can mingl
together to spend the evenings, as on
grandparents did years ago. will all ten
to make US wiser. better and more har
Ply. We are not social and friendl
enough as people, and ought to cult
vate these two qualities, by such NEAR
as are afforded US. Our summers a,
busy and laborious. let our winters
spent in storing the mind with the us
full and the good, that all seasons ma
minister to our welfare.
EUROPE.