The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-02-25

for advice, concerning Ine DOCKS ne
should read, Thomas Carlyle recently
replied
CHELSEA, March 18th, 1878.
DEAR SIR-SOme time ago your letter
was delivered to me I take literally
the first half hour I have had since to
writo you a word of answer.
It would give me true satisfaction
could any advice of mine contribute to
forward you in your honorable course
of seIt-improvement, but a long expert
encC has taught NE that advice can
profit little that thcIo is a good reason
vhv advice is so seldom followed
this reason. namely, that it is 50 sell
dom. and can almost never be, rightly
given. No man knows the state OF
another it is always to some more or
less imaginary man hat the wisest and
most honest adviser is speaking.
As to the books which you, whom |
know 50 little of, should read, there IL
hardly anything definite that can be
said, For one thing, you may be siren
uously advised to keep reading. Any
good book, any book that is wiser than
yourself, will teach You somethlpE--a
great many things, directly and indI-
rectly. if your mind is open to learn,
The old counsel Of Johnson's il also
good and uni e~rsally applicable: "ken
the book you do hont stlv feel q wash
and curiosity to read. The very wlst
and curiosity indicates That yo't then
and there are the person likely to get
good Of it," "OIr wishes sra pres'n
timonts of IL capabilities" That "a a
noble saying, of deep encouragement to
all true men, applicable to our wishes
and efforts in regard 10 reading rs to
other things. Among all the objects
that look wonderful or beautiful to you,
follow with fresh hope the n that
looks wOndcrfulest, hCautlfulest. You
will gradually by various trials (Which
trials see THAT you make honest, man
ful ones. not silly, short, titful ones)
discover what is for you the wonderful
est, beautifulest what is your true
element and province, and be able to
abide by that. True desires, the monl-
tons of nature, is much to be attended
to. But here also, you are to dlscrlm-
mate between true desires and false.
The medical men tell us we should eat
what we truly have an appetite for, but
what we only falsely have an appetite
for we should resolutely avoid. 1t is
very true. And himsy, "desultory"
readers, who fly from foolish book to
foolish book, and get good OF none and
mischief of all, are not these as foolish,
eaters, who mistake their
superficial, false desire after splcerles
and confectioneries for the real appe-
tite, of which even they are not destl-
tute, though it lies far deeper, far
duieter after solid nutritive food? With
these illustrations I will recommend
Johnson's advice to yo1.
Another thing, and only n other, l
will say. All books are properly the
history of past men. What thoughts
past men had in them, what GctioGs
past men did. he summary of all books
Whatsoever lies there. 1t is on thus
that the class of books specially
named history can be safely recon
mended as the basis of all study of
the preliminary of all right and
full understanding Of anything we can
expect to find in books. Past history,
and especially the past history of our
own native country-everybody may be
advised to begin with that. Let him
that faithfully, innumerable in
with due Indications, will
branch out from it; he has a broad,
Deaten highway from which all the
is more or less vlsiblo-there
raveling, let him choose where he will
lwell.
Neither lot mistakes or wrong direc-
ions, of which every man, in his studies
md elsewhere, falls into many, discour-
rge you. There is precious instruction
n finding that We were wrong. Let q
nan try faithfully, maDfulIy, TO be
light; he will grow daily more and
more right. It is at bottom the con-
all men have to cultivate them
elves. Our very walking is an inces-
ant falling a falling and 4 catching Of
ourselves before we come actually to
he pavement ! It is emblematic of all
hings Il mar does.
In conclusion, I remind you il is not
W books alone, or by books chiefly,
hat a man becomes in all points a
study to do faithfully whatsoever thing
n yOur actual situation, there and now,
'ou find either expressly or tacitly laid
O our charge-that is your post stand
n it like n true soldier silently devour
he many chagrins of it, as all human
ituatiOns have many and be your aim
lot to quit it without doing all that it,
t least, requires you. A man perfects
by work much more than by ;
They are a growing kind of
hat ran wisely combine the two
hinRs; wisely. val'aotIy can do what
8 laid to their hand in their present
and prepare themselves withaI
or doing other wider things, if such lie
,efore them.
With many good wishes and encour
gements, ! remain yours sincerely,