Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-07-03

hearts.
"What Shall we Readp' was answered
In very thorough manner by
KvAA A. POWERS.
She began by r ring to the difference Of
the modern and the olden times In regard
TO the facilities for procuring reading mat
ter. Formerly, when there were no
newspapers, or periodicals and few books,
the question was what can we read ?
Now, wher.a'l these are abundant, the
question'ls, what shall we readG In her
description Of the manuscript libraries
OF old, many interesting historical facts
were brought out. Books and the regu-
lar habit Of reading were considered as
ESPECIALLY desirable to her own sex.
From the comparative seclusion Of their
lives, compared with the other SEX 1t
was their great, almost only means OF
intelligence; and bee iuse the details OF
their domestic lives were ordinarily o
engrossing they were in danger OF losing
their intellt ctual appetites. Only by
regular habits, persevering'y carried out
through life, of reading the bt st boz ks,
can the fjrmer be secured, ami the latter
be avoided. Many valuable hints were
given as to the kind and variety OF books,
and the purpose for which we should
read, dtprccating in the strongest tern
the reading OF the yellow covered liter
allure" and mere sensational novels of the
day, or the reading Of anything for the
mere sake Of reading. Tue obi ct Of all
reading was knowledge and improve
m mt. aud with our sex Its ultimatum
was culture, aud increase of so alpower
aud iniluence-st curing thereby our own
C j byment and ability to add to that II
others.
What VIC need, Is not to burn the mid
night oil in pursuit. of ab stract science, or
in pouring over metaphysical problems,
but that general culture derived from
acqu lintance with the best literature If
the resent and former times, and frt m
reading the best works of history, biOg.
raphy and travels, the b st reviews aud
magazines. with moderate sLare of the
most approved romlnces. All these
are tlculated to strengthen our powers
and give woman supremacy as "domes-
tic and social goddess" while the former
course woul bo more likely to deprive
her of even her natural ability to please
aud give enjoyment in the domestic or
social circle. The suggestions of this
| fn hn nnt nf
the obj scts of 1t, were worthy the atten-
ton of young persons and of all who
are Interested in their own Improvement.
/ Our education is only commenced when
our scdool days are finished, we must
complete it by reading the best books
aud by rejecting on what we read. Only
In this way can we arrive at that intel
lectual culture which should be the am
bition of every educated woman.
NETTIE ROSS
Next read an essay on "Ruins," and de-
livered the Valedictory. After graphic
description of the ruins of that grand
old Assyrian city y-Ninevah-which had
remained lost to mankind for many GEN.
turies, she turned to contemplate that
far sadder sight, a ruined human being
She first took as an Illustration of thi;
class Of pltiful ruins, the character and
life of one of our own gifted Edgar
A. Poe. With handsome person, bril-
liant mind, and fine opportunities of edu-
cation and of travel in short, endowed
both by nature and circumstances with
J every element of success, he yet became
an utter wreck, both physical and moral
before he had reached the prime of life
and this, principally, from love of the in
toxlcating bowl.
She next illustrated her subject, by in'
Producing that most wonderful genius
that gifted being, that man of STANCE
contradictions, and Of talents that gave
us hint of every beautiful and inagina
Bile possibility; who, with every chance
for success exhausted life of all its pleas.
uceS and possihil ties before the age o.
thirty, and died when but little beyond
that period, that most mournful of al
ohjec-s to contemplate-a moralwreck-
and closing this illustration by quoting
very happily that inimitable description ol
Byron, by Pollock.
Many other examples might be giver
of just such wrecks men who have lef)
their footprints on the sands of time, bu
footprints that should never be followed
that could never benefit any one excep
as warnings of the ruin that attends evi
courscs,, Young men were entreated, as
they Valued their happiness here ant
hereafter, ts avoid the evil habits thai
had been the ruin of these men. They
should build their characters of good ma
terial, on a strong foundation; build slow
ly anl ctretu,ly, remembering that a
strongly built cottage Is IN )re seryiceablt
than palace in ruins. The greatest
amount of good has been accomplished II
the worll, not by men and women o.
genius but by those who have used earn
e,tly the few talents which they possessed
We should, therefore, pursue the right
s;ernly, and avoid most cIrefLlly those
evils that have brought ruin to others,
ChuOaNOillX ulucI al CiICuuSlduCcS u
make the m)st of ourselves and our ad.
vantageS, in order that we my become
all that it is possible for US to become, in
lItelligenc1, in efficiency and in goodness
and may not at llie's close have to look
back on lost opportunities and reproaoh
ourselves with those sadIest of words -
" 1t might have BEEN"
The VAlediotory remarks were very
good, addressed first to her classmates
renn ling them that they had ascended
together In their promotions from room
to room. Asa class they had hal their
Joys aud SORROWS; their successes and
defeats; but now they were about to
leave the walls that h I'd so long sheltered
them, and take their places on the stage
If life. to act the parts for which they