Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-12-17
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INTERESTING LECTURE By REV DIX. Ban
MAS sEARs-rHE VALUE OF READING
HOW, WHEN AND WHAT WE sHoULl
| READ-LIsT OF AUTHORS AND BOOKS,
&C., &C., &c.
| Not withdrawing the bitter cold of Tues
day night, an excellent audience, iacl''
ding our m' ST prominent citizens, assem-
bled in the lecture room Of the Methods
church to hear lecture on Reading D,
DR.. Barnas Sears before the Young Men,
| Christian Association. TIE expectation
| Of the audience, from the exalted position
Of the lecturer in the world OF letters
were high, and were not disappointed
We give below sketch Of the lecture
greatly regretting the necessity. imposed
by limited space, II having to omit so much
DIR Sears commenced by abiding to the
Unfortunate position of the man who does
not read, limited as he is to his own expe'
rie CO and to what he hears from the Ii s
If others, and deprived Of the benefits OF
civilization, which is the result 1T the
gathered expression Of the world, recorded
and transmitted. How low is his intelle t
and hoy dark is his soul He knows moth
ing of the splendor which once !. tered in
the sun on the banks Of the Nile. the Eu-
pirates, the Tiber, aud the hills and plains
Of Greece and Asia Minor; the stirring
scenes Of the Middle Ages, when all Eu.
rope was in arms to recover the Holy
Land, and when nation dashed against ma
ton as in the wars of England Francs ,
Germany and Italy; or when the castles on
the Rhine and on the hill tops OF France
and England were renowned for chivalrous
feats-all this is as blank to ignorant men
~ the Universe Is to blind man. Would
that such men knew how to estimate theii
loss as other men do!
Reading leafs to thinking; its effect is
to induce habits Of ref cti0n, to enlarge
the sphere of the mini, and to raise 1t
above mere sensual gr ititications. "Reat:.
ing makes full ma;i;" it dis the vacuum
that W. uld otherwise exist, maSing .. "a
vacant hours interesting. A man witt
his books can say, II am never less alone
than when alone" II relieves the home
circle from the tedious monotOny and va
cancy which characteriz-s families thai
live together and merely vegetxte, varying
their daily routine Of life only by labor,
esting, drinking and sleeping. II the wife
complains that her husband passes his
time away from home, let her furnish her
mind with new stock Of ideas and have
within herself som thing fresh-a living
fountain Of thought and feeling to give
zest to life, and the first love which has
cooled to inanity and safety, will return,
and hume will recover its lost attraction: s.
The youth of family will find their d..
light in home where thought burns ana
intelligence sparkles; where refinement
and intellectu Il entert .inment lnteres.
their feelings and keep alive their sympa
thies.
Society derives nearly all its unspeakabl.
value from entertaining, varied and in
structive conversation, and nothing con-
tributes more to this than knowledge Of
books. Intelligence makes conversation
one of the bri- htest and most rational
sources Of enjoyment. A man would g.
many miles to listen to the conversation OF
Colerldge, Macintosh. Macaulay, or sid.
ney Smith. Who does not remember what
Boswell says of those ambrosial nights in
which johnson was the centre Of the lite..
AIRY circle. Such, too, were the saloons OF
those queens of French society, Me,daln :
Ramboulliet, Lafayette, Sevigne, DeStaele,
Roland. and Recamier, where the wisdom
and wit Of Paris as assembled. That clut,
of authors that meets regularly in Boston
-Longfellow, Holmes, Emerson, FEELS
He'd yes, aud others furnishes in its bril-.
liant Conversations literary treat rarely to
lie found elsewhere. Why not kindle II
little of this literary fire il Stanton? Why
not redeem ourselves from the bondage Of
s ssip. and talk Of the weather and such
like small talk. l know it is better to talk
about these things than to say nothing,
and it may be well in conversati N t. start
the 3 s.ne by such mean that spice of it
is always in place. 1t is the small change
Of society. S,nall talk is indispensable, es-
pecially in fashionable society. 1 know.
we'll, tao. that orators are not in place in
the palls,r; that it is we'll at times to put OF.
all our je"elry meet hundred pers ms in
u small room, tread ON ladies' dresses
(wIcn one oauuot help it), spill little
cream OH genrlamens' coats, and now and
then say word or two of nonsense to t.. o
or three dozen persons. gives and keeps
up large acquaintance. do not object
cial intercourse in smaller circles, where
mind Can act on mind. ard elicit thought
and where conversation is the rallylng OF
ones intellectual powers. Then the pres.
ent moment will noe be everything; the
present day will be connected with all the
Past, and the city in which! we live, with
all quarters of the world. We shall thus
acquire aud maiEtain little cosmopolitan
life. How charmed you are when you
meet with well-infOrmed companion in
society, and how quick your interest plays
wien you discover that the effect of a
beautiful face is destroyed by silly
tongue.
A business nam In his corresponds nee
in his written engagements and contracts,
in meetings for business SOON shows his
reading or his want of it. If he is famil.
lar with models of COOL English, with
works of taste where everything is proper.
ly selected and arranged. he will almost
unconsciously say the right thing in the
right way. He may never have spoken in
public, may never have drawn up = paper
may never have participated in debate
but If he knows how others have don't