The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1876-04-08
Pleasures of knowledge.

"rhc two early struggle against the
pain of obscu,ity, cor,upts no small
share of understanding. Well and
happily has that man conducted bis
understanding, who has learned TO
derive from the exercise of it, regular
occupation and rational delight: who,
after having overcome the first pain
of application. and acquired a habit
Of looking inwardIy upon his own
mind, perceives that every day is
multiplying the relations, confirming
the accuracy, and augmcnting the
number Of his ideas ; who feels
that he is rising in the scale of intel
lectnal beings, gathering new strength,
viii, every difficulty wiIicl, he sub
dues, ard enjoying to day as his pleas.
IRE, that which yesterday he labored
at, as his toll. There are many con-
solutions it, the mind of such q man,
which no common life can ever afford ;
and many enjoymcnts which it has
not to give! 1t is not the mere cry
Of the moralist and the flourish OF
rhetoricians but it is noble to seek,
and it is beautiful tn find it. 1t is the
ancient feeling Of the human heart,
that knowledge is better than riches
and it is deeply and sncre'lly true :
To mark the course of human pas
sions az they have flowed on in the
ages that are past, to see why nations
have risen, and why they have fallen ;
to speak ofheat, and light, and the
winds ; to know what man has dis
covered in the heavens above, and in
the earth beneath ito hear the chem.
list unfold the marvellous properties
that the creator has locked up in a
speck of earth ; to be told that there
are worlds 40 distant from our sun.
that the qnickness Of light, travelling
from the worlds creation, has never
yet reached us, to wander in the Gre.
alton of poetry, and grow warm again,
with that cloquencc which swaye'l
the 1emocracies Of the old world to
90 up with great reasoners to the
First Cansc of all, and to perceive in
the midst Of all this dissolution and
decay, and cruel separation, thai
F., therei is one thing Interchangeable, H.
dcstrnctiblc, and everlasting lit !!
worth while in the days of our you'll
to strive hard for this great discipline
to pass slcepless nights for 1t, to give
IN to it laborious days to spurn fol
it present pleasures to endure for j
affecting poverty to wade for j
through darkness and sorrow and con
tempt, as the great spirit Of the wol|'
have done in all ages and in all times
I appeal to the experience Of an!
man who is in the habit of exercisin;
his mind vigorously and we'll, whethe
there is not satisfaction in it, which
tells him he has been acting up t
one of the great objects Of his exis
tence9 The end Of nature has heel
ans ,tnre,l /; his f,cuhie, have dom
that which they were created to do
not languidly occupied upon triAcs-
not cnervate.l by sensual qualification
but exercised in that toll, which is $
congeniil to their nature, and $
worthy Of their strength. A life q
knowledge Is not often a life of crime
Whom does such a man Cypress
With whose happiness docs he inter
fere? Whom does his ambition DIES
troy and whom does his; frand dc
ceivc7 In the pursuance OF science
he ininres 40 man, and in the &C
qui.ition, he does good to all. !
man who lcdlcates his life to know1
edge, becomes habitual to pleasur
which carries with it no rcproacl
and there is one security that 10 wi
never love that pleasure which is pal
tor by anguish Of heart-his pleasure
are all cheap, all dlgnificd, and a
innocent, and as far as any huma
being can expect permancnce in th1
changing scene, he has secured a hap
piness which no malignity Of forum
can ever take away, but which mus
cleave to him while he lives-ameli
Grating every good aud diminishin
every evil Of his existence"