Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-01-06

A.s Il LII ISCDA L. ON
are not in place in the parlor ; that it il
well at times to put on all our jewelr,
meet a hundred PERSONS in a small
room, tread on ladies' dress es (wher
one cannot help lt), spill little cream
on gentlemens' coats, and now anl
then say word or two of nonsense tt
two or three dozen persons. 1t gives
aud keeps up a large acquaintance.
do not object to this, But what We
also need is real social intercourse in
smaller circles, where gind>can act or
mind, and elicit Thought and where
conversation is the rallying of ones in
tellectual powers. Then the present
moment will not be everything the
present day will be connected with al
the Past, and the city in which we live
with all quarters CT The void. W.
shall thus acquire and maintain a little
cosmopolitan life. How charmed yor
are when You meet with a well-in'
formed companion in society, and how
quick your interest plays when you dis
cover that the effect of a beautiful fase
is destroyed by a silly tongue.
A business man in correspondence
in his written en- gagements and con-
tracts, in meetings for business soor
shows his reading or his want of it
If he is familiar with models of good
English, with works of taste where
everything is properly 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 done
these things he can perform his part
respectfully and, with little practice,
very creditably.
Reading properly conducted will
greatly increase our stock of good
English words. 1t is great drawback
to our every day conversation that we
use so few words, and that they recur
so often. They, Of course, are used
inappropriately, where others would be
better. A coarse workman uses but a
few tools, nice workman has occasion
for great variety-a different one for
every new operation. The English
telegraph operates employ only about
5000 words. There are now in cur
rent good use about 10000 words, and
about as many more that are technical
and professional. As we increase our
vocabulary we shall notice the differ
ences Of kindred words and learn nice
determinations in thought, no less
than il speech. How delightful it is
to listen to speaker who calls every-
thing by its right name, and for every
variety of thought has corresponding
variety ofexpression.
Reading opens the stores of litera-
ture for enjoyment. You converse
with the ancients and become compan-
ions with the wise and the good of all
ages. Southey says:
"Around me Ib hold the mighty MINDS of old;
Ny never falling friends are they, with whom
converse day by day"
But now the objection, "but the
world is full of books" So the earth
is surrounded with an ocean of air
Shall we go without good thing be,
cause there is so much of it? suppose
5000 English books are published an
nually; 5000 of them will soon pass
into oblivion. With books as with
men the dead vastly outnumber the
living. Of the $50 authors in Camp
bells specimens of the British poets,
says Lord Jeffrey, only about thirty
can now read. Besides, ,tlalty Of the
books published are professional and
without special interest to the reader
As a rule read, except cursorily none
but the best books. This will release
you from the great majority even Of
popular books. Then of the good
choose the best. Even fifty books
we'll chosen and thoroughly read would
put man en- rapport with intelligent
society and fit him TO appreciate and
be appreciated by it.
In general literature, both the kind
and the amount of books, will depend
on your tastes, your attachments and
the time at your command. Choice
reading, good society, and clear think
ing will produce good English, if any
thing will. This general literature is
more or less read by all classes of men,
but is not read in the same way nor
for the same purpose. Each reader
should have an aim and object Of his
own. Side by side by the regular
course of task work, there should be a
collateral course of reading for recrea.
tion-anythlng that gives one delight,
whether it be light reading or a favorite
science not directly bearing ON ones
calling. A clergyman, for example.
may take special pleasure in botany, OF
mineralogy, or geology, or in antlquar-
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