Montgomery County sentinel., 1877-12-21

it repay its culture as, from step to step.
it leads the mind upward aud onward with
steadily increasing breadth of vision, and
ever growing capacity for enjoyment. The
world of art, of science, of imagination,
is opened to the reader. BY his own
endcavor he liberates himself from the
benumbing restrictions Of his class or
profession, and becomes free denizen
of every range of intellence, and every
condition of existence.
None of the ordinary associations of
life present any insuperable obstacle to
the attainment of this habit, which seems
to depend less upon the favoring cir
cumstances of leisure or special qualities
of mind than upon the great condition
of earnest and sympathetic attention, in
conjunction with that native modesty
of intellect which gratefully accepts the
good presented Natural instinct or
dinarily directs the course to be pursued.
with the same certainty as it sends the
bee from flower to flower for its treasures
of sweetness. Science, history, travel,
poetry, romance, have each their devo-
tees and, when earnestly and wisely
followed, every range of reading seems
to serve almost equally we'll, both as a
recreation and as training for the mind.
The result does not depend so much upon
what is read as upon how it is read. A
sermon can be perused with an iudolent
ineifciency destructive to all intellectual
training, while novel may be studied
to solid ediication. The real blessing
of the habit is only absolutely withheld
from those who habituolly despise its
bounty, and contemptuously refuse to
accept its benefits.
Regarded as mere pastime, reading
frequently becomes directly injurious. =
Many otherwise sensible people will
freely confess that they use literature
merely as an anodyne, and that the
pages skinned only as the employment
for vacant moment are forgotten as
soon as read. They utterly refuse to
recognize the fact that casual reading
has powerful effect upon the mind,
and they reap the consequences in q
mental dyspepsia, with its far-reachine
results in a weakened memory, blunted
perception, and deteriorated taste.
a habit of reading is too generally
regarded rather as a scholastic acquire
nent restricted to the learned as the re.
suit of study and research, rather thar
in its best and widest office as a universe
benefacton. Time lavished upon ac
complishments, which at most produce
doubtful return in pleasure, might judi
ciously be devoted to the cultivation o
reading as a resouce in solitude, an EN-
ployment in convalescence, or supper
in old age. Time thus invested will
return golden dividends in the varicC
forms of rest under fatigue, and support
in afiiction, serving as an unfailing func
of comfort adapted to every grief, an(
ready for every emergency.
As a medicine for mind diseased, {
volume carclessly opened merely in wan
of thought may prove fountain flowing
with healing power, that, excelling the
most vaulted panacea, acts at once as
tonic, Alternative, and opiate. To vary
the figure to pleasanter and truer form
let not the habit of reading be regarded
but as the dry crust mumbled by disma
deyotees. but as the cheap and pleasant
condiment bountifully prepared as .
relish to our daily bread.