Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-10-16

From newspapers we get certain sort
of culture. hut the reading of newspapers
does not make u scholar-never did, never
can. From the perusal Of magazines we
get another kind of culture, and one of
great value. but magazines can never b.
made to fill the place of books. The sub
iect under consideration changes too often.
is not sufficiently elaborated, is not kept
before the mind long enough to make its
due impression. Take for example Ma
caulry's brilliant essay on Milton. A per
son having read that may form u very
good conception of Millions life and char.
acter. But let one read Mason's life of
Milton in two volumes, and for n while he
lives Millions life, he gives himself time to
come under the moulding influence of that
great mans mind, to think his thought, to
comprehend his motives. to be lifted up to
the level on which Milton habitually lived !;
so that the great poet becomes, so to speak
part Of him. and the sympathetic reader
is quickened by and transfused with the
spirit of that luminary of his age. While
we cannot dispense with periodical litera
ture, with volumes of essays and miscel
lanies, we must remember that they are
side-dshes, " made-dishes." and not the
stapes-the bread and meat-of intellect
ual life and growth. For these we musl
90 to books.
Right here comes in the question "Wha,
books shall we begin withp" The answer
to this question may vary in each inLi
vidual case, and must be decided accord
ing to the circumstances and abilities OF
each one who asks it. Some cannot pro,
cure such books rs they would like, and
must take what they can get; others have
ability to procure what books they choose,
but must first develop capacity to compre-
hend and assimilate what they would read
In IL general way the following outline of
procedure may be found hopeful. Those
who wish to read history should begin with
that of their own country; from this take
up English history; that will lead to the
study of the history of the different na
tions of modern Europe and back to Ro-
man history. This thread it is easy to fol-
low so far and when one has done that
he can be- his own guide in further histori
cal readings. In science the student may
begin with himself and master the ee-
ments Of physiology as given in our tex
books; then he may take up the rocks
under his feet and study geology, or he
may study the " stars in their courses"
and become acquainted with the outlines
of astronmoy. The sciences 90 hand in
hand; he cannot go far iu geology without
being compelled to know something of
chemistry, of botany, of zoology, of the
whole circle of sciences" But though
he field is boundlcss. he has only one
thing to learn at II time, just rs with all
eternity before him he has only one Mo-
ment to live at II time. The measure of
his success in accumulating know Ledge
will be- his patience, his persistence. his
industry, his lhoroughness in learning
well one thing ut a time. If English lit
erature is what the home student desires
to acqudint himself with, he may begin
with some mountaineering like Har-
per's Half Hour Series-conlalning speci
mems OF English literature in the several
stages of its development, SO that he may
have II taste of it from the beginning down
to the present time. Afterward he may
read up more fully the different authors of
whose style he has had taste. In the
selection of these his readings in history
will help him.
An hour given every dav to the pursuit
of any one study will amount in year to
fifteen days of solid work, or to IL term of
twelve weeks of study for six hours every
day, counting out Saturdays aud Sundays
and allowing five days over for Interrupt
tions. What our students at home need to
do is to count the moments of every day,
crowding all work into work hours. SO
that hours of study need not be encroach-
ed upon. BY regular and systematic
employment of these long evenings. so
soon to he ours, the diligent and persist
ent student at home may enrich his mind.
enlarge his intellectual boundaries. and
feel himself day by day growing in wis
dom. in knowledge, in capacity for enjoy.
ment in the ability to command that out
look upon the world and life which lib.
eral education gives. York Tribune.