The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-01-10
THOUGHTS ABOUT READING
BY GAsKELL.
No. I.

Reading is one of the most pleasant
of sll occu 2atione, to those studiouslY
inclined. By it we became acquainted
with the actions of men long passed
away from the earth; and We became
conversaut with their thoughts, feel
ings and desires. Art, science and
literature, are displayed before us,
and we have but TO choose our path
and perseveringly follow it out. 10 be
profted by our reading. Bat the
most necessary of all things, to reap
the full power it gives, Is purity OF
purpose and steadfastness OF aim.
Upon ourselves rests the decision OF
whether it shall be beneficial or
INJURIOUS. Whether it shall be a
means of raising us in intelligence
and true manhood, or whether we
prostitute it 10 an unkOly purpose
and use the knowledge gained to
further some triling, selfish object Of
our own.
In all the pursuits of life we should
be earnest and sincere. Life is toe
short to be passed in listlessuess and
apaIhetic Incidence. The young man
Who is net seeking knowledge, is
inevitably sure to amount to but very
little a. the end of the race. While
innocent gayety and good humor are
to be cultivated, to give our hours en-
tirely to amusement is to waste our
time and abuse the gift of intellect
bestowed upon Us by our Creator
Net that 1t is desirable every moment
should be spent in seeking know
ledge, for there are other duties to
perform az well, and in imparting to
others we increase orr own store.
Often is the teacher benefited as much
as the pupil, for the increased facility
begot:en by practice, extends to the
ACQUISITION, as well as the bestowal OF
knowledge.
In the hurry of an active, laboring
life, none of US has much surplus OF
time; but, be it much or little, it
should be usefully employed. 1t is in
the INSTRUMENTATION OF thought,
the expression of Our own ideas and
the respectful listening ID those OF
others, that the wise man increases
his wisdom. Humanity is too much
inclined to run in grooves and the
opinionsted man often wears them SO
deep, as to be never able to get ont oil
them. He knows but one side of the
picture and all who see not through
similar eyes, are looked upon az mis-
taken and ignorant.
Communication with living men il
adapted to llberalize our opinions and
impart a cosmopolitan character to
our ideas; but ut times, antagonisnl
being reused, a candid, dispassionate
investigation of principle Is impos-
sible. IL the written word, We are,
in a manner, placed upon our good
behavior, as it would be foolishness
TO vent our anger on the absent. and
if they have passed away from earth,
death has coudoned ell thei7 faults.
Though it should be, the poet says,
The good men do is oft Uttered
with their bones" yet should We
wish otherwise; and in passing theiI
thought, through the orucible of our
minds, if We are pure, that purity
will cleanse the!efrom all dross, leay-
ing a residue of truth and a know.
ledge of principle that cannot fail tc
be beneficial.
There are individuals, however, fal
too impossible. They are men ofone
thought, for though they may veel
and change in opinion scores o.
times in the course of their lives, they
have but one idea at a time. Theil
intellects are too circumscribed &c
/ comprehend the complex and multi
farioua forms under which truth sp-
pears, or that Ii is in sll things and EN-.
braces all things. The latest novelty
is the acme of their aspirations,
to give place to something new to-
morrow. As in glass, they give but
a reflex of the image presented. and
to such, evil opinions, by communlca-
ton orally or by reading, cannot fail
to run their course.
What We shonld read and how We
should read are very important ques-
tons. They are questions tha. have
not and can not be fully answered by
man. We may say "read all that il
pure, exalting, ennobling and eleva
ting, and shun all that is debasing
degrading and SINFUL" but is that 8
plain answer that all can understand
No one but the Omuiscient can define
those words in all their bearings-in
the iufuitlde Of their Relationship
with men, circumstances, times ant
temperaments. But for US the tasE
of go controlling our irtsllects as Il
reap good, possibly from evil; to e.
chew the latter wherever seen, Il
change but by the power of a ful
conviction, being certain that VI
havs something better before We cas-
away our former possessions.