The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-01-15
THOUGHTS ABOUT READING.
BY GAsKELI.
No. II.

1t is when men get beyond the Eel
- OF demonstrable fact, into that @
=, speculation, that they most widel,
:, differ. When they meet upon tht
plane of a common humanity anc
I cast aside theory and sophisticated
9 philosophy they are less likely Il
g disagree. To the young man, Just
] starting out in life, It is bette; to k0oH
J that good, common sense. and fixed
g principles of right, ere far preferable
to the snowy tinseling OF superficial
accomplishments. While 10. claim
ing 80 large portion OF the time of
others, his merits sre cure ID rest
upon a mora solid foundation, and,
should be be cast upon bis own re-
sources, he has within himself a
strength that needs no adventurous
support.
All human beings have q desire to
appear respectfully in life. 1t is in
the nature of that responsibility they
differ. To be ignorant on profes
sioOal, or scientific points is 10 dis
grsce, but to be ignorant upon all
intellectual points, shows either a
woeful waste of time and opportunity
or an idiotic weakness OF mind.
Whilst conversation is not to be COZ
tinuosly INDUCED in, to be unable to
talk intelligently is notifying toI
every sensitive mind; and when that
inability is the result of ignorance,
through neglect Of past advantage, it
can but result in shame to the indi-
vidual.
What then should the young read ?
That depends in a great measure
upon what line OF life they are to fol-
low. Whatever it may be, pTofeg-
sion or trade, they should endeavor
90 master it in all its bearings and
details. He is not great by any
means who has q smattering OF the
greatest number of facts, but he who
is most learned in the particular line
OF life he is destined to follow. His
principal reading should be with
view to increase his power in that
as by so doing he enlarges
his efficiency and usefulness. There
are certain kinds of reading that all
should more or less prsctise-those
that increase our knowledge of virtue l
and add to the aggregate OF our ex- t
Derience. And, IN nothing are such l
acts or truths illustrated more fully c
han in those records of the past we |
,sll biography and history. They
ell US what men have done and can '
10; and while many pages are de- 7
Ioted TO a record OF folly and vice, !
heir very errors should not be in
lulged in from a desire for amuse- r
nent alone, nor will it be where an 4
investigating intellect exists, as mem-
ny plays an important part IN the
economy of life and we are led IN
to compare and divide "
ruth from error. virtue from vice. h
lore persons are led into the con-
Mission OF Trong By impulse than p
and design, and much as
ONE may talk OF the innate deprsv- Il
~ OF human nature, its tendencies :,
re rather toward the good than bad. 4
The advantages enjoyed by the =
oung man of to-day in Utah, are
ar superior to those of twenty or y
hirty years ago. Books were rare :,
nd Lone but those in afflusnt cir 81
for those days, could n
jrocure them. l well remember the q
agerness With which ! read any n
hiug new. but, as on account OF Il
carciiy I devoured everything that F
anne in my way. l now, in the II
ight of greater experience. see that il
much of it would have been better lei n
lone. Even our SCHOOLS taught
title more than reading, writing and v
My ideas of grammar r,
Tere confined 10 the similitude of
angusgs TO a tree, in its trunk, Fl
ranches and leaves one growing out n
{ and being dependent upon h
ne other. Nor do l think the
eacher knew any better himself-At "
east be never, to my knowledge. got
eyond that figure, and for augbt l a
now, may be still at work on it. n
The name of the text book. where :,
MS tree foulished l forget. f.
s the only copy belonged to the G.
saeneT, nor do kuOW WHas consul
lted the trunk, branches and leaves Ii
I the tree. Ii
It was a pleasant day for me when
be Utah Library was given by r,
overnment 10 the territory and to n
be librarian. John Lyon, many v
hanks are due for his unvsrying n
.indness. Though not covering a Il
Tide range, the collection embraced G
nost of the standard works on history, h
cience and literature of the English
snguage. 1 mention this, not n
Trough egotism, but to contrast the n
aet with the present, and TO show 4
be young man that il he chooses O
here is no reasonable bar to his d
Ii