The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-08-07
CLEVERNESS AND CULTURE.

I suppose tbe world Of literary
people may be somewhat roughly d.
ylded iB:o clever, cultured, and intel
lectual persons, though OF course any
two, or all three. adjectives may
sometimes apply TO enc individual.
Yet now commonly the words are
couiounded, and the different terms.
which do express real differences of
mental faculty, bestowed at random,
not only upon authors of note but
upon any man or woman supposed
to be given to books! l often think
OF Titles story Mrs. Gsskell tells of
Charlotte Bronte when at school.
The girls weEsf alkiDg of Dr.. Johnson,
and come of them spoke of him as
clever. Charlotte objected to the
eDithet, saying, He has not bit of
CEeveraLfy IN him." Her comrades,
who were one and all incapable OF
approaching the distinction she drew
between cleverness and other kinds
of mental power, unanimously
pounced upon her for making use of
such q self. made. un-English word as
''c!eVeralty." OF course Charlotte
knew what the proper word was, but
happening to lose it at the moment,
in the eagerness OF discussion she
coined very good substitute. PEG.
pie who do not read at all find Slit
erary" their word of good command
for all those who know little more
than they do. Persons in the habit
ofzesding books of good character
commendable habit, whether or not
they enter into them with perfect
intelligence-are fond OF the term
intellectual" which they gen.
erously apply to any one whose read.
Ing they know extends little farther
or goes little deeper than theirs.
The precise meaning OF the word
intellectual" only lately defined
itself to nae, and by the aid of anoth-
er. Speaking OF young lady, not of
my acquaintance, whose acquire
ments l knew to be rather uncom.
mon, che having pursued linguistic
studies farther than many men into
the Hebrew. Sanskirt, Anglc-Saxon,
etc., | considerably called her in
tellectual. No, she is not intelleo-
tual," replied my friend, who knew
the young lady tolerable well. What
is she then2' ga young woman with
q taste for study, brought up under
the influence of an intellectual man."
And an intellectual person is
WbRt?" Zone Who thinks for him
self. uses his Own intellect to some
purpose. My friends definition re-
duces the number of intellectual
people considerably, but no doubt be
is right. That, reading does not ne.
cessarily make cultivated person is
a truth not generally apparent, even
TO Conscientious readers who suppose
themselves to be going through pro.
cess of cultivation. There is compar-
stively small pleasure in talking of
books and subjects connected with
literature with an HncultuTed person.
however he may be in the habit of
reading; while in the presence of Gull
tiyated men or women almost the
fret word reveals that their reading |
has been assimilated and become q |
part OF their mental substance, 30 to |
speak, and there is felt at once
common ground to move upon, an
understanding of each
others point of view. A circle of
dozen or two of ladies meet together
for the diligent improvement OF their
minds, snd.an outsider may see that
80 far as true culture is concerned,
bhe ladies are no further advanced at
The end of the year than at the begin
ming. They have read a number of
books, gained considerable Informs.
ion on enc sort or another, and en-
Dyed the occupation more or less,
and yet have not exercised their own
reflective powers; they have paid ex-
elusive attention, perhaps, to the sub.
cot matter Of the volumes, and neg
ected the form, the purely literary
qualities, which to the man Of culture
IRE nearly as important as the suo-
ItSnce. | suppose, however, that thu
literary instinct, the capacity for cul
are is largely gift of nature; it may
De entirely such.
It is noticeable that while clever
less and culture, or culture and
often go together, it is rare
o find what we call cleverness in
with strong intellectual
Atlantic.
Hints About Eating Breakfast.
Having tested number of meals