Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-16


If you are surprised and embarrassed by
your riches, and are tempted to drop down
to ST. subscription, remember that there is
some vanity Of mind and taste in your
family, and let others have books which
you would not care to read.
Thus far have spoken of reading only
as source of information. There are
certain kinds of reading which will do
more than this-will contribute to mans
education in the true sense of the word;
will increase his intellectual power, will
add to his mental resources. We all re-
cognize this to be true in case of the Bible.
We know that the thoughtful reading OF
the Bible nvigorates the intellect, enlarges
the mental horizon, and extends everyway
the sphere in which mans thoughts
INC We. This is true in an inferior sense OF
all books which have real power in them,
all the great books of the worlds liera-
ture. TO read Understandings and with
reflection Shakespeare and Milton, the es.
says of Bacon and the political reflections
of Burke and Webster, the histories of
Gibbon. Hallam. Macaulay, Prescott and
Motley, the philosophy Of Stewart and
Hamilton; to read and reread any one OF
these great authors so as 10 enter thor
oughly into his thought and spirit is to get
one important and essential part of 4
liberal education. To come in contact
with these great minds, to think their
thoughts and share their feelings and i'm
aginings, is to get larger power and fuller
lite into our own minds. 1t is not what
we remember and can quote from these
great authors that measures the good we
get from them, but the change wrought by
them in our own thought and power of
thought, the elevation and breadth they
give to our views, the refinement they in
ducc in our sympathies. | am constantly
seeing raw, rude boys, whose animal ma
ture is uppermoSt and whose minds are
only half walked up, made over into
thong htiUl, Gonsidcrate, h igh'minded young
men by familiarity with the thought and
feeling of these high and noble minds.
But the kind of reading which produces
these results is different from mere reading
for information. 1t is. in fact, study, and
that OF the choicest kind. To read the
FIRST book of Paradise Lost, for instance,
with full appreciation requires almost as
much study as to read book of Virgil
10 read rennyaou's " In memoram"
undcrstandingv is great labor. To read
P"SV VI '',':ol' '-.o'S 70 DO Liuoii
mental eNeftioh as "oulu so'se lrooleh
III hl"the'iiaV'''' i'uU S"cn ie"'''hE ouu
yates l. leaves que nioio o'P"u'o th"n II
louh" INoii' ~ u"' "''"e'' '''iio''''n7 ~ MS
he,''t cePaclly' ,.,.,
Ahe'e Is nno,ne, h'ru vi ic'u'nS witch
or'il@7 WIN IL ootli lhiorlnatloh ana cuuca
tloh' anu WHICH cSPcci'i'y couineuas l'sG'l
10 the farmer | mean tl,o lcau'n9 vi WORKS
on pract'c'' SG'ehce' iiele anu tlete we
una one VINO naS tilo ''i'h anu courage re-
4u,ton " 'ahc up u ''SA III pure Sc'cmre
ana pursue IL aohc anu una'ueu' wei
nave such men III 'hiS SIalc, E'rlhcrs' VINO
never ii'' ny unJoyeu INC advantages oi
Sclentlhc tr"lh'hSi nrc pursuing sc'ehlilc
studies win n hea' Wh'cn IS sure 10 orlng
emlnehce' but tllls implies al intellectual
heroiSh which nlusC uiake sucli cases OK
ceplionlI' buV any ehterprlsihS Iarmer
mas II III MS power u ihake creoitaole
prohc'encY IN some one at least Oh the
many sciences WHICH arc . ctoscly con
nected win Inc operations OF farming
Take chemistry Tor instance, winch enters
so largely INTO al questions about soils,
and iertillzers. ana the succession oil crops;
or botany, when investigates the laws
and conditions OF plant growth; or zoology,
which busies itself about all questions re-
lating to amin us what strong induce
ment the farmer mas TO make sucn attain
ment in any and all OF these sciences as
may be within the power oil selt-taught
student. anu Iue,o arc ins'ances enousn