The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-08-26

t10ns W. Originals, and yet not re
gard human mind as q species dc
.f0ic graz to be stuffed, stimulated and
rendered unwh0les0lne. Perhaps an
epigrammatic knack can be acquired
by continued reading but to make
that effective 1t must appear rs q
spontaneous development. "Spcak-
ing Of guns'' will hardly answer,
eften. Borrowed epigrams entertain
when partly andsperfngly employed,
but the wit to use almost implies the
ability TO originate. The class Of
young people who read with the
avOwed purpose Of doing 80 that they
may thcre6; learn to talk, Ii not
small. ''Oh, have you read
'Delilah'::'' "Yes, indeed: isn't 1t
perfectly splendid" "Have you
seen Up IN u Ralloom'::" mo; Il 1t
good ?'' ''TOO lovely f. r words don't
fail to get It," II won't; have you
had 'Skyrockets':'' "Oh, YES; dote
upon ali Of her books "Whc wrote
Brouehton NO, ~, she wrote
'lvanhOe'; lct me sec-wl,O did write
'Skyrockets::' Well l can't remem-
ber, and it Is no matter; they went
of beautifully" etc., etc. "What
have you girls been talking about 30
long -" Oh, about books. EfIie has
read everything;" and the satisfietl
malnmas exchange approving glances
and say to each other, "Sucil literary
tastes are very becoming in young
girls. I do thank Heaven that my
children are not frivolous.
Now, the good pastor of the South
Congregational Church says that with
change Of scene and change Of name
few nOvel.readens would know & new
bOOk from an old. These discrimi-
mating critics hate Daisy Miller, y
and think 3lr. James real mean to
have made that vivacious young wO-
man . type Of an American girl ;
though why Daisy Miller IL often al
lutled to ~ typical it would be din.
cult to guess Bessie Alden, who Is
never 20 mentioned, might far better
he considered 20. Men and women
Of a certain calibre find their mental
sustenance In quasi religious news
papers, and they slo furnish much
that II n0urishing and stimulating.
First or last, resulnes of much that is
excellent In prose or poetry find place
I'm their columns. One could only
ask that the scraps 50 presented might
tempt the appetite to greater Yeenncss;
but, ~ they say, when the newspsl-
pens or magazines are read, there is
no time for anything else.
And on this very plea some house
holds decline to l,ar6or floating litera'
ture Of any sort. These agnostics are
delightful to meet. What u z. Od time
q newspaper man has in bringing
such neixhbors up to date! But this
totalaLsiinence, like all intenlperance,
has its penalties. 1t IL almost incredi.
bic that . teacher If rather uncom.
mon culture in several departments,
bat who repudiated tie newspapers,
had never heard of Phillip Brooks
last winter, although she had lived
within forty minutes Of New York
the lasttwenty years. Perhaps 1t was
Of NO consequence; but it was queer
In the same town there was q clergy
mans widow, who could say, as il
revelantly, when an exquisite cl0i'
some collection was under discussions
II admire Decalcolnania, to-" II
became necessary to find . reason fol
this-shall we say :-st0ppage Of CIR
culati0n. And q vigorous search re
vesled only an utter lack Of flee read
ing matter, while logon,achy and
anagralns were the favOrite evening
games! Anagrams, per sc, are moi
criminal, but anagralHs considered IL
relation to their effects upon human
beings are vile conspiEat0rs. A. Z
corollary to the L9rd's Prayer, IT,.
command to Go ye into oil the worlt
and preach"-so far theeye runs dowl
the panel, and at the word preacf
nnds itself In such muddle Of pea
par, eer, each, ace, ache, that tempo
rary idiocy ensues. No; 1t u certajl
that not to read ut oil IL WoFse thar
woodworking. But the novel.readlen
badly 1eed protection ffom their pro
J psns1ty.-Boston Transcript.