Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-01-22

| sslEHuaosevsnsas.
II hes Tor many agss hesn univsrss
| y admitted sAn4 f1 i1Arnine b highl
tnportsnt 70 ~ Ven for the world, an
lhowcvsr diversided the opinions
many eminent writer's may have bee
respscung tbs manner OF c0nductin
education, al OF them concur unan
mously In its sslutary offsctA
Now, tits evident that without thi
necessary cultivation the mind Is lik
. barren desert, overgrown with th
weeds OF IGNORANCE and covered wit
the thorny briers Of error. The exc
else Of our reasoning powers 10 . dut
that dev0lves upon every station Q
life. Not an hour Of existence bu
calls for our judgment upon ton thou
sand occasions, whether we regard th
intimate and relative duties which v
owe u our family and connections o
the more distant, though scarcely les
Indispensable, obligations TO . neigh
borhood and society at large. What
II but education which impArN thi
power of discrimination:
What but the cultivation of the min
can enable us to discharge our mora
and social duties with advantage :
Yourselves, benefit TO those around us
and honor to our country? IT'S thi
which teaches us 10 cultivate virtue b,
lhArm0nixing ybe nobler passions Of on
nature. and restraining the bad ouss
Tis this which never falls to sfior'
Dnrn.tu Al "A ali wI,t ar NJ an sa,s In ,,ac< r.,
those leisare hours which must other
wise bs passed In slothful inaction, q
perhaps what IL infinitely worse) II
criminal pursuits. And 1t Is from thi
alone that We can acquire just notion
Of right and wroDg-of elegance ant
taste. Tho mind thus cultivated IN al
those obligations which man owes Il
society and to himself; thus accustomed
10 discern the beauties OF virtue, ant
reflect on the miserable dsrrAvity o
vice, enters upon the vast stage o.
humane life with most peculiar sdvan.
tages.
Such arc some Of tho argument,
which may serve 70 point out tho no
cNssity and advantages Of selfimprove
nent; and would many who now &C
frequently complain that they have nc
time 10 pursue 1t, only apply them
selves with but half tho seal they do K
frivolous amusement, how soon they
would bs Obliged 70 confess their mis-
take.
The chief means of attaining self
improvement are conversation, reading
and without the last nothing
indeed can provo Of any essential scr
vice. Conversation, II properly con
Quoted, ID ono Of the greatest enjoy mentI
Of lite; but how few there are who are
good oonverastionAlists.
Conversation must not be sonf0unded
with talking. A parrot can talk but mol
converse. In It's better part, converse.
tion 10 gift, and not m art. Yet, u
oae Of our poets has remarked, much
depends on culture and the sowing Of
the soil that 10, tho man or woman
who has received good education, and
has had early opportunities Of listening
70 The conversation Of we'll educated
men aad women, has the best chance
Of becoming . good conversation
slist.
But 1t 10 not always our great men
who are the best conversationalists. The
late Lord BeAconsfeld and Carlyle, fol
example, were not ationalists at
all in the strict sense Of the term.
The former, In company, spoke too
little, and the laise too much.
The oae, therefore, soon became In
supportable, and the other uncomfortable.
Tho precepts In respect Of converse
ton, laid down by the amiabls Cowper,
should be studied by every one who
wishes to excel - . conversationalist.
We can only mako this quotation
from them:
"A tale shosld bsJadicisss, clear, $40.
Tho lsnsuas. plain. tho incidents we'll
Tell not a. new what everybody knows,
And new or old still hasten to close.
Thsn osntering In . focus round and neat,
Let Ill your rays ofinformation meet.
what neither Yields Us profit nor delight,
10 like nurses lullaby by night.
Guy, Earl OF warwick, and fair Eleanors,
VI GisntkillinE Jack vosld please me
more"
Reading 10 such An inestimable bene-
4 t that none but the most frivolous can
regard IL ~ being merely tho source Of
for whom judiciously con-
iuctsd 1t IL the chief vehicle Of infor.
nation and instruction ; 1t enables us TO
,ecoms acquainted with the most mem
,rablo transactions, inventions, man
,ers, etc., Of remotsst ages; by reading
" are put In possession Of the senti-
nsnts and experienced remarks OF the
visest mon Of every civilisod nation, all
Exhibited In the ablest manner and best
|rsss; 1t equally instructs the king
md the peasant, tho statesman and citi. |
On, tho scholar and the mechanic; 1t
8 in = word from tho Press, that In.
school for all ranks, that best
4 public monitors, we derive 40 many |
q nestimsble benefits and thanks to the
resent cheap mode Of comforting it,
blessings, there IL now hardly any one
o poor who may not be enabled to
each some Of the brightest gems Of
Itsrature.
To conclude--ths best employment
Z vacant time Ia self-improvement
nd he who deserts his books, from an
lea that he 10 already sufficiently pro.
cient, will hnd that his books will
desert him.
7 sdvartised for two more customers.