Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-02-13
Self Culture.
For the CITIZEN. !


Man is a wonderful union Of mind
and body, and to form perfect being
high degree of cultivation is required
for each component part. You should
not cultivate one part to the neglect of
the others. Those who cultivate the
mind to the neglect of the body are as
much in error as those who cultivate
the body to the neglect of the mind.
The aim of all attempts of self-culture
should be the highest and most appro-
pirate development of the entire being
physical, intellectual and moral. 1t
comprehends the health of the body
the expansion of the intellect and the
publication of the heart. 1t guards the
health of the body, because if it becomes
feeble it acts powerfully on the mind
and is clog to its progress; it cher
ishes the intellect, because it is the
glory of the human being, and it trains
the moral nature because if that is
weak and misdirected blight falls
upon the soul and rests upon the body.
As each faculty reacts upon all the
others, true self-culture attends with q
due proportion of care to each. Self
culture includes proper care of the
health of the body +; to be careless of
your health is to be stunted in intellect
and miserable in feeling The body is
often injured by self-indulgences; such
as eating and drinking too much; and
sometimes by working or studying to
hard. The body requires a certain
amount of exercise and at the proper
time How many bright minds have
failed to make any impression upon the
world simply because they neglected
the rules of health Solomon says {:
'The glory of young man is his
strength" Some have ruined not only
body but also the soul by the use of
strong drink. Self.culture also implies
suitable efforts to expand and strength
en- the intellect by reading, by reflection
and by writing down your thoughts
The strength and vigor given to the
mind by self-culture is not materially
different from that expressed by the
term education in its broadcast and most
comprehensive meaning. The intellect
being the crowning glory and chief at
tribute of man, there can be no nobler
aim to set before ones self than that of
expanding and quickening all of it's
powers. Books are no doubt very USE
ful helps to knowledge, and in some
measure to the practice of useful arts
and accomplishments; but they are not
in any case the primary and natural
source of culture they are not creative
powers; they are only artificial tools,
and the use of them should never tempt
as to underyalue or neglect the use of
our eyes: the original and primary
sources of knowledge are not books, but
life experiences, personal thinking, feel
ing and acting. | do not want to be
understood as saying anything against
the study of books; | mean to incour-
age it if possible; but | want especially
to incourage you in making use of your
eyes and ears 1t is the trained and
disciplined intellect which rules the
world of literature, science and art.
knowledge is an engine of power, it is
the secret that gives US our dominion
over nature, the key that unlocks the
store-house of creation and opens to US
the treasure of the universe. 1t i5 that
which forms the difference between
savage and civilized nations, and makes
the distinction of men as they appear
in society. 1t is that which has raised
man from the humblest walks of life to
positions of influence and power.
1t is not necessary that | should
dwell much longer on this part of the
subject | only wish that all would
value the culture of the intellect as they
should. You should improve every
opportunity that you have to develop
the intellect, and in the selecting of
your literature you should be careful to
read something that will be a benefit
to you, and in reading you should read
with care and always try to understand
the meaning the author intends to con-
vey. But man possesses something
more than mere body and intellect;
he possesses moral faculties as well. A
true self-culture will be none the less
careful to have the moral nature refined
and pure than IL Is TO possess physical
health on the one hand and mental
vigor on the other. The moral nature
of man supplies him both the motives
and the regulative powers, being, in
fact, the governor and lord and legiti-
mate master of the whole machine.
Moral excellence is therefore justly felt
to be an Indispensable element in all
forms Of human greatness. A man
may be as brilliant, as clever, as strong
and as broad as you please, and with
all this, if he is not good, be may be a
paltry fellow Let every one therefore
who would not suffer shipwreck on the
great voyage of lite, stamp seriously
upon his soul before all things the
truth OF the scripture text, one thing is
needful, that is morality.
J. w NEYMAN
Riedsburg Pa.