Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-02

Rev. Charles H StronE's Lecture at 81
Johns Church Last Night.

The cultivation Of the minds Of young
people BY reading was the subject OF Rev.
Charles H. StrOng's lecture at st. Johns
Church last night. He took as his text
Second Timothy, w.. 13-s'The cloak that
1 lett al TrOas with Carpus, when
thou contest. bring with thee. and
the books. but especially the
parchment" The parable of the
pr0digal son he regarded as the jewel
parable Of the Scripture. Certainly no
better picture could be drawn Of the dis
position Of man 20 wander of after the
sins of the world. and Of the penitent's
return, and the necessity OF a prOdigal
period in the history of every individua al
IL IS held. be said, by many that there Is
necessarily a period of excess IN our
lives, and IL is true that many who have
INDUCED in excuses have settled
down ard lead regular lives, but
he desired 70 enter protest
against the assumption that there
is of necessity period Of excess IN the
lives Of men. There is no reason. he said.
why the lives and growth OF individuals
should not be regular and normal IKE
that Of a plant. The growth OF men
should be controlled and regulated ana
kept in the vyay that God has pointed out.
If the mind studies the true and noble,
evil must then be TepulsiVe. Glad
ara we that we were not
born in the last century when the mind
was limited. and we should he glad that
our birth was not deferred until the next
century. when all viii be settled and nor
NAL We SHOULD be glad that We were
horn at the dawn Of modern science. 1t
is one Of the characteristics of our day
that the fruit Of intellect is books
Two questions. he said, present them
selves especially TO young men, Nv hat
shall l read.'' ''HOw shall / ready' He
desired to enter a negati0n against i'm
moral and coarse literature. 10 read I'M
moral books he believed TO be reading one
self into chaos and darkness. Coarse
literature he regarded but a step
higher. and n read 1t was IN read
the mind into ObliteratiOn. Better,
he believed, 20 without a1y literature at
all than 10 read either. The character
Of orr reading should be determined by
the object with which we read. II the
! news is desired. there is the daily paper,
but IL can never make a man of letters,
for it must be read in haste and cannot be
mastered Immediately. because Of the
great number Of subjects it contains. 4
step above the new spaper is the
magazine and periodical. To I'M
derstand and master science and
kindred subjects requires the study OF
numerous books, but the magazine brings
"A knowledge Of these subjects within the
| reach of all.
But what OF the nOvels?" be asked.
"A great novel" was his reply, lis one OF
the greatest blessings and is a nece ssary
pleasure" "DOes the modern novel pic
ture society as II is:' was the next ques-
ton. His answer was: cit does mott
The modern novelist he characterized
as a pessimist looking upon the
evil SIDE Of society. The novel
Of today he continued, lis based on
false hood. and Is not a study Of the prin-
ciples OF life and nature. EmersOn's adj
vice % wait wear before reading the lat
est novel, hc regarded good advice. The
standard novels of the past paint life IN
better aud trucr cOlOrs. sHe recon-
meHded Dickens, scott. Thackeray and
Cooper as the great nOVelists of the GEN.
/ fury.
REGARDING the manner of reading
in the first place for culture. He
recommended Cnaucer, SHAKESPEARE,
Shelly. Milton, ByrOn's Childe Harold and
similar works. Another object of read
| ing should be discipline. and this could
/ be obtained only by attention and close
application. We Should read with Oul
profession in view. but whatever mans
/ pursuit be he should also read varfously
The speaker concluded by saying that
| The general idea Of heaven was that it Is
| a place OF the affections. but be believed
/ il 10 be place Of the intellect, and that
I those who improve their time here will
/ md compensation hereafter.