Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-08-12

NOW li.o llnsatIon Il Ansvvered b


Uow tiao Question II Answered BY
Metropolitan Editor.
An editorial In the Now York San says
This is a very large question, but we must
help along our bashful young friend;
win you kindly inform young man what
the essentials OF "culture" are, also what
are proper works TO read2 | desire 20 be
good conversAtionallsi, but always feel I'll
ut ease and am bashful. Can You suggest a
way 10 successfully overcome the latterY
Ralph Waldo Emerson proxies to m
esany ON culture these lines, from which,
young man, You may try to get general
notion Of whit culture is
''Can rules or tutors edueate
The domlgOd whom we aWnit2
He must be musical,
Tremulous, impressional,
Alive to gentlo influence
OF landscape and Of sky,
Aud tender to the spirlt-touoh
OF MINIS or naiden's eye
But 10 hts native centre fast,
Shall Into Future fuse the Past,
And the worlds flowing fates In his own
mould recast."
Do these lines only servo to mystity the
subject still further for yon Well, that
Is because Emerson himself could not
exactly define culture, and if you read his
essay through, you would probable be
even more in the dark. Indeed, it does
not seem 10 us the wonderful work the
disciples and followers of the Concord
philosopher thought it TO be at the time it
FIRST appeared.
Culture, dear boy, has come to be a
cant term, and no end Of nonsense and
platitude has been written and talked
- -. N.
made 1t the theme of Boston discussion
What you mean is cultivation. You want
to know what is necessary to make you a
cultivated man.
Everything within the range of know
ledge, of thought, and of taste is neces-
sary. All good books will help you to
the end, and some which are not good
may assist you in the way Of comparison.
Association with cultivated people and
conversation with them are Indispensable
aids. The taste to discriminate the good
from the p all art is essential. Social
refne' luisite.
But \ know it ALL You car
only learn tile but what you Learn
learn thorol Be careful to read the
books of the masto.s of the literary art SO
that you will be insensibly affected by
tnoE hilib unlll yUu CDiub ht lthSt 10 lllS
tinguish and prefer and require tn,
superior sort. II you go to hear music,
sec TO IL that it is the music Of the grea
artists, and take pains to look at goot
pictures, for gradually you will fin,
Yourself learning to enjoy them alone
And SO in all things seek the best and re
jeot the poor and commonplace.
AS to conversation, you will get alonl
well enough in that when you become in
teiested in what Interests cultivated peo
Pile. You will forget yourself in your ab
aorption in what you are talking about
That is the way to overcome bashfulness
which comes from self -consciousness. lie
member that you are not SO important il
other peoples eyes as in your own, an,
that they are not singing you out for oh
servation. You are ouly one among man
"a drop in the bucket of humanity. s
don't worry yourself abont what peopl
are thinking of You, for they are likely t
think of You not at ali, or in the mos
careless way, unless you attract their al
tention by your awkward bashfulness
Even then what they think is of little col
sequence. What you are is tue essentii
matter. Brave it out, and regard midi
ference with philosophy.
Cultivation That is something upc
which man must expend his whole life
effort, and when all is done he will on
have started on his quest.