The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-08-29

men are well versed. They are skilifui
in the use Of every thrust and ward
xnnxn 70 the commercial world; and
ar. pre-eminenfIy successful in accumu
lating wealth though the means are not
aISavs justified by honor
But when you turn from those fields
that are productive OF material pros.
psritv to the region Of thought. knowl-
de. education ana general learning,
Won taen enter the domain where super
6cialness reigns supreme. The charge
we make extends to literature. to pol
itics, aud 70 religion. Thegroaning press
throws off its million volumes every
day. The price Of books is so reduced
that the poorest classes may have a
small collection OF choice books at least
"A small library. Yet who resds9
What proportion of those who are sup
posed to be well informed" are deeply
read in the works OF the masters Of liter.
AZURE? Very few. Fer the most part
they are versed in what John Ran
dolph. of Roanoke, would have called
title pages. That is, they know OF
the existence of such and such books
and authors, and remember some of
the titles on the pages as they casually
glanced through them at the time OF
placing them in the library; but they
have failed to read the books carefully.
and digest the thoughts of the author.
Hence, it happens that SO long as you
merely converse about the outside Of
books, and mention the names of au-
thors and their subjects your average
well informed man" can be
glib enough on these glitter
ing generaEties; but when you
open the books. and begin a dis
cussion OF the merits or dement's of the
authors theories and conclusions you
discover as a rule that you have rent the
gauze by which your well informed
man" was surrounded, he and stands
before you in all his naked ignorance.
1t is so in politics as well as in htera-
ture. The ordinary politician and the
raj bic who are ready TO throw up their
sweaty caps now for Pompey, and now
for Caesar are ignorant Of the principles
of political science, and uniformed as
to the issues upon which the respective
parties are divided, and the multitude
act at the will of the political trickster
who cunningly appeals TO their imme-
date interests on all questions. those Of
national importance as well as those Of
only local consequence: instead of edu.
eating them to act upon the en-
lightened principles Of political science
AS in literature and science, SO
men are content TO be super.
6cial in their religious knowledge. In
deed, religion seems TO be one of those
subjects mankind finds it convenient
not to trouble itself very much
about. but leave it for the ministers to
manage according to their best inyen
ton.
Iii needless TO add hat The HER.
AID considers his superfcialness as al
wrong. 1t Is an evil that should not
only be reformed indifferently but alto
gether. Let it be remembered that il
We stop to examine every stone, every
flower, or pretty shell, We would not be
liable to discover much treasure. Life
IS too short TO permit Us to 20 over the
earth's surface in this manner. So life
is too short for US to read all the
books on the great variety of sub
ice Of which men have written. But
We can select the subjects that will
be of the greatest value TO us,
that will be most likely to de-
velop US and our children into the
nobIest manhood and womanhood, and
that shall best prepsre US and them for
the duties and responsibilities in life
Select then the best authors for your
reading, and absorb their noblesi
thoughts and sentiments, and let your
sctiops as parents, citizens, and Gods
children weave those noblest, best
sentiments into the fabric Of your lives.
H