The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-09-04
Books and Reading.

lie who stands on hill and SURVEYS
wide landscape, easily recognizes the
leading features of he-ccuntry-the
river aud the homestead, the church
and the corn field they need no guide,
they tell their own tale. In like man
ner the great landmarks of the litera-
ture of the past are well defined and
unmfstakable to him who has eyes to
see and a mind to comprehend. The
traveller v no may choose his line, and
as he goes his way he will not fail to
find guides who will give him the di-
rectiops which passing doubts and diff
hcultles may render necessary. The
worlds great books stand out as the
old stone walls of some great feudal
fortress-prominenta and indesiructible.
Their original uses have been super
seded by the worlds advance; but
time and change add greatly to their
interest. lie, however, who finds him.
self entangl+d in tfa dense Jungle of
books that are not "lnasterpieces," and
are SD plentiful in modern literature, is
in sorry plight; his way lies through
this Jungle, be it long or short and he
can not escape it altogether. He hHs
heard Of the quiet groves of the Acad-
eny, and of the height, of Parnassus,
but he is rarely able to catch a glimpse
of them. He Is whiried along and
iooses his foothold in the eddying tor.
rent tf periodical literature; or he is
entangled in the briars of controversy,
and, torn aud vexed, is opt to lose his
way.
"A young mans very desul,ory read,
ing will perhaps be one of the most
lanfrc1 fNr Ind; ,r,I,o Lse e,y.,
career should be. Knowing himself,
or, being known, as has been said, by
those directing him, and by his own
discursive reading having learnt what
work for his peculiar abilities is open
for him in the world, he probably will
judge quite readily what line of study
he should at first pursue, and following
ou, this clue, at first by the aid Of ju-
dicious external guidance, he will,
with ever>increasing self reliance and
discrimination, proceed to fulfill the
requirements Of education and the in
ciination OF his own mental disposition.
This method of development is the
natural order by which intellectual
growth, by means Of books, or any other
means, proceeds. To make q choice of
certain hundred books for any mans
perusal, in his youth or afterward, is
but a feat OF cleverness, arousing curl.
osity or wonder, but evolving nothing
ending in the choice. A man may be
possessed of any number of good books,
and possibly a thousand books might
be selected, all of which would be by
general consent called excellent, and
worth possessing, and perhaps he would
be none the better for them all. Young
men do not require a hundred books at
once. Indeed the fewer well.selected
books youth has to begin with, the
more safe he is against excessiveness
of time. His most important question
is not, what shall read? but, what
need I read? The students care
should be to read as little, and to think
as much as possible. Thus he will find
what thing it is that he at any time
i'm Immediately requires to know, and he
will make this pressing need the OBJ
ject of his next requirement in books.
This method tends to education; it de-
velops mental power, and makes q
cultivated man. A hundred books
procured and read without appropriate
sympathy, and interest, and thought,
will merely make an animated book
case of the man.
T1a M &c, NhAf q