Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-08-16
sELF-EpucATIoN.
How IT May Easily he Acquired by Busy
Workers.

How It May Easily BE Acquired by Busy
Workers.
What can a busy man or woman do
to keep the results Of his school educa-
ton and carry on the process still
furtherp In school we require either
facts or principles; in life wc must
learn how to apply these facts and
principles in practical affairs, or they
are useless to both us and to others.
How, in busy life, can we get knowl-
edge and apply knowledge
By observation. Life is all the time
talking to us. He will be always learn
ing who keeps his eyes open and his
sars open. Some men are two busy,
others too lazy, and others too self
conceited to hear what life has to
teach them. We have two eyes, two
ears and two nostrils to acquire infor-
nation, and one tongue with which to
give it. He is a wise man who under
stands the proportion which this fact
indicates, and devotes six times as
much energy to filling up as to giving
out.
Good companions are great teachers.
The living teacher is better than the
dead. Every man knows something
better than you know it, and will be
willing to tell you If you are willing
to listen to the telling. Most men like
to impart knowledge but there is
choice of teachers-that is, es compan-
ions. The wise man will pick out
companions wiser than himself He
!. will seek companionship that is educa-
tive and stimulating, not merely that
which is alluring aud enjoyable. The
advantage Of school or college is
largely the advantage of intellectual
companionship.
In the long run companions mold
character. A man is made as we'll as
known by the companions he keeps.
He who lives with pigs will learn to
wallow; he who lives with birds will
learn to fly. The graduate of the
billiard-room or bowling-alley or pool
room learns nothing in its companion
ship Do not ask, Will this do me any
harmp Ask, Will it do me any goodp
The companionship of much of what
we call society" is little or no better.
Small talk is the smallest of all micro
scopic SUBJECTS Sahara of sand to
grain of gold.
The best place to find companionship
ought to be home. The first duty of the
father and mother is to furnish helpful
companionship in the home. But there
are many homeless people and many
homes that are not educative, and no
homes that can furnish all the educa-
ton that our sons and daughters need.
Where shall we spend our eveningsp
If there is no literary life in the viii
lage, set some literary life a-going.
Find at least one companion who will
read with you, then second; three
are enough to make sympathetic cir
ole. Church-meetings are not always
alluring, not always, even, unfortun-
ately, instructive; but they furnish at
least better companionship than the
street corners.
Reading is an educator; whether it is
good or a bad educator depends on
what you read. Read good literature.
No man in this year of our Grace 1888,
who lives in America needs to be with
out good library. The best books
..,,%h IF {ha 90
meager purse. You can get good
companion for as little cost as cigar.
Your trouble Is perhaps not want of
money, but want of time. No! We
have all tins enough to learn if we
have wisdom enough to use the frag-
ments of our time. Henry Ward
Beecher used TO read between the
courses at the dinner table, and when
he got interested in his book would
take it for his dessert. Hugh Miller
lay prone before the fire studying,
while his companions were Willing
away the time in idle jest and stories.
Schliemann, as a boy, standing in
queue at the post-offlce and waiting his
turn for letters, utilized the time by
studying Greek from little pocket
grammar in his hand. He is wise
economist who does not waste more
than half an hour day in the gossip,
useless conversation, frivolous amuse-
ment, or mere vacuity. Half an hour
q day is three hours week, hundred
and fifty in a year. twenty working
days net! The man who uses his frag-
ments of time has nearly one month
more in the year than his neighbor
who is wasteful of the precious CON-