The Arizona sentinel., 1888-08-18
SELF-EDuCATION.
How It May Easily Be Acquired by BusN
 Workers.

How It May Easily Be Acquired Dy BusN
 Workers.
 What can a busy man or woman dc to keep the results of his school educa' tion and carry on the process stil further? In school we require either facts or principles; in life VIC mus learn how to apply these facts and principles in practical affairs, or they are useless to both us and to others How, in a busy life, can we get know'- 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 put.
 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 a choice of teachers-that is, of 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 well 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 harm? Ask, Will it do me any good? The companionship of much of what we call society" is little or no better. Small talk is the smallest of all micro scopic subjects-a Sahara of sand to a 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- tion that our sons and daughters need. Where shall we spend our evenings?
 If there is no literary life in the vil- lage, set some literary life a-going. Find at least one companion who will read with you, then a second; three are enough to make a sympathetic cir ole. Church-meetings are not always Hlluring, not always, even, unfortun- stely, instructive; but they furnish at least better companionship than the street corners.
 Reading is an educator; whether it is B 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 put good library. The best books are within the reach of the most mesger 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 time 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-ofice and waiting his turn for letters, utilized the time by studying Greek from little pocket grammar in his hand. He is a 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 3 day is three hours week, a hundred and fifty in 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 Tasteful of the precious com modity. ChrtStiar1 Urato1a.