The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-02-16
Read and Act.
BY REV. NJ. F. PRITCHARD.

L
To what extent does the reading
matter of our country benefit the
people Our country is flooded with
newspapers and literature of every
sort, and still, from North to South,
from the gentle slopes of the Attain
tic coast to the rock. hound cliffs OF
the Pacific, the people clamor for
something to read, Like ravenous
beasts the reading population greed
lily devour the contents of the thous'
ands of newspapers and periodicals
and the hundreds of thousands OF
books, and are impatient if kept
waiting a day for something more.
The American author and publisher
are as indispensable to the craving
appetite of the news hunter as bread
and meat are to the hungry laborer.
The literary world governs the pc.
li.icaI, as the political governs the
civil. The most competent men are
sought to WELD the powers of the
Government, and men of most liter
ary genius are daily giving their
thoughts toward moulding the char.
acter of other men. The people are
led on in every purpose and pursuit
by the influence of the press. Re
ligiou, Temperance reforms, political
strifes and civil chickering's. are alike
guided and adjusted by the literary
genius of the world. But it is well
known fact that those who read most
are not unfrequently the ones who do
the least. They read the ideas of
great men, and justly admire the
wisdom and beauty of the article
they read, but they fail to digest the
thoughts they gain from it. Not
long ago one of those excellent adj.
dresses of D. r. Talmadge appeared
in print. The entire address was
radiant with grand possibilities for
our young men to achieve, and a
Young man called my attention to it
as such a 'magnificent address," but
that same young man might read a
similar sermon every day for year
and he no better for it; simply be.
cause he is to indOlent to act upon
the suggestions contained in it. With
power to read the thoughts and wis
dom to admire them. he fails to de.
rive any personal good therefrom
simply because he lacks the energy
sufficient for the execution of noble
deeds. So it is that the multitude,
living in the very center of civiliza-
ton and progress, with every induce
ment to advancement in religion,
and art and science, still adhere to
their old evils and errors. They live
in an age of culture and hold with
pertinacity of fate to the old custom,
simply because it is easier to drift
with the tide than to battle against
the evils and make an effort to re-
form them. The majority of the peo-
pie read and admire and think then,
like great lazy CLAIMS. they crawl
back into their shells of self.indul.
gence and leave somebody else to
digest the ideas they have read. They
listen with fixed attention to an ele.
CANT address stirring sermon, and
thier hearts vibrate in unison with
the lesson taught. the tear of sym.
pathy falls, warm glow of feeling
moves their souls and they exclaim,
"How grand thing life is! What
wonderful results one human being
can accomplish. How sublime a
thing to lift up fallen humanity and
lead the erring into ways of purity
and happines ~ Then they go to
their homes and gorge themselves
with rich food, and smother the in
ner longing for a higher life by the
foolish requirements of fashion for
getting or ignoring the fact that there
is spiritual body which demands
attention, and life higher than this
temporal existence which calls for
cultivation. Why is it that people
read, read, read, day after day, the
sublime things of which our natures
are capable, and then just live on in
same old hum-drum faulty, imper-
feet ways, not doing a single act to
ennoble life? Life is a wonderful
thing sacrad existence, and he who
gave US this existence and the capac.
ity to discern between good aud evil
and desire for a higher life. has
also given US the ability to overcome
the evil with the good, and the power
to attain the higher life if we will.
Those who have the capacity to read
of the great need of active workers
in making advancement and progress
in every line of life, and who have
power to think and act for them.
selves, must finally give an account
of their duties neglected as well as