The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1892-06-06
Reading as Source ef Self Education.
Extract from a Lecture by Rev. William
Lloyd

Extract from a Lecture by Rev. William
Lloyd
Another. source of self-education
is Reading How to read, and what
to read are questions which demand
another lecture adequately answer.
Coleridge. who was an omniyorous
reader, Classics readers as follows:
Some arelikejelfy bags, they retain
only what's impure and refuse. 9th
ers are like sponges. they suck it all
up and give it4.back only little
dirtier. Others again are like an
hour glass, through which the sand
runs IN and oul, leaving no trace be-
hind Others are like the miner, who
digs for ore, smells and refnes all he
finds, casting out the dross and re-
tanning only the precious metal.
Reading matter Is given to US now il
many forms. The newspapers, mag
azines, reviews and books. Sir Ed
win Arnold calls the newspaper The
miracle of the 18th century" : The
great dailies, which pour from the
presses Of our land every morning,
are marvellous, productions. The
whole world is linked together by
the telegraph and the printing press.
We are brought-lnto touch with the
most distant nations before break
fast. II
The debates Of 4parliaments and
assemblies 7of church congresses and
scientific conference.-the incur hands
when we take our morning coffee.
Merchants, politicians and students
find the information they need from
every civilized land waiting for them,
when they wake up. The struggles,
the sorrows and the aspirations of
varying people are chroniclel, and
national sympathy is created, and
national brotherhood strengthened.
There may be things in the newspa-
! pers, we would rather see omitted,
but we must not forget they are com
mercial rather than philanthropic
institutions, and it is the appetite of
thepublic which determines the char
acter of the material served up. But
there is much Of value that can be
learned from q great and reputable
paper Read newspapers, and read
the best, the eleanest from sensa-
tionalism and prurient gossip. JAS.
Russell Lowell is very, severe on
some features Of the newspaper press
and its deleterious effect on the
mind exclusively reading 1t. He
says: Eve are apt to Wsnder at
the scholarship of the men Of three,
centuries ago and at certain digni-ss
ty of phrase that characterizes them.
They were scholars, because they
did not read SO many books, but
they were ofthe best Their speech.
was noble, because they lunched with
Plutarch and supped with Plato
We spend as much time over
print as they did but instead
sof communing with the choice
thoughts Of choice spirits, and IN
consciously acquiring the grand
manner Of that supreme society, We
diligently inform ourselves, and Gov
err the continent with a network of
speaking wires, to inform Us Of such
inspiring facts as that d horse be-
longing to Mr.. Smith, ran away on
Wednesday, seriously damaging q
valuable carryaH; that d son Of Mr..
Brown swallowed hickory nut on
Thursday, and that i gravel bit
cayed in and buried Mr.. Robinson
alive on Friday. Alas, il is We, our
selves, who are getting buried alive
under this avalanche of earthly I'M,
pertinences. It is We, who, while We
might each in bis humble way, be
helping our fellows into the right
path, 81 adding one block to the