The Red Cloud chief., 1895-02-15

and consecrating influence to all your
work and all your amusemeuts. Not
long since, / read this OF book
Some are to be tasted, others to be
swallowed, and some to be chewed
and dlgested. II this be true Of the
past, how much more so of the pres
ent, when books have multiplied be-
yond all precedent in the worlds his.
tory. 1t has become, in fact, a task
beyond the power Of any person to
keep up, al it is said, with the rapidly
accumulating production OF literature
in all its branches. TO enter a vast
library, such as all our large towns
boast, and survey the closely. packed
shelves, fills the mind with a sense of
oppression at the mere physical i'm.
possibility Of ever coming in contact
with such multiplied sources Of know.
ledge.
Lord Macauly has spoken Of an
eminent soldier and distinguished d.
plomatist, who had enjoyed the conf
dence Of the fist generals and states
men which Europe has produced in
our day, and who confessed that his
success in life was mainly owing to
his advantageous position, when u
young man, in the vicinity Of a Ii.
brary.
The influence of books at q certain
stage of life is more than a be we'll
estimated. The principles which they
inculcate, the lessons which they ex-
hibit, the ideals Of life and character
which thew portray, root themselves
in the thoughts aud im%aginations Of
the young minds. They serge with a
force which, in after years, appears
scarcely possible. And when their
faculties in mere restlcssness might
consume themselves in riotous ~frivoli-
ty and self indulgence, they often re-
ceive, IN communion with some true
and earnest book, a right impulse.
which turns to safety, honor and hap
piness. Books may be classified con-
venieutly enough in four divisions
philosophical, theological, historical.
scientific, books Of poetry and fiction.
The mind must have its training, and
the young man or woman in the full
flush Of their opening powers are ma.
turally drawn to the examination and
discussion Of the highest problems
that concern their being and h.ppi-
ness. There is a sanguine daring If
speculation in the fresh and inexper.
fenced mind which the veteran phil.
osopher, warned by the many defeats,
sadly recalls. This youthful specula.
ton may be very useless in it's results,
but if not misdirected it may prove a
precious training. The mind rises, in
its very defeats 10 such service, more
vigorous and more elastic.
The great work of Locke, on the
human understanding, every young
mau Who has a love for speculation
ought to study, and his small work on
the conduct Of understanding he
should master. 1t has been truly
said, every thinking man should know
something Of theology, and there are
young minds that will, by an i~rresist
able impulse, seek their main intellec
tual discipline in the reading Of theo'
logical authors, Butler, leighton and
Hooker are three great writers thai
can be confidently recommended tt
the study Of yonng men. Every
young man should give his earnest at
%teution to the reading Of scripture
Let him not suppose that he can east
ly know all that it contains. Let hin
not be contented to read q chapter
now and then rather as q duty than al
a living interest and education. 1t il
not only his christian intelligence ant
/, seusibility that will be everywhere
drawn forth in the perusal of it
/, blessed pages, but his taste, his i'm
Sgination and reason will be exercised
and RECALLED in the highest degree. l,
poetry is beyond all other poetry; it
I. its narratives are models of simplicit,
and graphic life; it abouuds in almos
every species Of literary excellenc
aud intellectual subllmity; tits, abov
In 49, ;,,,:.,l ,.o.J 80 a.: Who,