Year: 1879

Interesting Discourse by Rev. Mr.. Hull


burd Last Evening-The Books and Pa


pers We Read.


At the First NJ. E. church last evening the
pastor, Rev. Mr.. Hulburd, spoke upon the sub
ject of ''Our Reading Books and Papers, " from
the text found in I. Timothy iv, 1a: It'll 1
come give attention to reading The lack of
space precludes the possibility of full report
of this able and interesting discourse.


In st. Pauls time the reading embraced in
the range of Tmothy's opportunities would be
limited; would not extend much beyond the
holy scriptures. In our own time there is less
necessity for the exhortation than for regulat
ing the reading Our stock of reading is of
two general kinds, books and periodicals
newspapers and magazines. These still farther
divide themselves into fact, philosophy and
fancy. Again, the readers of fact embraces
events in the past when we call them history;
of our own time, when we call them news
Philosophy is the accumulation of facts anu
their classification, and then their attempted
crystalization around theory.


Fancy embraces all that class of work, in
which idols are impersonated and creations
made from the imagination. If were now to
be asked in which realm or department there
was the greatest danger to be encountered, l
could not readily answer.


A good book is company that never intrudes
upon you when you do not want it. Never
tires you by staying after you are tired. 1t
counsels you when perplexed, solaces you when
you are sad, and enlivens when dispirited.
Read books, good books when you can get them,
even Indifferent books when none else are with
in reach; bad books never! But into read
ing the great ever present and constantly in
creasing element is the newspaper and periodi-
cal. For about $50 years this great factor of
civilization has been working away, and in
no department have such tremendous advances
been made. The sphere of the more formal
treatise and of the lecture platform and the
pulpit as well have been clrcumScrlbed by 1t.


How few of us know of how much toll, head
ache and heart WEAKNESS the newspaper, which
comes to our breakfast table is the product.
Go through one of the establishments of our
great morning newspapers; 1T is q perfect hive
of industry and work with its several depart
ments, editors, reporters, type settlers and Won
derful machinery to give the fresh paper with
its fresh news to its many readers.


But there is one fact to be taken into ac-
count as we visit our wrath on the bad news
paper. /. e., the temptation. In the present
state of society, it is easier to establish and
make Immediately successful and pecuniarily
profitable, vile, low paper than high-toned
good one Let paper get reputation for
nastiness, which is baptised and called sensa-
tionalism, and it takes, and the crowd con-
demn, cry out against it and-buy it.


AS citizen of st. Paul, proud to say
that city outside of New York or Boston has
a better right to congratulate itself on first
class daily newspapers. l read my newspaper
from beginning to end. I read some of it to
forget il as soon rs 1 can. I read some of it to
remember it as long as may. I read some of
it to retail it as as l can. In my news
paper and books l find something to reject
often, but always something to make 1ne wiser
and better, and hope holier and happier.


And in conclusion would say that the ten
dency of the age is to the neglect of the book
of books. Newspapers, magazines and multi
the place of this divine revelation. You need
its wholesome. truths-you need its inspiring
promises-you need the light it sheds on the
grave toward which we tend. with all thy
getting get understanding saith the Preacher