NO. 0.
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any careful reader, but the poisons arc
few who can so fasten facts in the mind
as to bo ablo to bring tlioin forth in happy
illustration during conversation; am',
truly, nothing is more ombarassing than
to make a historical blunder.
As books of reference, histories, per
haps, take the highest rank. Tlioy aid
the writer in furnishing both facts and
illustrations. History repeats itself, and
it is by the close observation of tills rope
tition that the interest is portrayed to us
by the writer.
Hard and dry as it is to so many, histo.
ry is one of the most important features
in English, or any other lileraUire, and
one that is impossible to be dispensed
with.
Wc have the pro-historic period, but,
for the ordinary mind, history is a subject
having neither beginning nor end. Some
points in this great subject must be
learned by every intelligent person, but
in conning these over, the wish to have
lived a hundred years ago, involuntarily
arises. What a relief to the over-burdened
mind, historically speaking, would life,
or rather death, at such a time, have fur
nished! No facts to learn concerning
this "Great and glorious Union!" And
yet, there must have been beings then who
uttered this same wish, to be relieved of
the history of the last hundred years,
lint since this wish cannot be realized,
such persons can, at least, coincide with
the man who "would not live always."
Historical readers at the nrescnt day
have ample opportunity for gratifying
their tastes. At no time since the begin
ning of history, have books been so at
tainable. If you doubt this, open your
door to the next book-agent who asks ad
mission. Further proof of the point is
lelt to him. Looking down the past ages
wo feel a sympathy for the persons who
were subjected to the rude manners and
customs of that day. Sleeping on rudely
made beds of straw, eating with the ling
ers, having no means for illuminating
their abodes, except the moans provided
by nature, and a number of other so-called
disadvantages. Perhaps the thought oc
curs to us, that the sympathy should
have been from those of that day for us.
There certainly was no time spent, then,
in making beds, sweeping, dusting, ar
ranging, etc., which now occupies so
much of the housewife's time. No bright
eningof silver and tabic cutlery, no pol
isl.ing of glass, stole away the precious
moments of the morning; and, certainly,
no gentleman had occasion forblushingly
acknowledging his ignorance of carving!
We are more enlightened and refined,
but, whether wc have realy gained any
thing over the past, is an oft-argued, but
still unsolved, problom.
History presents a prototype for nearly
every phase of live, but it is doubtful
whether those can be successfully imita
ted, or not. We may try, but there has
been but one Ueethovon, one Napoleon
Bonaparte, one Micluul Angelo, one Joan
d'Arc; and, if history is to bo repeated in
the character of theso the work is yet to
be done. "Experience is the only school
for fools," and we would bo a very foolish
general ion, indeed, if, from the expert
once of hundreds, yes, thousands of his
torical characters, we did not derive some
foundation foi oui solves, physically, men
tally and morally. M.
w'?sMfQiJfeit ' Hit
B
