over the teacups-第31章

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of　Intellectual　Over…Feeding　and　its　consequence；　Mental　Dyspepsia。

There　is　something　positively　appalling　in　the　amount　of　printed

matter　yearly；　monthly；　weekly；　daily；　secreted　by　that　great　gland

of　the　civilized　organism；　the　press。　　I　need　not　dilate　upon　this

point；　for　it　is　brought　home　to　every　one　of　you　who　ever　looks　into

a　bookstore　or　a　public　library。　　So　large　is　the　variety　of　literary

products　continually　coming　forward；　forced　upon　the　attention　of　the

reader　by　stimulating　and　suggestive　titles；　commended　to　his　notice

by　famous　names；　recasting　old　subjects　and　developing　and

illustrating　new　ones；　that　the　mind　is　liable　to　be　urged　into　a

kind　of　unnatural　hunger；　leading　to　a　repletion　which　is　often

followed　by　disgust　and　disturbed　nervous　conditions　as　its　natural

consequence。



It　has　long　been　a　favorite　rule　with　me；　a　rule　which　I　have　never

lost　sight　of；　however　imperfectly　I　have　carried　it　out：　Try　to　know

enough　of　a　wide　range　of　subjects　to　profit　by　the　conversation　of

intelligent　persons　of　different　callings　and　various　intellectual

gifts　and　acquisitions。　　The　cynic　will　paraphrase　this　into　a

shorter　formula：　Get　a　smattering　in　every　sort　of　knowledge。　　I　must

therefore　add　a　second　piece　of　advice：　Learn　to　hold　as　of　small

account　the　comments　of　the　cynic。　　He　is　often　amusing；　sometimes

really　witty；　occasionally；　without　meaning　it；　instructive；　but　his

talk　is　to　profitable　conversation　what　the　stone　is　to　the　pulp　of

the　peach；　what　the　cob　is　to　the　kernels　on　an　ear　of　Indian　corn。

Once　more：　Do　not　be　bullied　out　of　your　common　sense　by　the

specialist；　two　to　one；　he　is　a　pedant；　with　all　his　knowledge　and

valuable　qualities；　and　will　〃cavil　on　the　ninth　part　of　a　hair；〃　if

it　will　give　him　a　chance　to　show　off　his　idle　erudition。



I　saw　attributed　to　me；　the　other　day；　the　saying；　〃Know　something

about　everything；　and　everything　about　something。〃　　I　am　afraid　it

does　not　belong　to　me；　but　I　will　treat　it　as　I　used　to　treat　a　stray

boat　which　came　through　my　meadow；　floating　down　the　Housatonic；get

hold　of　it　and　draw　it　ashore；　and　hold　on　to　it　until　the　owner

turns　up。　　If　this　precept　is　used　discreetly；　it　is　very

serviceable；　but　it　is　as　well　to　recognize　the　fact　that　you　cannot

know　something　about　everything　in　days　like　these　of　intellectual

activity；　of　literary　and　scientific　production。　　We　all　feel　this。

It　makes　us　nervous　to　see　the　shelves　of　new　books；　many　of　which　we

feel　as　if　we　ought　to　read；　and　some　among　them　to　study。　　We　must

adopt　some　principle　of　selection　among　the　books　outside　of　any

particular　branch　which　we　may　have　selected　for　study。　　I　have　often

been　asked　what　books　I　would　recommend　for　a　course　of　reading。　　I

have　always　answered　that　I　had　a　great　deal　rather　take　advice　than

give　it。　　Fortunately；　a　number　of　scholars　have　furnished　lists　of

books　to　which　the　inquirer　may　be　directed。　　But　the　worst　of　it　is

that　each　student　is　in　need　of　a　little　library　specially　adapted　to

his　wants。　　Here　is　a　young　man　writing　to　me　from　a　Western　college；

and　wants　me　to　send　him　a　list　of　the　books　which　I　think　would　be

most　useful　to　him。　　He　does　not　send　me　his　intellectual

measurements；　and　he　might　as　well　have　sent　to　a　Boston　tailor　for　a

coat；　without　any　hint　of　his　dimensions　in　length；　breadth；　and

thickness。



But　instead　of　laying　down　rules　for　reading；　and　furnishing　lists　of

the　books　which　should　be　read　in　order；　I　will　undertake　the　much

humbler　task　of　giving　a　little　quasi…medical　advice　to　persons；

young　or　old；　suffering　from　book…hunger；　book…surfeit；　book…

nervousness；　book…indigestion；　book…nausea；　and　all　other　maladies

which；　directly　or　indirectly；　may　be　traced　to　books；　and　to　which　I

could　give　Greek　or　Latin　names　if　I　thought　it　worth　while。



I　have　a　picture　hanging　in　my　library；　a　lithograph；　of　which　many

of　my　readers　may　have　seen　copies。　　It　represents　a　gray…haired　old

book…lover　at　the　top　of　a　long　flight　of　steps。　　He　finds　himself　in

clover；　so　to　speak；　among　rare　old　editions；　books　he　has　longed　to

look　upon　and　never　seen　before；　rarities；　precious　old　volumes；

incunabula；　cradle…books；　printed　while　the　art　was　in　its　infancy；

its　glorious　infancy；　for　it　was　born　a　giant。　　The　old　bookworm　is

so　intoxicated　with　the　sight　and　handling　of　the　priceless　treasures

that　he　cannot　bear　to　put　one　of　the　volumes　back　after　he　has　taken

it　from　the　shelf。　　So　there　he　stands；one　book　open　in　his　hands；

a　volume　under　each　arm；　and　one　or　more　between　his　legs；loaded

with　as　many　as　he　can　possibly　hold　at　the　same　time。



Now；　that　is　just　the　way　in　which　the　extreme　form　of　book…hunger

shows　itself　in　the　reader　whose　appetite　has　become　over…developed。

He　wants　to　read　so　many　books　that　he　over…crams　himself　with　the

crude　materials　of　knowledge；　which　become　knowledge　only　when　the

mental　digestion　has　time　to　assimilate　them。　　I　never　can　go　into

that　famous　〃Corner　Bookstore〃　and　look　over　the　new　books　in　the　row

before　me；　as　I　enter　the　door；　without　seeing　half　a　dozen　which　I

want　to　read；　or　at　least　to　know　something　about。　　I　cannot　empty　my

purse　of　its　contents；　and　crowd　my　bookshelves　with　all　those

volumes。　　The　titles　of　many　of　them　interest　me。　　I　look　into　one　or

two；　perhaps。　　I　have　sometimes　picked　up　a　line　or　a　sentence；　in

these　momentary　glances　between　the　uncut　leaves　of　a　new　book；　which

I　have　never　forgotten。　　As　a　trivial　but　bona　fide　example；　one　day

I　opened　a　book　on　duelling。　　I　remember　only　these　words：

〃Conservons…la；　cette　noble　institution。〃　　I　had　never　before　seen

duelling　called　a　noble　institution；　and　I　wish　I　had　taken　the　name

of　the　book。　　Book…tasting　is　not　necessarily　profitless；　but　it　is

very　stimulating；　and　makes　one　hungry　for　more　than　he　needs　for　the

nourishment　of　his　thinking…marrow。　　To　feed　this　insatiable　hunger；

the　abstracts；　the　reviews；　do　their　best。　　But　these；　again；　have

grown　so　numerous　and　so　crowded　with　matter　that　it　is　hard　to　find

time　to　master　their　contents。　　We　are　accustomed；　therefore；　to　look

for　analyses　of　these　periodicals；　and　at　last　we　have　placed　before

us　a　formidable…looking　monthly；　〃The　Review　of　Reviews。〃　　After　the

analyses　comes　the　newspaper　notice；　and　there　is　still　room　for　the

epigram；　which　sometimes　makes　short　work　with　all　that　has　gone

before　on　the　same　subject。



It　is　just　as　well　to　recognize　the　fact　that　if　one　should　read　day

and　night；　confining　himself　to　his　own　language；　he　could　not

pretend　to　keep　up　with　the　press。　　He　might　as　well　try　to　race　with

a　locomotive。　　The　first　discipline；　therefore；　is　that　of　despair。

If　you　could　stick　to　your　reading　day　and　night　for　fifty　years；

what　a　learned　idiot　you　would　become　long　before　the　half…century

was　over！　　Well；　then；　there　is　no　use　in　gorging　one's　self　with

knowledge；　and　no　need　of　self…reproach　because　one　is　content　to

remain　more　or　less　ignorant　of　many　things　which　interest　his

fellow…creatures。　　We　gain　a　good　deal　of　knowledge　through　the

atmosphere；　we　learn　a　great　deal　by　accidental　hearsay；　provided　we

have　the　mordant　in　our　own　consciousness　which　makes　the　wise

remark；　the　significant　fact；　the　instructive　incident；　take　hold

upon　it。　　After　the　stage　of　despair　comes　the　period　of　consolation。

We　soon　find　that　we　are　not　so　much　worse　off　than　most　of　our

neighbors　as　we　supposed。　　The　fractional　value　of　the　wisest　shows　a

small　numerator　divided　by　an　infinite　denominator　of　knowledge。



I　made　some　explanations　to　The　Teacups；　the　other　evening；　which

they　received　very　intelligently　and　graciously；　as　I　have　no　doubt

the　readers　of　these　reports　of　mine　will　receive　them。　　If　the

reader　will　turn　back　to　the　end　of　the　fourth　number　of　these

papers；　he　will　find　certain　lines　entitled；　〃Cacoethes　Scribendi。〃

They　were　sa