WARSAW HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 319 



IXCENTIVES TO MENTAL CULTURE. 

 RY MRS. M. J. FULMER, HAMILTON. 



Parker, in his "Aids to English Composition," says: "An essay 

 literally means nothing more than a trial, or an attempt, and suits 

 alike the writer, who has no talent or inclination to pursue his in- 

 quiries farther, and the reader who is amused with variety and super- 

 ficiality." Inspired by this highly flattering definition of the term — 

 with only a few day's grace at our command — we venture a few im- 

 promptu thoughts. 



The school of life is the most stupendous institution in all the 

 world; and we that are assembled in nature's garden of beauty to-day 

 are students, representing every degree of progress and diversity of 

 talent, and all invested with the grand God-given right and privilege 

 to acquire knowledge. An academic or classical course of study, in 

 this age of the world, is within the reach of all who have the ambi- 

 tion and perseverance to work for it. This was not the case one hun- 

 dred years ago. The old pioneers of our country, as a rule, had very 

 meagre advantages, but none of them were mis-improved. They knew 

 the almanac by heart; they were more familiar with the old fash- 

 ioned bible that lay on the stand than are many of our graduates to- 

 day. Their struggles, their sacrifices, their rude, yet in many instances 

 gigantic achievements have a sacred place in the casket of memory, 

 as well as upon the page of history. But in this era of education and 

 advancement there is but little excuse for ignorance and illiteracy. 

 And in a few more decades the uncultured man or woman, having no 

 excuse to offer, will sink so low in the social scale as to be unworthy 

 of recognition. 



At'the outset of these disjointed ideas let us bear in mind the 

 truth that the splendid superstructure of a truly cultured mind 

 and heart cannot be reared upon a crumbling foundation. We should 

 then dig deep and lay the ground-work well. Not only should the 

 mental and physical endowments of our nature be appropriately cul- 

 tivated, but the moral and spiritual as well. It is a sombre truism of 

 nature, that "if the spring yield no blossoms in summer there will 

 be no beauty, and in autumn no fruit." This maxim pre-supposes 

 the idea that youth is the time to break up the fallow ground of 

 the heart, carefully select and sow the perfect germ. By no other pro- 

 cess have we any reason to hope for a glorious and abundant harvest. 

 This culture of the mind, or character building, in its inceptive 

 stages seems to have fallen upon the frail shoulders of the mothers 

 of our land. If the child develops into a grand and glorious man or 

 womanhood, the fathers, bless their dear souls, are usually willing 

 to bear the blame. If the reverse proves true, and the child becomes 

 a moral wreck, who but the patient, loving mother, is re-criminated 

 without "stint or measure." And while she may feel that reproach 



