SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11507, 1 October 1915, Page 4

SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

_ Tn his essay on " Self-Culture," William. Eilery Ch,inning wrote:—■ " But it will be arked, how can the labouring classes find time for self-cul-turo? I answer, as I have already iutin ated, that an earnest purpose finds time or makes time. It seizes'on spare moments, and turns large fragments of leisure to golden account. A man who follows his call ng with industry and spirit, and uses his earnings economically, will always have some portion of the day at command; and it is astonishing how fruitful of improvements a short season becomes, when eagerly seized and faithfully used. It has often been observed that they who have most time at their disposal profit by it, ieart. _ A single hour in the day, steadily given to the study of an interesting subject, brings unexpected accumulations of knowledge. The improvements made by well-disposed pup.ls in many of our country schools, which are open but three months in tho year, and in our Sunday schools, which are kept but one or two hours in tho week, show what'can be brought to pass by slender n cans. _ The affections, it is said, sometimes crowd years into momorts, and the intellect lia-5 something of the same power. Volumes havo not only been read, but written, in flying journeys. I havo known a man . . . who had en-

joyed few advantages of early education, and whose mind was almost engrossed by the details of an extensive business, but who composed a book of much original thought, iu steamboats and on liorcback, while visiting distant customers."