One individual can’t select for another the books best adapted to the mental growth of that person; individuality of taste is an idiosyncrasy of the human race. Give a person free access to a well-regulated library, and you need not fear but that person will suit himself. Let the flocks graze at will upon the verdant plains where grow the herbs both bitter and sweet, and where flow the waters of both life and death, and an unerring instinct will always avoid the bad and feast upon the good; then is the _reason_ of man less to be relied upon than the _instinct_ of the dumb brute? But far be it from us to argue that any man should cloister himself within the walls of his own imagination, feasting upon his own secluded judgment, and thus refuse to lend an ear to a _wise_ suggestion.
A lack of space forbids a more thorough discussion of this tempting subject—reading; so let us pass to a brief contemplation of the sequel—a _full man_. If a young man is devoid of a _noble ambition_, he would do well to examine himself and bring about a correction as soon as possible. Honest labor is praiseworthy in whatever field it may be expended, but there is something nobler, more inspiring, more appreciated, and more remunerative than hewing wood or drawing water; and if a man can, by thorough preparation, ally himself with the _intellectual_ aristocracy of the country, then are the possibilities of a _true_ life spread before him.
What a sublime and God-like spectacle is a _full man_. These are the men that wear the crowns of earth; in their hands are the sceptres of state; and in their lives are the world’s treasures.
The Alps may be hard to scale, but the Italy that lies beyond is worthy of the most giant effort; and those who put on the whole armor for the contest and stand as _full_ and _well-rounded_ men will be the Hannibals of unrecorded history.
Much hinges on the question, “Is the Infinitive a Mood?” It is necessary first to define mood. Harvey says that ‘mood’ is the mode or manner in which the action, being or state is expressed. He says further, “The infinitive mood expresses action, being, or state without affirming it.” Though he defines the manner in which the indicative, the subjunctive, the imperative mood expresses action, being, or state, he fails to state in what manner the infinitive expresses the same. If he means to say that it _expresses_ action, being, or state without affirming it, while the indicative, subjunctive and imperative moods _affirm_ any of these, and that in this difference lies its claim to be called a mood, why does he not call participles and gerunds moods, as they also express action, being or state without affirming it? Mason says: “Moods are certain variations of form in verbs by means of which we can show the mode or manner in which the action or fact denoted by the verb is connected in our thought with the thing that is spoken of;” furthermore, that the infinitive may be attached to a subject in a dependent phrase, as ‘I saw him _fall_,’ and that this would justify us in calling it ‘mood.’ According to Mason, in the sentence, ‘I saw him _falling_,’ it would be justifiable to call a participle, which is sometimes called the ‘infinitive in-_ing_,’ a mood. Why then does Mr. Mason not call it a mood? Besides, in a great majority of cases the infinitive is used, as in the sentence, ‘I will _go_,’ without this subject accusative, as Mason calls it. His definition of the word ‘mood,’ though phrased with a view to include the infinitive, does not give any more light on the question than the definition of Harvey. Clark holds: “The infinitive mode differs from the other modes in this: It has no grammatical subject and therefore can not be a predicate.” Brown, in his “Grammar of English Grammars,” says that the infinitive mood is that form of the verb which expresses action, being or state in an unlimited manner. It seems that these authors ought certainly to have given a clearer or at least a more consistent distinction between the infinitive, participle and gerund on the one hand, and the indicative, subjunctive and imperative moods on the other. They make the infinitive a mood along with these three moods because its manner of expression is unlimited, while these mood forms are limited, and yet neglect the participle and gerund, which have, by their definitions, just as much right to the distinction.