Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-01-02

lish and su stain like institution among our
selves.
Some of us, it is conceived, while they are
making praise worthy excrtons to carry on this
dcsign are yet too cxtravlglnt in their notions
Of what ought to be effected ut the start. They
want large library to begin WITH a building
owned by the Associ ttion to put it in, and paid
lecturers from abrold, thereby placing Burling- .
ton at once OIL level, in this respect, with
other places, where such institutions have been
established for years. Those holding this opin-
ion, forget tint an interest must first be awak-
ened before even a beg inning can be made and
that unless this Interest be continued no be-
ginning however promising will attain pcrml-
n mt success. An anxiety to begin large
should not blind US to the fact that everything
permanent mans establishing is the result of
a slow and healthy growth. Associations Of
this kind, AMI indeed all hunlR institutions,
are hot born. like NJ inerva from the BRAIN Of
Jupiter. fully formed, bat starting in weakness
and cursed III tenderness they grow gradually
in strength and in our affections, until they fl
| nlIly reach a permanent and enduring man
hood. Thus it was with the Troy Association.
! They had no library of their own at first, but
made use Of one belonging i'll the city; they
had n, lecturers from a6roll, but obtained
/ them from persons at HON, whom they paid
nothing. he debating class, however, were
active from the outset and this is whit we wish
to impress upon Our young mon, viz: the iT>
portauce of debates ana other exercises in con-
necton with them, in an Association such as
i ; now proposed to be established. Many seem
to Imagine that money ia all we want, and that
with Il su.Iiciency Of this, success is certain
We venture to think otherwise. To be sure
is indispensable. 1t will procure building,
library and lectures, but of what avail are
these if theie be no interest in the people,
The object ola Young Mems Association is, if
we rightly conceive it, emnently a practical
enc 1t offers, or should offer, practical induce
ments to those upon whom fall the labor and
; burden Of sustaining it. Nobody will sustain
; ii unless i does.
Now library and reading room though
doubtless cf plrlm1unt Importance il the eStl-
8 nation of minls already disciplined ana ma
turc arc yet OF themselves wholly insufficient
for developing and rcngthening minds unds-
ciplined an | iun,turc. Books, to be OF ser
vice, must, in the first place, be read Blu
mere reading effects little. Hence after t
book has been carefully read, it should be re
Elected upon, taike about, and thus worked
into the very texture Of the readers mind
: How few do this AMI consequently how few
" are much the wiser for what they read.
4 This, however, presupposes an interest alrea
d d. existing in the mind, and It's precisely her
W that many err in relation to this subject. The
o seem to think that reading will OF itself bege
an interest; it may, but not invariably. or eve
f., generally, a correct and swing one. A. Il per
If son unable to swim, and making his first a
+ tempt alone, and in water beyond his deptl
n would pay dearly for his rashuess, so an in
N experienced reader surrounded by a mutipll
ID city of books, will be quite,as likely to be njuc
If ed rs bene.i'cl. Whit then. must he wait to
g all interest and skill, which can only be obtain
e ed by practice? BY no means ! This woul
If be Ike the Irshnan's learning to swim witt
:, ont ooinr INTO the water. But. as this yer
useful art is ielrn,l in conDlny with those
! ready possessed OF it, re tdy to render assls
% lance, and whom the learner can imtnte,
m reading should be conducted in conectio
with 3u.h exercises as tcnl to form CORE
, opinions thereon, and books treatin. of topic
. under discussion should he brought torwar
-, examin d, weighed, and their respective CLAIM
- AMI merits fairly determined.
- a.a means Of evc;,iu., and kocn;nr ali,
-, this ;ni,r,e, in orr view 50 ,mnort,ut pub,
I,,,,,-o, mr., r,,os,,-,, an, wa hal alma
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> ol,., ho,', y, c-,,,o oc.i,.;,,, :, an r;,o ,oy
:. ., and ai,o,,io, +, III, +, liyilu,l mind. @
mi. ,c,,u,t mainly ar, t,cy Desirable or
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