Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-02-26

WIFE, LAND, Books One of the best and
wlsestthings,I think. that Young man docs
is to marry a virtuous wife Then next, it
seems to me, every Young man should 20 IN
debt for some piece of real estate. For, af-
ter a man has provided himself with suit
able companion, there ought 10 be place that
he and she shall own, even if they have 10 20
out of town and get 1t. Though they 20 in
debt for 1t, the debt will be an education to
them; aud they will manage to do without
many things that otherwise they would in
| dulge in, and will economic more vigorously
than if there was not an acre or half acre that
they wish to make their own. There are
thousand WAYS in which they will strive to
extinguish their debt. And when the little
place is really theirs Il do not know that they
will wait till then, though / will saw 50 for
the sake Of the order of rhetoric) they should
put a book there. OF course the first book
should be the Bi5le-the Book Of books. And
then book should be added 70 book Among
the eldest things IN setting up a household
shoald be the beginning Of library. And a
library should be like an oak-tree. There
should be new branches to II every single
year. Why, the habit Of collecting books.
the habit oil making your pleasure to consist
IN them, Is Of no small importance. Ii viii
stand connected with your Development.
your virtue, and your thrift as a citizen, far
beyond anything that you are accustomed
to suppose.
am not speaking at hap-hazard. am
speaking in part from my own experience.
When | went to college, a more ignorant
boy Of money matters than | never was; and
| do not know of anybody that il more ignor-
ant about such things than that same person
now | had the sacred hunger Of books on
me. and books | must have, and possessing
some gift of talking, even as early as in my
college life, that was of service 10 me in a
few instances in obtaining them. At one
time was sent as a delegate 10 a temperance
convention at Pelham. The practice used 70
be TO pay the expenses Of the delegates. |
was paid dollar or two and | walked all
the way there, and all the way back, and
saved my money. And recollect distinctly
being invited to go to Brattleboro' and deliy-
er a temperance address. think got ten
dollars that time for my expenses and | walk
ed all the way there, and nearly all the way
back. | remember having money sent me to
60 home TO Boston with, and ! went on foot
| had to spend something for food and lodg-
"a 49, 49, Ht'7 WI AAANAD AlAN NA4l Ai1AAAt
was my money for buying books. And 50,
before my college course was finished, had
Millions Paradise Lost, and Burke's
works, and many other valuable books
had, suppose, collection Of about fifty
choice volumes. And they were like the ap-
pie of my eve. | had earned every one Of
them, and by the hardest labor and they
were my pride and glory. do not think
shall ever read any other books as | used to
read those. l used to look at them, and
pat them as the mother pats the cheek other
child. felt as if | had given, if not my
blood, at least my soeat for every single one
of them. And there is not young man that
cannot earn books that cannot cheat his
clothes, and cheat the day and buy books
that cannot in some way contrive now and
then to bring home book and say, Il have
gained this by the hardest. And the educa
ton Of getting the books will sometimes be
as good as the education of the book itself 1