Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-03-23
Reading as a Means of Education.

- SN-S'A
Reading as Means of Education.
Tread before the meeting of the board of agriculture
at Townshend. by J. H. Putnam Of GraftonI
1t is not my design upon this occasion
to speak for The benefit of those who are
literally or professionally educated. am
not here for the purpose of talking to those
whose time can be or has been wholly or
principally devoted to mental culture; but
whatever may say will be for the benefit
of those who have but limited amount OF
time which can be spared from manual
labor and used for the purpose of intel
lectual improvement, and which time, be-
cause it is limited, should be improved to
the utmost,
As this is an age of utility we may be
met at the outset with the query, What is
he use, of what practica! benefit to him
whose whole education has been gained
within the common school and who ex.
poets to gain his livelihood by the sweat
of his brow, will be course of reading or
II habit of stuHyP 1t may be said that
books are neither food nor raiment; that Il
habit of reading will neither satisfy hun
ger or furnish clothing; that as time is
money SO time spent in mental culture is
but the taking of a certain amount OF
dollars from the pocket and furnishing no
adequate return.
1t will be admitted that he who is gross
ly ignorant may swing the AK, the scythe
and the hoe rs skillfully as his more cul-
tured neighbor. As far as mere brute
force is concerned the one may be even
more efficient than the other. But is
The ability to exercise brute force skillful-
ly all thh: the farmer or workingman
needs? Is that or should that be the chief
element of his lifeP Judging from their
conduct, many seem to hold this view,
being ready to condemn all systematic
reading and study, and directing their
whole attention to the accumulation OF
wealth, and in it becoming so absorbed AS
to forget everything else. But What, in
the worlds great battle, is the influence of
wealth unaided by mindp
Man may toll from the earliest dawn to
he going down of the sun upon his farm,
among his merchandise or in driving his
machinery, may brave the dangers OF
land and sea that he may gather his hoard
from the golden sands of Ell Dorado, may
gather wealth by fair dealing or by over
reaching speculation, yet if he makes him
self drudge, a mere money making ma
chine. he will find that his influence over
his fellow men is but limited
A competence seems to be an essential
of happiness in this life, and it is each
ones duty to use every honest, consistent,
effort for its requirement.
Wealth, beyond n competence, though
not essential, enables its possessor to en- oy
many privileges. The wealthy man has
II right to appear in a more splendid
equipage, to reside in a better and more
elegantly furnished dwelling. to be arrayed
in finer apparel than his poorer neighhor
Money in the hand of great hearted,
noble man is a blessing, as It is a means
whereby he can do good. can relieve sor,
row and assuage suffering. The needy
are blessed in the reception of his chart
'ies, and the world by his example.
| But in the great battle of life it must be
recollected that success is not measured
by the amount of gold accumulated. Mind
is the true elevator. 1t is superiority OF
mind that constitutes true greatness. The
man who with real earnestness battles fol
the good of his fellowmen, of whom
when he is laid down to his final rest l,
can be said that the world is better for his
having lived in it, has been successful
whether he died worth millions or worth
nothing.
The world honols her great names, hel
Washingtons and Lincolns, her Franklins
and Hersches, her Shakes peares and Mil.
tons, her Fultons, Arkwrights and Steph
ensons; her great governors, di coverers
authors and inventors, without stopping tt
inquire in regard to their worldly gear.
Some men are rich in intellectual wis
dom. adding to the worlds store O
knowledge. thereby making it better
Some are rich in inventive genius, giving
to the world the printing press, the steam
engine, the magnetic telegraph and thos,
many other inventions which have helpeC
to lead on to higher civilization, making
he present superior to the past. Som,
are rich in the wisdom of statesmansbip
some In the wisdom of authorship. ant
others OF humber aspirations, not seeking
to rise far above the common level. ar,
rich in goodness of heart-those auaitie.
which tend to make the home happy ant
the neighborhood pleasant-and some are
rich in store OF gold or its equivalent, anC
in nothing else; bul he who has Above,
the desire to pile up gold, to accumulate
riches TO overshadow and destroy ever,
other feeling and aspiration of his nature
will find while enjoying all his materia
wealth that with his shrunken and shriv
eled soul he is the poorest of all.
We cannot all be great; cannot al
occupy positions in history, yet this trutl
may be learned from the example of al
good and great men-each acted well hi
part; each was the architect of his owl
fortune, his own educator, fitting himsel
for the position which he was destined t
occupy. Each has u part to act in life an
although it be not the part of a WASHING
ton or Franklin or Lincoln, vet as each g
these acted we'll in his sphere, so may eac
OF us do we'll in ours, and to fit all to nc
we'll each IN his own place, should be tn
great aim and end of education.
Education is development in maxim,
available those qualities which otherwis
} would have remained latent.
One may have the strength of giant
yet If he knows not how to use it il wi
avail him but little. He may have tn
natural qualities of II Milton, and vet slice
unnoticed and unknown.
Our education should only finish wit
our lives. AT school we could have re
ceived but little more than the discplin
which enables us to go on and educat
ourselves. To do this effectuallv mucl
help must be derived from books. Obser
walton and experience will do something
but if we wait for the whole benefit of on
experience we must wait life time. an
perhaps then learn, when too late. that il
whole lesson has been wrong
Good books are the embodiment c
the thoughts, observation and experience,
of wiser and better men than we, writer
down for our benefit. Consider saw
Ralph Waldo Emerson, "what you have il
the smallest chosen library. A compan,
of the wisest and wittiest men that coult
be picked out of all civil countries in
J thousand years have set ip best order tn,