The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-02-26
WHAT SAW IN TgsE FREE H
lHRAE IN asAWIGGMEE.

was taken by one of its managers into
the Free Library there. The object les
son there taught me is Of so striking
character that | must fam impart it.
was ushered into a very large room,
brilliant with electric lights. On one
side were ranged large tables covered
with pictorial papers OF the highest type,
IN bound volumes or in single numbers.
Among these were the London Graphic,
the ILLUSTRATED London News, ana lIar
per's Weekly. Around these tables
were chairs for twelve or fifteen boys at
each table. and in these were fifty boys
busily engaged in reading or iii looking
among the pictures. Beyond We're tables
for men, where were numbers of magazines.
Across the room were tables for girls,
and near bv were tables for women.
Every class was well represented 1t
the extreme end Of the room were al
coveS for the ten thousand books in the
library Among these books the boys
ranged at Will, looking over the books,
taking down and examining them. \
large number of BOYS were thus engaged.
Struck with amazemcnt, inquired OF the
librarian how She dared to allow Su n
liberty? Why, She replied, ;hcy never
seriously diSplacc anything, and as for tie
stealing or mutiation OF books. such
things are almost unknown here Pres
emily, saw boy hringa book for entry.
Urged by my Curiosity, asked She Inlu-
ager to look at the book. 1t was bound
volume of the Century. Another boy
came up. The manager again inquired
1t was SANKEY'S "Through the Dark Con-
tinent." In the five minutes during
which | stood there, five boys were thus
stopped. One had the Had | asked
whose translation, but while the mana
ger looked, the boy with becoming mod
esty, looked at me and said, Mr. Pope's
sir The next boy had volume one of
Mr.. Bancroft's History Of the United
States. The boy was as tall as myself
| spoke to him. "Do you work in the
mill p "Acs sir" said he, Gin the Dex-
ter Yarn Mill" | thanked him and he
passed on. The last boy came; he was
bright little fellow he had an Oliver
Optic. Time called me away, but | was
filled with amazement. Never before
had seen sue: things. AS passed out,
came across a small, very small bpv,
porting over a large dictionary. The
book was nearly a large as the boy.
lie had pencil and a cast away envelope
on the back Of which he was buSily en-.
gagged in writing. couldn't resist the
temptation 10 see what the littlc fellow
was about He SAID the "Japancsr Vii !
lage" was IN the town, and hal offered
prize for the largest numb OF words
of certain kind, and he was irving to
get the largest number have omitted
to mention that the boy who had taken
MIR. Popc's translation of the Hid. had
taken another book. l. was the eleventh
volume of the " Modern Standard Drama'' /
and has in it, julius Caesar, the Drunkard. |
Rob Roy, George Barnivell, and the /
Vicar of Wakefield. Will YOU have the
goodness to observe concerning these I
boys, that they were not selected spec-
mems. They were just as they came, | |
excepted none before, nor rejected any at I
the end, nor omitted any intcrmixcd. | |
took all while stood there To me, all /
of this was an astounding occurrence to |
Mrs. Sanders; the librarian, and to Mr.
oayles, the director, who introduced No. ,
1t was matter of no surprise; they had |
become used to it; it had lost to them Us
extraordinary character but to me, it
grew greater and greater as passed out
into the darkness, rejecting upon the vio-
lent contrast in the condition of things |
here as bad partially known them Mr.
Sayles, the director, had given much at
tention to the pernicious character of |
much OF the literature for boys which
numbers the counters Of news companies. |
He had shown to me some Of the captures |
he had ma le The boys came into the
reading room with loaded pockets; he !,
asked them to surrender; they did so
he told them Of better way, and opened /
the door, and there stood an accomplished /
woman to take them by the hand and lead
them To better things. Al this may be
to you commonplace my poor reader; it
is tame n the telling; bat there i. real
greatness IN the undertaking. The whole
pletcly changed. Is it a small thing To
induce a boy who rrvcls in the company
of Dick Turpin aud Sixteen String Jack
to abandon them for Juliu, Caesar AMI
the Had 10 turn a boy from tie com
panionship of the Bandit Of ;hr Ocean, or
the Female lrivatccr, and send bin
Through he Dark Continent. with A.r.
Stanley: from the Bleeding Phantom or
Wild in Fetters, to Mr.. Bancrotl's His
tory Of the United States : from the
blue Skin" and the 'Black Bcss "
series to the g Oliver Optics y? Another
most encouraging Indication which wish
here to reinforce is, that the books named