The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-10-25
LIBRARY DA Y.

10 the Editor Of This Paper:
To be able to read, with pleasure
and profit, from earliest childhood to
latest years, this great Book of
Nature that Divinity has written in
the heavens and the earth, and to
read those books that men and
women have written-natural sci
ence, history, literature, nature,
deeds, characterize do this till one
acquires the ability to observe ma
ture critically and to get thought
and feeling readily from the printed
page, till intelligent observation and
reading ripen into fixed habits, be-
coming light, solace and inspiration
this is life. Books take us out of
ourselves and put us in possession of
the knowledge of the race; as it
were, project us across the conti-
nents and down the centuries. Books,
books! precious argosies, bearing
rich intellectual and spiritual car
goes from the ports of all the buried
centuries that slumber beside the
majestic river of time. On the sub.
Ject of literature, hear Lord Macau-
lay in closing his remarkable essay
on Mitford's Greece: "Who shall
say how many thousands have been
made wiser, happier and better, By
those pursuits in which she (Athens)
has taught mankind TO engage; to
how many the studies which took
their rise from her have been wealth
IN poverty,-liberty in bondage
health in sickness society in soli-
tude?n
There is no one of the ten tbous-
and school districts of Missouri
without land and houses and stock
and grain. Why should nine thous-
and OF these school districts be with
out library? Why should we feed
the physical man to gluttony and
starve the intellectual and spiritual
man? Hear Henry Thoreau-" -"While
civilization has been improving our
houses, it has not equally improved
the men who are to inhabit them.n
Teachers, directors, patrons, is there
library in your district-choice
and suited to the tastes and capaci-
ties of the pupils of the different
grades,2 .'GGheas. Il es, utlJ IN nine
cases out of ten, these books are not
suited to children. AS rule, they
are statistical reports, difficult theo-
logical discussions and other books
suited to mature and trained intel
lects. Do you say: "The schoo!
text books are sufficient.n No,
unless supplemented by n library,
bearing definitely upon the respec-
tive branches and used daily by
teacher and pupils for that purpose.
But the soul Graves not information
alone, but inspiration and power;
that intellectual and spiritual in
sight which comes from good litera
ture. What is good literature? 1t
is the divine in literary art. Instance
the following literary gem from
Nathaniel Hawthorne: 81 recline
upon the still unwithered gaass and
whisper to myself. o perfect day!
o beautiful world! o beneficent
God! And it is the promise of
blessed eternity, for our Creator
would never have made such lovely
days and have given us the deep
hearts to enjoy them above and
beyond all thought, unless we were
meant to be immortal. This sun
shine is the golden pledge thereof.
1t beams through the gates of para
disc and shows us glimpses far in
ward.n
Through the observance of library
Day in Missouri, November 80, we
have been putting fifteen or twenty
thousand dollars annually in common
school libraries. Let this year sur
pass all others. In this work, Mis-
souri, expects everyone to do his
duty. Respectfully,
L. E. WOLFE.