The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-12

rcn. science and literature: no Mark Twain:
40 antnony Hope; no Dickens, no Eliot: no
Carlyle; no Milton; no Shaksspearei
could as well imagine no anythingl
icy those poor people lived more than one
century curing the Dark Ages, with moth
ing put physical life, its want, its pain. AS
TO mental and spiritual life, they we're noth-
Ing. e' Vs. No'A
nut there came time when church and
Nhs were no longer to enslave the human
Mid. gradual breaking away began.
linen an awakening the renaissance; the
reformation; the era of discovery and in
veh'ion' glorious time for the world the
printing prers WIS invented Then along
"itn the rest, hand in hand. came schools
and books, for when people knaw there WAS
something to read they sought education
trat they might read; and wanen they mad
learned to read they clamcred for books,
ana more books came. From that time to
this schools and books have been associated
together. Both alike mean ctluGation. the
Gil? by systematic training, the other indie
| PENDENT.
Until now--and let us be proud of it.
| no good school is without its library Not
a library OF reference aud information only
these are Indispensable shelves upon
shelves OF the best novels. romances and
poetry. Such books are component part
| of education, for In them the worlds genius
| men have recorded ideas that a life of ex-
perience has granted them: in them the
poet repeats the whisperings of the inner
voice AMI. God INSPIRED. gives us priceless
treasures through His verse!
| Thus l say books are a necessary part Of
| schools and education.
| Centuries ago, when education was con-
| fined 10 the upper classes. certain rich men
were able to devote their whole lives to
the attainment of knowledge. Thus they
became prodigies OF learning. Now there
| are fewer prodigies, but for every scholar
of the olden time there are a hundred well
educated men today! And why? Because
there are newspapers, magazines today
public libraries today; knowledge, and the
means of Its attainment, Is spread world
wide.
Many boy dates his desire for a college
education from hours spent in public
reading room. Many boy and girl gain
| their ambition to be great from reading
| the lives of great men and women. often
| the channel for woman's life is turned
| by one line in a book. Middle-a aged mon
and women are today educating themselves
| by means OF the chautauqua and other
reading circles. Lectures are common and
popular, because people are cultured enough
| to appreciate them. One part Of the world
| is completely in touch with the other. be-
| cause everybody reads. And no iolger does
an upper class know all. and lower class
exist in darkness, for knowledge through
books has united classes and made one
| broad, progressive people.
| SGch are the effects of books.
| ! have not spoken OF the trash that is
| often found within book covers, because l
| know that every sensible man and woman
knows that everything that is printed and
bound is rot book. To be sure. some of
| the printed matter is as degrading as the
| worst scenes of Il metropolis but it Is no
| less certain that book purifies, strength
ems uplifts. 1t is like companions among
men Because we find that some aompan-
| ions corrupt us by their very presence, we
do not shun all men for We know that
goodness begets goodness, greatness great
] ness, and association with noble people is
in itself ennobling.
| All honor. then, to books. to books OF the
hour, which keep us in touch with the
world; to books of ell time which are the
workings of God through men. For the
individual books help TO mould character,
and character means all you are, all you
can ever be. For the world. books nave
rolled away the clouds of ignorance and
vice. The light of progress shines Instead.
II a man had done a hundredth part of all
this, his name would resound through all
lands: In every city would stand mohu-
ment to his glory.
But books have done all this. In this city
there ought to be erected a BUILDING set
apart for public libraries and reading
rooms Let there be such building a
monument to their glory
Above the entrance nscribe: KINGS
treasures" "All may be kings who enter
here and learn" Let tables be covered
with the best periodicals: let great men
faces shed their radiance from the walls,
and rows upon rows of friendly hooks stand
ready to open up their treasure mines to
him who seeks.
Thus may we honor hooks, and In honor
Ing them, bless the world.
Edith Munger.