The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-04-19
THE RURAL LIBRARY ACT.
No More Important Measure Passed by the
Last Legislature.

To the Editor: / consider no more i'm
portant act passed our last Legislature
than the Library Aact. | am glad to see
our people who are entitled to the benefit
of this measure, hasty in putting the law
into operation in the various communi-
ties. The inauguration of this system
will, in my opinion, revolutionize the
back districts of our country. 1t will fill
a long-felt want Our school boys and
girls have no books save their text
books and the closest application to them
will never make a ripe scholar. The
reading of good books affords one of the
greatest enjoyments of life. By reading
We can transcend time and space and
bring before us in review the people and
dynasties of the misty past. We can
summon before us the great men, we can
listen to their words of wisdom and
hear the story of their achievements
which made them immortal A good
library is like some great panorama in
which all history unrolls itself, where one
may breathe the morning air of the
world while the scent of Eden's roses
still fingers on it. Where one may see
the great building Of the pyramids. We
may sit as in a great theater; the stage
is time, the play is the play of the world.
What spectacle it is! What pomp!
What professions pass by! What cities
burn to Heavenl Across the brawling
centuries of blood and war that lie be-
tween, we can hear the bleating of Abra-
hams sheep or the tink1ing of the bells
of Rebekah's camels.
What court can possess such COM
pany? What school of philosophy such
wisdom? All the wit of the world is
floating there. The one who has no
taste for reading or has not the access
to good books is to be pitied. The days
that succeed brilliant achievements may
be melancholy. but those which follow
study are delicious. By reading we gain
something. We acquire knowledge and
may well recall the past. The establish
ment of these Libraries in the rural dis
tricts will form the great arteries Of our
educational system and the creation Of
a treasury of knowledge upon which the
youth of our country may draw and whose
draughts will be satisfied with the crea-
tion of fund of ideas derived from other
men and other ages the enlargement of
their vocabularies and the inspiration to
valiant deeds in the future. To all who
have a desire for reading but heretofore
have been deprived of it for the lack
of books, this law will afford the con-
summate means of gratifying it. A close
study of the best books obtainable will
place our boys and girls In the best So
ciety of every period of history-with the
wisest, the wittiest the tenderest, the
bravest and purest characters who have
adorned humanity. Reading good books
is like gaining new friends, Not only
will it associate them with the best COM
pany, but it will fill them with great
thoughts and give a bent to the mind
which will mould the whole life.
The establishment of these Libraries
will, if properly appreciated, be a God
send to the people / sincerely hope that
our boys and girls will cultivate taste
for reading which will yield a harvest of
invaluable instruction and abiding pleas
ure.
L. II. ALFRED.
Youngsyille NJ c.