The Republican journal., 1906-06-14
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
WHAT IT DOES FOR A COMMUNITY.

was dedicated with appropriate exer-
cises and in the presence OF large audi
ence May goth. The president OF the
day, Henry c. Brewer president OF the
library association. made brief in
troductory remarks. Then came the
presentation of the keys of the build
ing by A. W. Shaw of the board OF
trustees to E. B Mallet, Esq, the chair
man of the board of selectmen. Mr..
Mallet in turn presented the keys to
Rev. Silas n Adams, the chairman OF
the board of trustees. The dedlcatory
address was delivered by Prof. Henry
l.. Chapman of Bowdoin college, OF
which the following abstract is gwen:
Among the things which help to con-
stitute the good fortune ana the attrac-
tiveness of a community IS the posses
sion of public library; an lhstlCulioh
/ which is wholly benevolent in Its aim,
free and impartial i'll its INDUSTRIES re-
filming in its influence, and without
tonch Of the selfish and sordid spirit
, which taints so many even OF the lnstl-
buttons and enterprises when we Value.
There is no more notable characters
tic of community life in this country,
and particularly in New England, DUR
| ing the last two or three decades IMAM
| the multiplication Of free puollc llpla-
| ries.
| The most interesting map OF MaSsa-
| chusetts that exists today, is map
that exhibits the boundary lines OF
ever! TOWN III liie '1t t i;,as
| spaces ehcIoSeu u! l.it t,,ra oftha while
we pictures III li .' lawns nossass-
lloIaTieS "hici lIlocC j., Afassacbu-
anu Ilieie II Lo' a ',ra,s - iihraTv
setlS tiidI uoe9 nov P'4 +o,,',, frea as tbe
~ llorafy III every 5000 w a. tlo scGnois
common or 'iie pam, me ';s t. S +Ia idna
lree as tllt IlshN"l4f. ,,.hinl' tba naonIa
10 lhe atlalhthe!t VI fa, n,a,u ro,rc
nave been pressing on ~ Mann l't''s :ln,,n
ana tIle a!lallnleltC VI " 10 NO
ny our Motli7i
PosSlpIe' consolidation, nc
IL we Ie"Fe o4 tt W va han1,s +hat
they must De IelU o,., ;,,o G = in rro1,
are vicious anu Coli upeiii7' attar
| AMY lllle IildU any IL. laI,h+ad
IMAM none IL N't .il't'i = yo,,saS and
lI'aI any Door, 80 i't g.. 80 4ar &c II
CONCENTRATES "',t -, orliHarv and
nnnYnoon nIara channels of thought
and ,,,esa,'ts new pirtures OF life and
"i',,,,l.+a,, nerforms A real service to
;ts Is.D,ls,, avAn if If he not a book of
,,,fn,I,,d and nprmanent value. and
aye,, If fbe service rendered be not of
tha HIGHEST worth There is thus much
Of reason or of Justification, for read
i,ln some AT least OF the novels which
in tLase Iavs are As multituGinous
a',d ALMOST as threatening as the frogs
If Egynt If cannot be denied that
soma ~ these novels are of real merit,
and If mnst he admitted that very few
If them are as facilitating and vulgar
vino to fine mind as is much of the
aimIess talk and idle gossip, and petty
scandal with which people too often
haqniIe their leisure hours.
Whether we read for the acquisition
of tnowIpdop in history. in science, in
! the technical arts-or read to enlarge
our convention of nature and life by
seeing them as depicted in remote
/ lands and among widely different peo-
Weir road that our moral sense may
he enliqhtenpd to deal Justly with the
nernleXinp problems that confront us,
or 10 Gain courage and comfort in the
! nainfni passages of our own lives. or to
nnicken and charm our lmaginations
MIN tha scenes and the personages of
an idaaI world-whether we read for
" !, ~ 80. ,,,,,,,ocoe II will no