The Dickinson press., 1908-02-01

49, gHE.E 49, 4H
4. !.
has lost what is of more value than all
the book knowledge he can acquire at
school. President Elliott had a'certain
person read aloud all the reading matter
in a grammar school course for$aSperiod
Of six years including history and geo.
graPhy az well at the reading lessons.
The actual time required was IS hours
orAan average Of one and one-fourth.
minutes q day. How pitiful 70 zee the
fountains Of youthful interest thus dried
up in the school where they should be
fed! The need is for more reading.
more thinking. more feeling, more doing.
'ItSis just here that good literature. comes
in the most helpful way to redeem in
%struction from dead form. S
Its just here this new agency;the lib
rary, can be used with telling effect in
the school. When there is suchtintense.
TX practical business on hand az The edu-
cation and training of a child sossthat he
will resist the forces of evil in HID blood
and surroundings, does it not sestnaspity
TO neglect the wealth Of wholesomesand
nutritious culture material found,in good
books. and waste time on muchss of athe
comparatively useless stuff emballned in
text books? s.: !
We take it for granted that ALI are
agreed that literature is a most potent
help to life, a revealer Of it; that all be-
lieve that no more practical thing can be
done for a child than to give him the
keysof the store houses Of the best friend
ships, of the best men and womenof the
world, the ideals Of the ages. Two
things every soul that ever lived 10 this
world has longed to do; to fashion with
his hands tangible things. OF images Of
them, and to know what is the mind OF
the soul akin to his. Technical train
ing does one; the library, properly used,
does the other.
The desire for reading among the
younger boys and girls in Dickinson is
strong. This desire can be easily salts.
fed and directed into right channels I'M
der the guidance Of teachers and iibrar-
ian. 1t is pathetic to see children| Come
week after week for books t readsaand
be unable to get them. 1t is painful to
be. obliged to send them away, wsishea
soul hunger for that which il uplifting.
II the. appetite for good reading is not
as keen as it should be among the larger
kboys and girls. 1t Is. because they were
deprived Of reading privileges il their
earlier years. 1t is always through the
children that the best work is to be, done
for the uplifting Of a community. II
the children do not learn touse a library,
the highest growth aud culture OF com
munity are impossible. How to use q
library is . Of the great benefits tina.
accrues to young people where libraries
are located. Samuel Johnson says there
are two kinds Of knowledge; the first il!
knowledge about a subject and the sec.
ond IS knowing where to find the :knowl'
edge desired on a subject. and he say.
the latter is Infinitely Of more value thar
the former. 5
Nothing has been said Of the value q
apubic librarytothe mechanic. the:shor
keeper, the salesman. the periodical Wis
iter to the city. the Observation-Disclosures
and 70 men engaged other activities
ofsits value TO sthe city as a whole, ii
value to every property owner in partic
ulas. In nc measured terms a th,
value of libraryste any community b
expressed. Wereap more than we SOW
i !. the law Of the , harvest 4 Ne ric:herfle LEG
acy can We: give onr children than no
hle ASPIRATIONS and desire to be bbeaaiugtdi
ful within. n. .t