The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-11-28

JllIk IOI q liOuiSilI WHdI Iills
building was to young man or wo.
man ambitious for self-improve-
ment. Suppose some relative OF
friend had died and bequeathed to
him personally such tH.asure. a
private librarv of 10000 volumes
selected with expert and discrimi-
mating care, bound in the richest
style, housed in q beautiful. COM
modious structure, had provided
for the best of current literature
to be brought to its tables, and had
opened it's farther doors upon a
room that was itself a gem Of art,
q gallery fit. to please and stimuli
late the most fastidious taste,
say, suppose such voun~ster mad
received. all for himself such q
gift, would he not have been in
raptures? And this worth lust as
much to him fog all intellectual
and spiritual purposes as that
would have been. Here he was at
liberty to come as freely as 70 his
own library and art collection.
Here he could find the book he
/ most needed and take it away to
pore and browse over, if he chose
in his own closet. If he had a spare
hour he could come here and spend
it-no, not spend it. but save it,,
and store it up for everlasting use.
Those of US, and there must be
hundreds. perhaps thousands, who
came in the course Of time TO look
on the Athenaeum as our own, our
Alma Mater, can never express
our gratitude for it, our apprecia-
ton OF all it has meant 70 our in
most life. And especially we for
whom the college door did not fly
open, who had somehow and some
where to make up if possible for
the lack of discipline and culture
of those halls-to US of course. the
value Of the gift was multiplied.
"Mr. Brastow, in his lecture,
had made the gracious admission
that it might do to intersnerse the
solid reading to which the whole
population was expected straight
way to devote itself with little
fiction of the Chassis sort. So st.
Paul had advised Timothy to take
little wine for his stomach's
sake. The admonition to Timothy
has served as an excuse | fear, for
some who failed to note the en-
nhasis due the word little. And
in the case of Mr.. Brastow
and his hearers, the event
seemed to Justify the adaoe
Give him an inch and he'll take
an ell Even in 1894, when the
percentage records began, nearly
eight of every ten who came to the
library came after the fiction, and
in 1920 it was almost as bad
more than seven out of ten. AS the
record runs for the vast 16 or II
years. about three-quarters of the
the circulation has been in fiction;
less than four per cent in travel,
two, three, four, sometimes almost
five per cent in history; about the
same in biography, a little less in
art and science combined, and not
much more in literature, so called.
Chew upon that for a moment. Out
of 100 visitors to this magnificent
storehouse of instruction, rs have
come for the novels. The other %
have been divided up, in not far
from equal proportions. between
periodicals (taken OUT, travel,
history, geography, art and science
and pure letters, Not much to
boast of in that. 1t was not to
found a circulating library of fic-
ton that Horace Fairbanks put his
money his time, his earnest
thought and laborious effort into
this noble institution. ! doubt if it
was a fountain of fiction that
Judge Poland saw flowing down
the centuries, although if the truth
must be told, he was an Unsuitable
reader of the same himself. If you
care to know what the founder
actually intended you have only
to listen to It's memorable words.
And now, fellow citizens, and
townsmen, it gives me profound
satisfaction and sincere pleasure
to present to you and your children
and to all who may come after you,
the free use of this building and
its contents My highest ambition
will be satisfied, and my fullest ex-
pectations realized if now and in
coming years the people make the
room of the Athnaeum a favorite
resort for patient research reading
and study Alas, it is not in relig-
ion alone that many are called, few