those born under the necessity of daily toil. For these the
education of the public school is provided; but it is limited and rarely
appreciated. Children go to school to get knowledge enough for
bread-winning and no more. Third, there are those who, born under
necessity, struggle into opportunity, fight their way up into power, and
make themselves the intellectual heroes of their time. Fourth, there are
many born under necessity, who lack the vision at the beginning, who
enter upon a life of trade or labor which may bring them success, but
who gradually awake to realize how much they have lost, without
realizing that it is never too late to gain culture and that education
ends only with life. This is the class in every community which our new
organization aims to reach, to uplift, to inspire and stimulate. We
propose to give to these people in every walk of life, both the rich,
the middle class, and the poor--all in one class in their condition and
their needs--the college student's outlook upon the world of thought, by
short studies in literature and science, by the reading of books, by the
preparation of synopses of books read, by written reports of books read,
and by correspondence with experts in the several departments.

Here are some of the advantages of this
organization: It will develop higher and nobler
tastes, increase mental power, exalt home-life,
giving authority and home-help in public school
studies and organizing homes into reading circles.
It will counteract the influence of our modern
pernicious literature and sweeten and enrich the
daily lives of poor and hard-working people. It
will bring the more cultivated people into contact
with the less scholarly, promote a true
appreciation of science, and tend to increase the
spiritual life and power of the church. All
knowledge becomes glorified in the man whose heart
is consecrated to God.

As I copy these words in the year 1920, more than forty years after they
were spoken and printed, with each sentence there rise to my mind
instances that have come to my own knowledge of every one of these
prophecies fulfilled. Chautauqua through its home-reading course has
accomplished far more than its founder even dreamed.

The speaker answered an objection to the plan of study based upon its
superficiality.

Super