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support, and second, those which relate to the tax-payer's grievance (in
Mr. O'Brien's view) in helping to support it. The former is of course
the side of the question most germane to the general purpose of the
book, and it is therefore an occasion for surprise to notice that in Mr.
O'Brien's enumeration of arguments those coming under the other class
outnumber it in the ratio of six to one. First of all, to use Mr.
O'Brien's own language "the argument that if readers were left to pay
for their own books, not only would books be more valued, but the moral
discipline involved in the small personal sacrifice incurred by saving
for such a purpose would do infinitely more good than any amount of
culture obtained at other people's expense." And he takes occasion to
suggest that "possibly the advocates of literary pauperism will see
little force in" this argument. Possibly; we are not familiar with the
train of reasoning which leads to an advocacy of "literary pauperism."
For ourselves, we have been accustomed, long before the appearance of
Mr. O'Brien's chapter, to attach exceptional importance to the principle
which he has here indicated, somewhat awkwardly, to be sure. There can
be no doubt that the appreciation of any object is in almost the exact
ratio of the effort expended to procure it. This is why teachers and
librarians--in American communities, at least--have so often had
occasion to rejoice at seeing a taste not only for reading, but for
owning books inspired in a young man or woman by access to a noble
collection of books for the use of the public. For "owning books," we
say; but the limits of a collection so owned are too soon reached in the
case of even the best-endowed pockets of individual readers. Were the
intelligent teacher who takes an interest in the reading and
intellectual growth of the pupils, from the various walks in life
represented in our schools, to find a pupil whose interest in pursuing
further some lines of thought therein suggested, extended no further
than to the books at home on his own book-shelf, we cannot doubt that it
would give occasion to question the efficacy of the teaching imparted.
Mr. O'Brien's objection to the enjoyment of these reservoirs of
enlightenment, by a portion of the community, where the community as a
whole is responsible for their support, is as if a man should be told
that he would do well not to walk abroad at night by the light of the
public street lamps, but r