Reading

heoutskirtsofConcord,whohashadhissecondbirthandpeculiarreligiousexperience,andisdrivenashebelievesintothesilentgravityandexclusivenessbyhisfaith,maythinkitisnottruebutZoroaster,thousandsofyearsago,travelledthesameroadandhadthesameexperiencebuthe,beingwise,knewittobeuniversal,andtreatedhisneighborsaccordingly,andisevensaidtohaveinventedandestablishedworshipamongmen.LethimhumblycommunewithZoroasterthen,andthroughtheliberalizinginfluenceofalltheworthies,withJesusChristhimself,andlet“ourchurch”gobytheboard. Weboastthatwebelongtothenineteenthcenturyandaremakingthemostrapidstridesofanynation.Butconsiderhowlittlethisvillagedoesforitsownculture.Idonotwishtoflattermytownsmen,nortobeflatteredbythem,forthatwillnotadvanceeitherofus.Weneedtobeprovoked,—goadedlikeoxen,asweare,intoatrot.Wehaveacomparativelydecentsystemofcommonschools,schoolsforinfantsonlybutexceptingthehalf-starvedLyceuminthewinter,andlatterlythepunybeginningofalibrarysuggestedbythestate,noschoolforourselves.Wespendmoreonalmostanyarticleofbodilyalimentorailmentthanonourmentalaliment.Itistimethatwehaduncommonschools,thatwedidnotleaveoffoureducationwhenwebegintobemenandwomen.Itistimethatvillageswereuniversities,andtheirelderinhabitantsthefellowsofuniversities,withleisure—iftheyareindeedsowelloff—topursueliberalstudiestherestoftheirlives.ShalltheworldbeconfinedtooneParisoroneOxfordforever?CannotstudentsbeboardedhereandgetaliberaleducationundertheskiesofConcord?CanwenothiresomeAbelardtolecturetous?Alas!whatwithfodderingthecattleandtendingthestore,wearekeptfromschooltoolong,andoureducationissadlyneglected.Inthiscountry,thevillageshouldinsomerespectstaketheplaceofthenoblemanofEurope.Itshouldbethepatronofthefinearts.Itisrichenough.Itwantsonlythemagnanimityandrefinement.Itcanspendmoneyenoughonsuchthingsasfarmersandtradersvalue,butitisthoughtUtopiantoproposespendingmoneyforthingswhichmoreintelligentmenknowtobeoffarmoreworth.Thistownhasspentseventeenthousanddollarsonatown-house,thankfortuneorpolitics,butprobablyitwillnotspendsomuchonlivingwit,thetruemeattoputintothatshell,inahundredyears.Theonehundredandtwenty-fivedollarsannuallysubscribedforaLyceuminthewinterisbetterspentthananyotherequalsumraisedinthetown.Ifweliveinthenineteenthcentury,whyshouldwenotenjoytheadvantageswhichthenineteenthcenturyoffers?Whyshouldourlifebeinanyrespectprovincial?Ifwewillreadnewspapers,whynotskipthegossipofBostonandtakethebestnewspaperintheworldatonce?—notbesuckingthepapof“neutralfamily”papers,orbrowsing“Olive-Branches”hereinNewEngland.Letthereportsofallthelearnedsocietiescometous,andwewillseeiftheyknowanything.WhyshouldweleaveittoHarper&BrothersandRedding&Co.toselectourreading?Asthenoblemanofcultivatedtastesurroundshimselfwithwhateverconducestohisculture,—genius—learning—wit—books—paintings—statuary—music—philosophicalinstruments,andthelikesoletthevillagedo,—notstopshortatapedagogue,aparson,asexton,aparishlibrary,andthreeselectmen,becauseourpilgrimforefathersgotthroughacoldwinteronceonableakrockwiththese.ToactcollectivelyisaccordingtothespiritofourinstitutionsandIamconfidentthat,asourcircumstancesaremoreflourishing,ourmeansaregreaterthanthenobleman’s.NewEnglandcanhireallthewisemenintheworldtocomeandteachher,andboardthemroundthewhile,andnotbeprovincialatall.Thatistheuncommonschoolwewant.Insteadofnoblemen,letushavenoblevillagesofmen.Ifitisnecessary,omitonebridgeovertheriver,goroundalittlethere,andthrowonearchatleastoverthedarkergulfofignorancewhichsurroundsus.