Thisisaboutasmuchasthecollege-bredgenerallydooraspiretodo，andtheytakeanEnglishpaperforthepurpose。OnewhohasjustcomefromreadingperhapsoneofthebestEnglishbookswillfindhowmanywithwhomhecanconverseaboutit？OrsupposehecomesfromreadingaGreekorLatinclassicintheoriginal，whosepraisesarefamiliareventotheso-calledilliterate；hewillfindnobodyatalltospeakto，butmustkeepsilenceaboutit。Indeed，thereishardlytheprofessorinourcolleges，who，ifhehasmasteredthedifficultiesofthelanguage，hasproportionallymasteredthedifficultiesofthewitandpoetryofaGreekpoet，andhasanysympathytoimparttothealertandheroicreader；andasforthesacredScriptures，orBiblesofmankind，whointhistowncantellmeeventheirtitles？MostmendonotknowthatanynationbuttheHebrewshavehadascripture。Aman，anyman，willgoconsiderablyoutofhiswaytopickupasilverdollar；butherearegoldenwords，whichthewisestmenofantiquityhaveuttered，andwhoseworththewiseofeverysucceedingagehaveassuredusof；——
　　andyetwelearntoreadonlyasfarasEasyReading，theprimersandclass-books，andwhenweleaveschool，the“LittleReading，“andstory-books，whichareforboysandbeginners；andourreading，ourconversationandthinking，areallonaverylowlevel，worthyonlyofpygmiesandmanikins。
　　IaspiretobeacquaintedwithwisermenthanthisourConcordsoilhasproduced，whosenamesarehardlyknownhere。OrshallI
　　hearthenameofPlatoandneverreadhisbook？AsifPlatoweremytownsmanandIneversawhim——mynextneighborandIneverheardhimspeakorattendedtothewisdomofhiswords。Buthowactuallyisit？HisDialogues，whichcontainwhatwasimmortalinhim，lieonthenextshelf，andyetIneverreadthem。Weareunderbredandlow-livedandilliterate；andinthisrespectIconfessIdonotmakeanyverybroaddistinctionbetweentheilliteratenessofmytownsmanwhocannotreadatallandtheilliteratenessofhimwhohaslearnedtoreadonlywhatisforchildrenandfeebleintellects。
　　Weshouldbeasgoodastheworthiesofantiquity，butpartlybyfirstknowinghowgoodtheywere。Wearearaceoftit-men，andsoarbutlittlehigherinourintellectualflightsthanthecolumnsofthedailypaper。
　　Itisnotallbooksthatareasdullastheirreaders。Thereareprobablywordsaddressedtoourconditionexactly，which，ifwecouldreallyhearandunderstand，wouldbemoresalutarythanthemorningorthespringtoourlives，andpossiblyputanewaspectonthefaceofthingsforus。Howmanyamanhasdatedanewerainhislifefromthereadingofabook！Thebookexistsforus，perchance，whichwillexplainourmiraclesandrevealnewones。Theatpresentunutterablethingswemayfindsomewhereuttered。Thesesamequestionsthatdisturbandpuzzleandconfoundushaveintheirturnoccurredtoallthewisemen；notonehasbeenomitted；andeachhasansweredthem，accordingtohisability，byhiswordsandhislife。Moreover，withwisdomweshalllearnliberality。ThesolitaryhiredmanonafarmintheoutskirtsofConcord，whohashadhissecondbirthandpeculiarreligiousexperience，andisdrivenashebelievesintothesilentgravityandexclusivenessbyhisfaith，maythinkitisnottrue；butZoroaster，thousandsofyearsago，travelledthesameroadandhadthesameexperience；buthe，beingwise，knewittobeuniversal，andtreatedhisneighborsaccordingly，andisevensaidtohaveinventedandestablishedworshipamongmen。LethimhumblycommunewithZoroasterthen，andthroughtheliberalizinginfluenceofalltheworthies，withJesusChristhimself，andlet“ourchurch“gobytheboard。
　　WeboastthatwebelongtotheNineteenthCenturyandaremakingthemostrapidstridesofanynation。Butconsiderhowlittlethisvillagedoesforitsownculture。Idonotwishtoflattermytownsmen，nortobeflatteredbythem，forthatwillnotadvanceeitherofus。Weneedtobeprovoked——goadedlikeoxen，asweare，intoatrot。Wehaveacomparativelydecentsystemofcommonschools，schoolsforinfantsonly；butexceptingthehalf-starvedLyceuminthewinter，andlatterlythepunybeginningofalibrarysuggestedbytheState，noschoolforourselves。Wespendmoreonalmostanyarticleofbodilyalimentorailmentthanonourmentalaliment。Itistimethatwehaduncommonschools，thatwedidnotleaveoffoureducationwhenwebegintobemenandwomen。Itistimethatvillageswereuniversities，andtheirelderinhabitantsthefellowsofuniversities，withleisure——iftheyare，indeed，sowelloff——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“OliveBranches“hereinNewEngland。Letthereportsofallthelearnedsocietiescometous，andwewillseeiftheyknowanything。WhyshouldweleaveittoHarper&BrothersandRedding&Co。toselectourreading？Asthenoblemanofcultivatedtastesurroundshimselfwithwhateverconducestohisculture——genius——learning——wit——books——
　　paintings——statuary——music——philosophicalinstruments，andthelike；soletthevillagedo——notstopshortatapedagogue，aparson，asexton，aparishlibrary，andthreeselectmen，becauseourPilgrimforefathersgotthroughacoldwinteronceonableakrockwiththese。Toactcollectivelyisaccordingtothespiritofourinstitutions；andIamconfidentthat，asourcircumstancesaremoreflourishing，ourmeansaregreaterthanthenobleman’s。NewEnglandcanhireallthewisemenintheworldtocomeandteachher，andboardthemroundthewhile，andnotbeprovincialatall。Thatistheuncommonschoolwewant。Insteadofnoblemen，letushavenoblevillagesofmen。Ifitisnecessary，omitonebridgeovertheriver，goroundalittlethere，andthrowonearchatleastoverthedarkergulfofignorancewhichsurroundsus。
　　SoundsButwhileweareconfinedtobooks，thoughthemostselectandclassic，andreadonlyparticularwrittenlanguages，whicharethemselvesbutdialectsandprovincial，weareindangerofforgettingthelanguagewhichallthingsandeventsspeakwithoutmetaphor，whichaloneiscopiousandstandard。Muchispublished，butlittleprinted。Therayswhichstreamthroughtheshutterwillbenolongerrememberedwhentheshutteriswhollyremoved。Nomethodnordisciplinecansupersedethenecessityofbeingforeveronthealert。Whatisacourseofhistoryorphilosophy，orpoetry，nomatterhowwellselected，orthebestsociety，orthemostadmirableroutineoflife，comparedwiththedisciplineoflookingalwaysatwhatistobeseen？Willyoubeareader，astudentmerely，oraseer？Readyourfate，seewhatisbeforeyou，andwalkonintofuturity。
　　Ididnotreadbooksthefirstsummer；Ihoedbeans。Nay，I
　　oftendidbetterthanthis。ThereweretimeswhenIcouldnotaffordtosacrificethebloomofthepresentmomenttoanywork，whetheroftheheadorhands。Iloveabroadmargintomylife。
　　Sometimes，inasummermorning，havingtakenmyaccustomedbath，I
　　satinmysunnydoorwayfromsunrisetillnoon，raptinarevery，amidstthepinesandhickoriesandsumachs，inundisturbedsolitudeandstillness，whilethebirdssingaroundorflittednoiselessthroughthehouse，untilbythesunfallinginatmywestwindow，orthenoiseofsometraveller’swagononthedistanthighway，Iwasremindedofthelapseoftime。Igrewinthoseseasonslikecorninthenight，andtheywerefarbetterthananyworkofthehandswouldhavebeen。Theywerenottimesubtractedfrommylife，butsomuchoverandabovemyusualallowance。IrealizedwhattheOrientalsmeanbycontemplationandtheforsakingofworks。Forthemostpart，Imindednothowthehourswent。Thedayadvancedasiftolightsomeworkofmine；itwasmorning，andlo，nowitisevening，andnothingmemorableisaccomplished。Insteadofsinginglikethebirds，Isilentlysmiledatmyincessantgoodfortune。Asthesparrowhaditstrill，sittingonthehickorybeforemydoor，sohadImychuckleorsuppressedwarblewhichhemighthearoutofmynest。Mydayswerenotdaysoftheweek，bearingthestampofanyheathendeity，norweretheymincedintohoursandfrettedbythetickingofaclock；forIlivedlikethePuriIndians，ofwhomitissaidthat“foryesterday，today，andtomorrowtheyhaveonlyoneword，andtheyexpressthevarietyofmeaningbypointingbackwardforyesterdayforwardfortomorrow，andoverheadforthepassingday。“Thiswassheeridlenesstomyfellow-townsmen，nodoubt；butifthebirdsandflowershadtriedmebytheirstandard，Ishouldnothavebeenfoundwanting。Amanmustfindhisoccasionsinhimself，itistrue。Thenaturaldayisverycalm，andwillhardlyreprovehisindolence。
　　Ihadthisadvantage，atleast，inmymodeoflife，overthosewhowereobligedtolookabroadforamusement，tosocietyandthetheatre，thatmylifeitselfwasbecomemyamusementandneverceasedtobenovel。Itwasadramaofmanyscenesandwithoutanend。Ifwewerealways，indeed，gettingourliving，andregulatingourlivesaccordingtothelastandbestmodewehadlearned，weshouldneverbetroubledwithennui。Followyourgeniuscloselyenough，anditwillnotfailtoshowyouafreshprospecteveryhour。Houseworkwasapleasantpastime。Whenmyfloorwasdirty，I
　　roseearly，and，settingallmyfurnitureoutofdoorsonthegrass，bedandbedsteadmakingbutonebudget，dashedwateronthefloor，andsprinkledwhitesandfromthepondonit，andthenwithabroomscrubbeditcleanandwhite；andbythetimethevillagershadbrokentheirfastthemorningsunhaddriedmyhousesufficientlytoallowmetomoveinagain，andmymeditationswerealmostuninterupted。Itwaspleasanttoseemywholehouseholdeffectsoutonthegrass，makingalittlepilelikeagypsy’spack，andmythree-leggedtable，fromwhichIdidnotremovethebooksandpenandink，standingamidthepinesandhickories。Theyseemedgladtogetoutthemselves，andasifunwillingtobebroughtin。Iwassometimestemptedtostretchanawningoverthemandtakemyseatthere。Itwasworththewhiletoseethesunshineonthesethings，andhearthefreewindblowonthem；somuchmoreinterestingmostfamiliarobjectslookoutofdoorsthaninthehouse。Abirdsitsonthenextbough，life-everlastinggrowsunderthetable，andblackberryvinesrunrounditslegs；pinecones，chestnutburs，andstrawberryleavesarestrewnabout。Itlookedasifthiswasthewaytheseformscametobetransferredtoourfurniture，totables，chairs，andbedsteads——becausetheyoncestoodintheirmidst。
　　Myhousewasonthesideofahill，immediatelyontheedgeofthelargerwood，inthemidstofayoungforestofpitchpinesandhickories，andhalfadozenrodsfromthepond，towhichanarrowfootpathleddownthehill。Inmyfrontyardgrewthestrawberry，blackberry，andlife-everlasting，johnswortandgoldenrod，shruboaksandsandcherry，blueberryandgroundnut。NeartheendofMay，thesandcherryCerasuspumilaadornedthesidesofthepathwithitsdelicateflowersarrangedinumbelscylindricallyaboutitsshortstems，whichlast，inthefall，weigheddownwithgoodsizedandhandsomecherries，felloverinwreathslikeraysoneveryside。