THE CARTERTON LIBRARY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3676, 1 December 1890, Page 2

THE CARTERTON LIBRARY.

:w;(By our Bpecial Oorrespoucient)■.^? ' i mentioned .in a paratjraph afewi days ngo that the Carterton Library bad importod {rom v England ft shipment of new \ books.., Theao;. ha to since reaphed Carterton, and'lxan; ftp* give you mora exact infptaajipn something about .the, library, which is well .worthy of it| and.whicb, : asTar % aß,my--.ex^nence^od l ?is\bne' of the very best; country libraries ini NewZe'aland.Wi; : ; ;; fl. ': ■":?'': \' : ' : ■The precise 'number \*o'f, works received by this.,(»nsigdment. is threp* hundred .and seventy three) many ' ; ;b£ theni the -latest books out.' I have but hardly feel qualhied to -critically fdisaect it With Buffipiont literary acumen;, to -make my analysis of any distinct; value.- ; ;i' will, however/,, this, addition, which <M3t(JRy brings the total strength of j|M|f. ■ Carterton. Library up to that taken all round the assortment seems:

a vory careful selection of gobdf prks,ij The eye: cannot^however,- ' helps cutoliing.tho title of bn«:or two of ih&;' new importations;'': There!' :is-for'i instance, included'the whole of the Bellamy series:"" Looking Backward''. "Dr Heidenhoffsprocess;''' "Mra.V Ludlingt6n|a Sister/:: &p.- .There are "'- also some of William.: Black'* '■'.; wonderfully magnetic ■; not. : . before in stbckj including " Sabina: Zemb'ra." Then ' I come; across. ii list 6E fiction all by popular, writers" : of the best class, some ; titles familiar

' to me) othei-s,. more recent books,' ' qnite J ofyonr space to name all thuattraot 1 me, or which hold forth,' the prospect 1 of entrancing and'-intellectual erijoy--1 meut. The tragic. and emotional. 1 department does not appear to have 1 teen overlooked when we have such I books as the tropical "Letters from B Hell," " The Intrigues of a Poisoner," • 0 "The Westhorpe Mystery," "The "J Abbey Murder," and other obeerful J trifles. It is a decided relief after 9 such names as these to come across 'J something more tranquilising and of II better calibre for the mind,,as wo doA n in " General Gordon s Letters to his 0 Sister," H. M.Stanley's "InDarkest--8 Africa," and tlio numerous similarS examples of a better class of reading 11 with which the catalogue is liberally

interspersed. But after all, it is tbo work of fiction which interests the average leader most, and the Caiterton Library certainly now possesses ia this line as sound a collection of really good novels—those which do a good, and convoy nn appeal to the better feelings with them—as any similar institution on the same modest fooling of which I knowi To revert to the books themselves again: Rider Haggard's weird and powerful tales of barbaric magnificencoareall here. Grenvillo Murray's fascinating and well-writtsn social sketches, character delineations and the personal remombinuces of his own romantic and eventual life are' most ot thein on the

shelves in one volume and. another. Then, too, there is tho observant And satii'io Max O'Rell in a -variety of writings, the charming and ;. clever little stories of aoldior life by Mrs Staunard ("John Stranga Winter,") aud a hundred other kindred authors and their handiwork all at the disposal of the favored subscriber to this capital little library. One book which interested rao more* than all others was "The r'enilnl£p% cences of Edmund Yatea," now! the proprietor and editor of "The Worfd,'' that successful and world-wide-Ikuown journal for men and wbmeiy as its title pages intimate, which is. published in v .London. Mr Yates' recollections : ara fraught with intense interest from beginning to end, and the marvellous ■'• store of anecdote, the varied and'flowing fund of experience and incident, are treated with singular skill and with a fraternal spirit which to a pressman is perhaps irore attractive than to anyone, but to which, all must perforce more or less fall under a spell, But I said that I was not going to talk of the books in detail—that I was not ablo, too—but still I have tried, bo inviting is the subject. However, I will leave it now, and say in conclusion (that sounds " sermonified " doesn't it?) just a few words about thofinan- , cial position, and management of the library. The Carterton library absolutely owns the largo building it ocoupies. Its revenue (now that the Government subsidy ol trora £2O to £3O a year is stopped) is derived solely from a poition of the buildiug whioh is let to tlio County Council and from subscriptions, of members. Tho library stands on'public ground—that is on'arcsorve-and the building owes its existence, and its freedom from debt.to the liberal donations ot settlors in money, in lime, and in timber. Mr Booth, the present chairman, for instance, has always willingly helped it. After paying for tho presont new supply of books, tho institution will ho in credit to the extent of about £l9 in', cash, ahd , from £25 to £BO in subscriptions', which are either owing or will shortly . become due. The Committee is Messrs Wm Booth (chairman), Seed, Brann, Parker, Richards, Pbilpott, and Downard, Much of the success of the library and the credit 'of its present firm footing is due to the Seoretary (MrF.W.B. Seed), the Librarian : ' (Sir W. Parker), and Mr 0 R Carter. Mr Seed and Mr Parker havo each been associated with it for a number of years, and all that tlioy do is guided by a discretionary we which has throughout been rewarded by flatter- . ing results. It has been truly said that "tho end of lab6ur, is to gain leisure." In their case, tha fruit derived from labouris the Bweetestof all pleasures. Mr Carter's good services have been of r different kind, but .they have still been very accept-* ablo and very bcncGchJ, He has personally and with great trouble selected the stock of books in England - and at various tiuios, and by his good management has undoubtedly enabled the Committee to make a very considerable saving in their outlay. The Carterton Library deserves to hive a very large)"'■, of subscribers, aud it is the heartjfcjsh of the writer that the number otmembers may be very considerably increased, as its 1 valuable resources become not only more thoroughly known, bui more widely recognised iiy that practical support which really more»benefits the individual than' the. objeot to which it is devoted, if people,, would only reccgnise this,very apparent fact. There is now a very fair membership (including evon subscribers from Greylown),audits strength U sure to increase. .',