LITERARY SOCIETY 87 



But with all this, I sought and kept good society. 

 The family living almost entirely in the country, I had 

 many leisure hours to dispose of; and preferring the 

 company of my elders and men of good position in the 

 town to those of my own age, I was induced to make one 

 to join — indeed to found — a literary society, after the 

 manner of the one mentioned by Benjamin Franklin. 

 We were in number about seven or eight, all married 

 men but myself, and I was at that time under twenty 

 years of age. It was our custom to meet every Monday 

 evening, at the house of one of our members, who 

 230ssessed an extensive library. The chair was taken by 

 rotation, and the president elect would name the subject 

 for discussion on the ensuing night of meeting — thus 

 giving us all time to study it, and to form our opinions 

 upon it, which we delivered extempore, or from a written 

 paper, as we chose. The discussion ended, and our 

 different opinions recorded in a journal kept for that 

 purpose — which journal, by-the-bye, is now in existence 

 — the president would read something of his own selec- 

 tion, either in prose or verse, from the best English 

 authors, generally in accordance with the subject we had 

 been debatino-. 



I look back with no small de^'ree of satisfaction at 

 this part of my younger days, as it was not time ill 

 spent — indeed, the employment was both rational and 

 instructive ; and I have lived to see institutions much 

 resembling our little society grown tip in many of our 

 populous towns and districts. It tended also to improve 

 those faculties with which the Almighty had endowed 

 us; and if not of practical utility in every- day life, it 



