Our Library.

From a letter recently published in a Minneapolis, Minnesota, paper, we take the following extracts:

"After making the tour of the quadrangle, or "yard" as it is called by the students, we naturally turned our steps toward the famous Harvard Library, contained in Gore Hall, a substantial granite structure, built, it is said, in the same style of architecture as the Bodeleian Library at Oxford. On making inquiries we found, to our satisfaction that the building was open to visitors, and accordingly we availed ourselves of the privilege thus offered, and entered. On every hand we were surrounded by books; books old; books new; books of indeterminate age. Turning to our left, we entered the reading room, where groups of students sat at the tables poring over the reference books.-"grinding," is the term in vogue at Cambridge for this studious pursuit. On either side of the reading room were alcoves, filled to repletion with still more books, while on the wall hung portraits of the past benefactors of the university, to whose munificence the students of Harvard owe this magnificent collection of volumes, forming the largest and most complete college library in America, Though it was early in the afternoon, we noticed that the library was gradually growing dark, and that the students were slowly, and, as it seemed, reluctantly, leaving the building. What was our surprise to learn that no artificial light whatever is allowed in the building! It is certainly far from being to the credit of the authorities that such a state of affairs should be allowed to exist. Owing to the required attendance at lectures and recitations, the students have but limited time to spend among these library treasures. Unfortunately we had spent too much time downstairs and so were unable to visit the collection of relics and curiosities in an upper room."