It tortured all Dick's senses into revolt, and awakened in him a hatred of what he looked upon as the injustice and cowardliness of the outrage that was too deep and too bitter for trivial complaints.
Dick's temperament was poignantly romantic, and the natural tendency had been fed and nourished by indiscriminate reading.

The Waddy Public Library, in point of fact, was largely responsible for many of the minor worries and big troubles Dick had been instrumental in visiting on the township.

The 'lib'ry' was in the hands of a few men whose literary tastes were decidedly crude, with a strong leaning towards piracy on the high seas, brigandage, buccaneering, and sudden death.

Dick read all print that came in his way.

Once he started a book he felt in honour bound to finish it, however difficult the task.