The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-04-25
Novels and Novel lseaaang.

el reading throughout the community is
lamentablc. 60 where you will you are
sure e find some person reading the light
trash Q. the day. You cannot take a,rip
by railroad without perceiying that The
ladies, particularly the young ladies, arc
abundantly supplied with the twenty-five
cent publications Of The day, among which
Soulie's, Eugene Sues, Alexander Du-
mas works held conspicuos position.-
The sickly love-talcs and soryile imita.
tlons OF the one-the thrilling adventures
of the other, and the deep horrors of tho
third, seems 10 engross their whole atten-
t'on, and some, SO deeply are they absorb.
ed in deyouring these pages ,ha, they are
unaware Of being a. their journeys end.
There is on immense amount OF such
publications floating throughout. the Union,
principally Of foreign authorship and are
the means Of "great disbursements OF the
circulating medium" We do not com.
plain Of the money wasted in these novels,
although the sums might be moro bcncfi-
cially appropriated, but Of the faulse i'm
pressions and never failing corruptions
which they impart 10 the mind, and the
mind OF female should be as pure and
unsullied as the paper on which she writes.
A young lady will shrink o, The bare idea
OF being seen in company Of, or with, a
libertine or man OF doubtful character,
ye. she is not alarmed q, drawing from
her pocket or out of her travelling busket,
just such parsonage in the shape of
H'ppant author, and, getting into corner
with him, listens with great pleasure and
intense application TO all the horrid cs
capes, loose adventures, coquel,ing wilcs,
"reminiscences Of couric-s, nuns, or priests,
which run throught his pages, and intend.
ing TO do nothing wrong, she lays down
the book without blushing al its indelica-
cy or feeling contempt at its nonsense,
thus publicly displaying her intellectual
weakness.
We spoke Of three remarkable French
authors, but these three are an embodi-
ment Of some three hundred. Some few
years since we strollcd into the French
Chamber OF Deputies, al Paris, and while
listening TO The debates an accompanying
friend said id-"Alexander Dumas, the cele.
brated writer Of romanccs, is sitting on
yonder bench" We looked ut his dark,
almost mula,to, physiognomy and fash
ing eye and asked whether he really
wrote oil The novels published under his
name. ''Not at ALL" said our friend
''There are hundreds Of writer's, in this
city, of wit, taste and fancy, whose names
are unknown-lhey carry their works to
authors Of celebrity, like Dumas, who
read, adopt and publish them, giving the
poor author portion Of the spoils.'
The French school Of Philosophy, how
ever, is moi the one in which our youth
can study with advantage. Let them
read American works by such men rs
Irving, Prescott, Bancroft, Cooper, Simms,
Longfellow, Tuckcrman, Matthews, Ste.
Phens, Poe, I1ulleck, Clark and host OF
others, let our young ladies read the
works Of our truly celebrated American
female writers-Mrs. Sigourncy, Miss
Sedgewck, Mrs. Kirkland, Mrs. Ellelt
and many others Of established reputation
or the many English writer's who are an
ornament 10 the age. Where are Scot,
Mncauley, Cowper, Edgewor,h, Cunning.
ham, Porter, Thackcrny, Milton, D'Isrcali,
Bacon, TuPper, Aguilar, and thou
sands OF others, from them nothing nju-
rious, nothing improper cnn be learned.
Then throw aside James, Mrs. Grey, Miss
PICKERING and the host Of eight writer's"
which now make you all eight headed"
and take up such authors who will leave
some trace upon your intellec,s--sound
and instructive works.
The press should dscountenance ull
such frivolties. 1t may bo asked, sup.
pose bookseller should send YOU M ad.
vertisement of French or other Novels TO
be published in the "Banner," would YOU
nseriit? We answer No! I, is as much
matter of business as selling opium,
oxalic acid, nux-vomica or any deadly
poison, which must be purchased and vet