Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-03-29
For tie Gazette.
EiTIGCIN NATIONs..-.N Y,
81 TIMOTHY TYPO.
NOVEL READING.

Mr. EDITOR notwithstanding il is almost
universally conceded that no essential advan-
rape can be realized from novel reading few
are willing TO admit that such employment is
really pcrnicious to the welfare and happiness
ct those who indulge in it. Entertaining. as
believe, views somewhat adverse to the gen.
ersl impression. and being extremely solicit
ous for the welfare OF the fair sex especia lIy.
(who, if any, are the greatest sufferers have
concluded TO give you the result oil INV obser.
yations and cogitations on the subject.
The chief objection have to novels is. thew
fill the mind with too much of ideal and too
little of real life. Their heroines are oener-
ally described as combining personal charms,
which outvle the fairest nymphs of Circassia,
with extraordinary intellectual, moral, and
social accomplishments. And what is the
consequence! Why, our young men grow UP
with their brains filled with lvid pictures of
imaginary bliss. to be enjoyed and shared with
one OF these fairy paragons of ovelness and
perfection. The youth, when he arrives to
maturity, looks valnly around among the circle
OF his female acquaintance for one in whom
are concentrated all the varied characteristics
OF perfection. He resolves to travel, in the
fond nope OF yet realizing his cherished dream
OF felicity. A few years thus spent, and he
his object-he finds that woman, like man. is
a frail being, and perfection is not in her"
He can discover none who will bear sem
blance to his minds IDOL and therefore re-
solves 10 spend his days in the undisturbed
enjoyment of single blessedness."
SO, too, with the opposite sex. Females
whose education has always been confined to
novel reading, are sure to Inculcate erroneous
and p-eJudIcIai ideas OF the character Of men.
\ young lady, for instance, Is addressed by
worthy and reputable young man, whose in
tentions are fixed upon marriage But she
soon discovers taat his manner Of wooing does
not accord with those high wrought scenes
drawn by her tavorlte authors Perhaps he
does not, like a valiant Troubadour, bend his
knee in humble depreciation al her feet-may-
hap he forgets TO press her hand at every part
lng-or negiects some other token of romantic
love, which novels have taught her to regard
as Indispensable. She accordingly looks upon
nm as unit 10 lead her 10 the altar He is
dsmlssed-and another, and another, in quick
succession, and from similar frivolous pretexts,
meet like fate Suddenly change takes
place. The beaux become less attentive
they look upon her as a vain coquette-soon
she is entirely forseken, and suffered to pine
away her days in the unhalowed and unfeli-
CDt 1
fear, Is too often the unhappy result OF novel
reading.
Bat, it does not end here. Let us suppose,
for example, tina: courtship is carried on with
the usual and expected "cooing and billing"
and the lovers are eventually married Soon,
however, the thrilling enthusiasm of love is
over. The husbands business engrosses a
large portion of his time, and his attentions are
both less frequent and less passionate than dur
ing the days OF wooing. The apt eve of the
wife detects this, and she instantly charges
him with want Of affection. He, on the
other hand, alleges that she too has lost much
OF the ardor and ferYor Of her former love. A
mutual coldness of demeanor towards each
other follows; each fancying the fault to lie in
the other. Thus matters progress-in time
their feelings become more and more estrang-
ed : and finally open chickering's and loud quar-
reis ensue, with all their manifold sources Of
misery and sorrow TO both. This, too, is no
vain illusion. Thousands. no doubt, can recog-
nize in this short picture their own unfortunate
experience And to what but the detrimental
influence Of novel reading can all this be sttri-
buted Had those persons been educated in
IN proper manner-had they been taught to
Tiew life as ii really is, instead Of being per-
mitted to incuicate the fallacious sentiments
breathed by novels, wrctchedness and sorrow
would have been as far from entering their
hearts as happiness is now.
Such. Mr. Editor, are my humble views
relatlse to novel reading. But have merely
presented the evils resulting from novels in
their most unexccptionabIe shape; and when
It is notorious fact that one half of the publ
cations now issued, are gross and vulgar, end
utterly unfit to 5e read by any one who has The
east claim to the virtue of modesty, ask,
should not all be ejected from every family