The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-03-26

elementary reading books, IS merely the de-
huctions of an elocuionary theory not yet
fssied* by experience, instead OF method
reduced from the practical experience Of ju-
dicious and thoroughly qualified teachers in
giving insi uction in the first lessons Of read
rng. These books arc mere experiment,
ara would respectfully suggest, whether in
d!Se present condition of our educational af-
Sairs, it is wise 10 enter on the sea of exper.
iment, when there is no necessity for it? !.
it not more wise 10 avail ourselves of the re-
suh attained by the experiments of Others
and which are now settled down upon, in
the confesscdly best schools in the country
A change in the reading books in our schools
| believe is needed but do not believe it
best to take set which has not yet under
gone the test Of experience.
But this imprac,icability is not after all
the greatest objection to these books. 1t
seems to me, the character of the selections
is a more serious objection 10 their use, than
that already mentioned, though that ought
iOIGNtI w EACluht AhNhi llblll Jul S'uOpis.
The pieces are mostly Fragments, incomplete
an themselves, and greatly deficient in pure
and elevated literary Character. They are
made, for the most part, from the colo
quail trash floating abou. in the form Of
flight literature" nterspersed with an oc
easional selection from the Bible, to sustain
and sanctiy the naus eous dish. They Il
bound in verbal and even scnicntial abbrc-
Niations, the most cxccptionable vulgaiisms,
grammatical impropr'eiies, sickly fonlerics,
and thJ stale and Vulgar witticisins Of the
umns Of the newspapers. Beside this, in the
second book there are nearly two columns
of niclNdmeS for a spelling lesson, which the
teacher is required to explain and in the
third book, lot of advertisements and re-
mort of the Utica Market" for reading les
sons do not know but all this is in good
taste, and withal very profitable reading
for children but Iappiehcnd few serious
minded persons will so regard it.
Lest those who have not seen these books
should regard these structures unmcritcd, |
syill quote an example or two Of the words
and phrases to be found in them, and close
with an extract from one of the reading les
sons. We have such expressions as "cnor-
mous DEAL" shallahballa," "loppety lop"
etc, and story about monkey shaving and
pumping out New York
The following is the extract alluded to a.
boye:
Mr.. Battle paced the room hur1ielly to
and fro, for the space Of five minutes or
more, with blanchcd check, and lip quiNer>
ing with rage and finally seated himself by
the window, and, with an air Of affected
nnconcern, began to whistle Yankee Doc
dlc. lie had been seated but three or four
minutes, when his wife, suddenly rising up,
came across the room, threw her arms alice
tionaiely about his neck, and barred her
head in his bosom.
My dear husband
"Nly dear WIFE,
al have offended, deeply offended you;
can you forgive me 2"
Yes, sweet, thousand times"
How foolish was to dispute with you,
dear, about such trite."
Yes, it vas very foolish in both Of US
But never mind thank heaven, we've como
to our senses again. Kiss me, darling there,
all's made up. Amt we happy now"
" Yes, my love. Clouds will come some
times, but, thank Providence, they are all
gone now. We couldn't have expected sun
shine always. Oh, won't we have prec-
ious times together hereafter, loving each
other so tendery? There, it does seem to
me as if were this moment, perfectly, per-
fectly happy"
" Blessed, blessed wife Kiss me again,
darling. There, we've had the last of our
quarrel: haven't we, my own, my angel
one z"
Now ! submit it to every serious minded
and rejecting parent, whether such stuff as
this, is suitable reading for children to study
and imbibe its sentiment? ] confess it is
not such reading as desire for my children
in school or any where else. know, in
deed, it is said in defence Of such col.ouuia
trash, to be used as reading lessons. that it
affords the means Of cutivating greater va
riety of tones and infections of voice, and is
more easily read correctly by children, than
composition Of more grave, serious and
Sensible character fit BIZ so, then there is
the mere need that the latter kind Of com
position should be studied, and that children
be drilled in readingt. Beside, must say
that the tones and infections Of voice requir-
ed by the sentiment Of such miserable trash
as the above, prefer my children should
not learn. Iprefer they Should learn only
TO read well, good sense, expressed in pure
and chasie English. They, in con.mon with
school children generally, viii lcara enough
vulsaliSms, nonsense and foolery, without
being taught it in their reading lessons. Foi
myself, | am of the number who thinl, III,
character of the lessons read in school ha
much to do in forming the taste for readin:
in after life and that young persons ar
quite enough prone to the reading of" ligh
literature" without being systcmaticall!
trained 10 it. They need rather to be train
Ell to the reading Of what is serious and ear
aeSi, as well as true and what is refned an,
cultirated in literary execution, as well a
pure and elernted in sentiment.
Beside all this, the material and manufae
ture Of these books are aboninablc. Tn
paper is Il dingy, spongy and unsubstanti'
sbont aul tha bindiu1 of fl,.. most froil char