Smyrna times., 1855-11-07
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% What are Injurious Novels 2.

] 10 10 What are Injurious Novel, 2 ... -. = .
While the human nsindl remains what il is
the reading Of fiction win continde popular. -
To prevent the young from perusing novels i.
SIMPLY an iimposslbiliy.Yy The wise parent will
; therefore, control what he cannet prevent, and
oy exercising a, supervision. over what comes
l"todhe faahi5, preserve the morals of his of:
spring. a's'' 7''di'. - 7.iis~ s,-76a :s.t &c., :.
f. There, is a certain class of fiction about whose
VICIOUS influence thereis nodispute,. Of,these
we'shaIi have nothing to- say There, is ano-
therN description of novels, chiefly translated
from the French, respecting which there is
some difference of opinion These mostly con-
slst of extravaeant incidents, of highly-color.
ed pictures of life, of false social and reii-
gl9us theories. dis suiscd in sophstry, elo-
qgenGc3e and Pret2nded, philanthropy. AT one
time the country was flooded with such books,
Respectable publishers, We regret to sy.- lent
Their names to give them currency, and thus
smuggled them into households where. other.
wise' lhey never could have found enrrance.-
Inc rage for such iietiohs, however, has ex!
hausted itself: Comparatively few of them arc
now sold, aud still fewer find IA passport 10 re.
spectacle society. The Gays of The Mvste.
ries of Paris - are over. = |taf' : ..:i
Ihey have left the brand of the injury, how
ever, Oh the mind aud morals OF the land. Far
they have been sGcceededby original American
hctlohs'which initiated their vice without exhib-
ting their ability: and alas that we must s,v
II, publishers of reputation have been found to
endorse these also. Under the guise of narra-
tIves OF real experience in life, and while nro-
Tossing to lncuIcate dviner phase of Christi
anIty than the Church itself teaches they as.
all the sanctity of the marriage tic, advocate
living par GmOarS, and defend changing part-
hers as otten as ~him or passion tempts them
astFay. We do not exapgerate in the least
NOVELS Of this description are actually publish
ed by- leading publishers; are advertised as
eainently beneficial in their morals aud find
their way, IN consequence, into the households
q 1nsusPeetng parents to lead captive their
ea'ldren down to the gates of destruction.-
Stripped OF their speciOus pIcadIngs, they teach
this and this alone. They put on garments Of
lght--to use the figure Of the poet-n which
to d" the devils work. And by this impious
trick, they reach the ear of the innocent and
young, where they squat, like Toethsome toads,
as IN Eden, 10 whisper foul sophistries and
bring sin and death on their deluded natures.
The press is not without its share of guilt:
!or the care'essness or good nature Of journal
ISIS often induces them to praise such novels
without having perused them, especially if the
publ Is aPersnml friend or a profitable ad-
sertis r., and thus a further currency is given
TO the books. The moral epidemic, instead Of
being qnarantined, so 10 speak, is, by this pro.
Cess, brought into the family under the direct
sanction OF those who should be the conserya.
tors of virtue Silently the disease RACES, sap
ping principle after prime ple destroy ing victim
after victim, enphaticaliy 'Ha lpestilence that
walketh at noondSy'' Nor are the ravag9s Of
the insfdious foe revealed, uDtl some son brings
shame aOn,his mOther's gray hairs, or some ten
derly 'Burtuted daughter becomes hiss and
scorn: Yet to this moral disorder. and death,
editors and publishers contribute, a few, inno-
GENTLY, but more, alas with more or less Of
auih Sd5 tI5h2ta 9fEE .,tfsI sidi i. se-lrlsFrz
81 sh.!'p r3 atv .1ni 4ipJE sat gf la,ifrO ann,
sSlnsthese remarks we do mot allude to the
course novels reprinted from English originals,
or even To- the vulgar Iietions Of d similar type
which have an American pafeitage. Such
books, before they,wll be read, must find tastes
sufficiently, dePrayed; and this practically, al
most totaIp Iply' excludes theRfrqR d!ecept house
diolds'ibsi a'i9"i 7nsoa gal IsiiFi9s71 .dgoo7di 4