Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-03-21

cent bazaars Of Bagdad, in the golden days of the
good Caliph, Haroun Al Raschid. Allow them to
accompany the adventurous Crusoe, in his rambles
about his lonely island-to revel in the exqusitey
| spiritual mysticism of Undiue-and to follow the
less fsncifuy picturesque, but not less interesting
path Of the good Pilgrim, in his progress" from
the Valley Of Destruction to the Celestial City
Tell them the story of worthy Santa Claus, their
! especial friend and patron-aud above all, make
them familiar with the history of Him who took lit
tie children in his arms and blessed them, saying
''0f such is the Kingdom OF Heaven" The fear that
mind, to which such food is administered 10 child
hood, will become in its mature state, fantastic or
superstitous, is, in this age of stern realities and
utitaiianism, absurd as it is groundless. We
have more reason to fear that the poetry of life
will be banished from the hearts of youth by the
ridcuIe to which al enthusiasm is subjected, or
frozen by the cold conventionalties of the common
life by which it is surrounded
We cannot here avoid noticing one abuse Of edu-
cation prevalent at the present day, and more es-
pecally practced in the of our particular IA
vorites-yOuug children. This is what may, per-
haps, very properly be styled the forcing system
| OF all the errors attendant upon the cultivation
of the intellect, this is the most deplorabte, for
! it kills both body and mind. 1t makes clever chill
dren, but Should they chance i've mere medic
ere men, 1t is error especially American, the
offspring Of our usual hurry and so-aheadativeness
We make haste to be rich, to be popular-to be
learned, mot rcise; )-our boys don the mantle of
manhood before they have the ability to wear it
gracefully our girls wives and mothers before
they are women. This is all mistake. Children
should not be taught too early, or too much; it is
injurious to the thinking powers--it burdens the
memory-it destroys originality. Not few would
be benefited by being kept back, instead of urged
forward. Let Teachers look TO this lest the early
falling fruit belle the promise Of the beautiful bios
soml
We have spoken of the reading of chiIdren-we
have yet few words to say in reference to that of
youth. The advice of Lord Bacon is: ''read not
many, but good books" If this be applicable to
mature age, how much more so to the young, whose
opinions yet crude and uniformed, and whose
minds are in the transition state. We cannot sup
pose that such mind can be sufficiently discrimi
/ mating TO select such works as are calculated to
sustain and strengthen its unfolding faculties Analy
sis and reflection have but little to do with this age
the images, the impressions of the author, are da>
guerreotyped with lightning quckness upon the
unsulied silver of the young intellect, and some
traces of the picture will remain there forever The
selection of works to be read falls, them within the
province of the INSTRUCTOR and if il be with him
constant object to encourage, and cultivate taste
/ or instructive reading, giving to each variety a
place, the mind Of the pupil will instinctively reject
what is frivolous and deeterOus. The canting con-
demnation Of novel reading IN toto, is, we per-
suaded mistaken idea, and one, the foundation
Of which is only prejudice. No one, in his
senses, would advocate the indiscriminate devourng
of the "cheap literature" of the day, but, on the
contrary. no wholly unprcjadiced mind would deny
the claims of admissible fiction. We must remem-
Der that all "noves" are not now what they were
some generations since, when sentence of condem.
nation was passed upon them by all right.minded
and earnest hearted persons. A tale of ghostly
horrors and maudn sentmentalsm, spun out
through the orthodox vols, >" was the novel OF
the girhood of grandmothers, and this class OF
works, though calculated lin our opinion,) to pro-
duce little else than a smile-half amusement, halt
ennn was denounced as 'gving false views of life,
and its duties" &c, which judgment is still, by
host Of unthinking, but well meaning people, passed
upon all novels" But they should have care
lest thoughtlessly they thus condemn much of the
best purest and most instructive literature of the
age. In novel writing we have progressed" and
it is somewhat strange that people Of ordinary n-,
teigeuce upon other subjects, should so unthnk>
| ingly adopt the old time opinion held land wisely
enough, tOo,) by past generation, but one not at
| all applicable to the present. We must, then, ad
vocate novel reading-with certain restrictions.
Where false impressions and dangerous tenden>
cies exist, the parent teacher cannot too sedu>
lously guard the young reader, but we have works
Of fiction which expand the intellect, enrich the
Imagination, cultivate the taste, and suggest new
ranges of thought; and such works are not only
admissible, but well worthy the time and attention
OF both teacher and pupil. The principle now so
prevalent of addressing the reasoning faculties but
imperfectly developed in youth to the undue neg
lect Of the feelings, and the imagination is an
offence against Nature and a falacy. Books for
the young should be entertaining, appealing to
the affections aud feelings, and fitted TO call out the
sympathes OF the soul, rather than TO develope
the logical faculties, prematurely. 1t is not OUT
province perhaps, TO point out what writers Of &c.
ton should be read by the Young, but We must
here remark that il some OF our most brilliant
authors have not hestated to suly their glowing
pages with sentiments of doubtful morality, there
are others who have never bowed the knee to the
Baal of depraved taste. Scott, Cooper, and r.
ving,-a Sedgwick with her pathos and purity
a Leslie with her keen darts Of ridicue transh1ng
fashionable folIies,-a Stephens, over whose pen
cngs the heart thrills and aches with the rush OF
old home memories, -surely such as these should
find resting place in every young and feeling
heart. But /. is Obj ected that to relieve the weari
Of study, books Of history, biography travels,
&c, &c, quite sufficient These are all we'll in
their place, in fact they necessity that this
argument appears plausible, and might even prove
true If such things novels existed or If chill.
dren never heard Of them more frequently than
they do Of the Koran, or the Veda. But they do
hear of those prohibited works. The very prohibi.
ton whets their curiosity, aud they read in secret
what is denied in public. They read anythng,-
everything. Judeious solicitors should be made
for them, and zen should partial prohibitions be
made, they will be more likely to be observed. In
regard TO thu manner IN which books should be
read as an aid TO education, much might be said
did time and space permit. The mode employed
by some Of copying of long passages from different
authors, il, 40 think Objectionable, such things