The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-05-23
DIR. OLDETAM'S TALK.

In the Literary Notices" of the
Rnicker6ocker for May, we find the talk
which we give below. The writer shows
the heaIthful geniality of large-soaled
man, and Christian. Tho Raickerbock-
err, in referring to the volume from which
the subjoined extracts are taken says: =
There is here and there something to
startle the suspicious of very suspicious
people, and make some very pious, ex-
cellent old ladies almost tear their cap
strings. The mere dogmatist may not
be pleased, for the writer of this volume
is not encased in strait jacket, but thinks
bodily and talks freely, as one would, face
to face with friend and if we have eyes
to see and heart to feel, he is imbued
with the largest, FREE st, noblest spirit of
humanity and Christian philanthropy."l
al have been up to Mrs. RosSvil'e's
school," said the Doctor to his wife one
evening. 1T was a sort of anniversary,
when the children get each present Of
some nice book suitable to Il cir age and
intelligence. Why, Mrs. Rossville and
the other ladies have gathered together
more than sixty children, in that outlying
district, who would otherwise be very
poorly off for needful instruction.
"What did you say to tho children,
husbamdP
"Well, | dare say it would have seem
ed very queer talk to many persons; it
would have made Mr. Grim look more
grim, and Hiss Prim more prim, if they
had been there. But l told the children
| was glad to see them SO glad abour
their books ;that children did not formerly
have so many books as they have now,
but was not sure they were any the
worse of; for the few they had were bet
ter read, and so did them more good;
while now they had 50 many there was
danger thoy would read moro than they
could read in way to make their minds
grow; that it was great deal better to
read few books over and over, again
and again, than to run hastily through n
great many; and, besides, there were a
great many books for children now-a-
days, written with very good intention,
that were very poor stuff-not half so
good for them rs some ofthoso old ones
which some very wise people now think
so foolish: that Mother Goose's Melo-
dies md, Cock Robin aud Jack o
the Bean-StaIk,' and Jack the Giant Kill,
err and Cinderella, and Beauty and the
Beast" aud LEsops Fable, with the
Cuts and 'Berquiu's Children's Friend
and the Treasury of Choice Old Fairy
Tales, and the STORY of Poor Joseph,
and Robinson Crusoc,' and 'Sinbad the
Sailor were library for little folks which
none of the wise modern hooks cou'd
make up for the want of; and was glad
to see them among their books; though
some Of the new books were indeed ns
wise and good for them as any thing That
could possibly be imagined; such as
Hans Andcrson's Stores and Master
man Ready and the Settlers in Canada
and Sir Edward Stewards Narrative
and that exquisite little book, "a Trpp
to Catch Sunbeam and other equally
beautiful stories by the Same hand, and
the Boy Missionary and the Minister
it,9 Children, and some others that /
eou,I name, and was glad to see them
among tiis; books to-day; only this they
must remember, thai the more they read
such books as the last Two, he more dead
their conscience would become, Snd the
harder Their hearts. if they did moi try ~
some way, according to their opportuni-
ties to initiate the good examples which
touched their tender feelings SO deeply;
and as to the rest, they must have moth
ing to do with such books as Professor
Savethoughts Truth Brought Down. bis
PHILOSOPHY Made Easy and Great
Things Made Small; nor with Mr.. Silley's
series: the 'Child's Book of Physiology
of Natural Theology and the rest; nor
with Mrs. Softly's Childish Hymns
nor Mrs. Scarem'ss Awfulness of Infant
SIN Fate of the Little-Sathath Breakers
nor Miss Sharp's Profitableness OF Plety,
showing the wisdom of serving Ged be-
cause He pays better than the Evil One;
that they must never look into those
books; and, in fine, they must speak the
truth, obey their parents, love their broth
ers and sisters, be kind to every body,
say their prayers. and remember always
that thov were Gods children and not
tho devil: and that God loved to see
them plav if hey played fair, and loved
to have them have good time playing
as often as they coulo get It, provided
they did not neglect any duty or do any
thing wrong; that they should 's'"ays
try to do right because it was right, anG
not merely for any thing they might hope
to gain by it, whether from God or from
others; and never to do wrong because
it was wrong, and not merely from fear OF
what might come of it either here or here
after; that the good Lord loved them
dearly, and had not thought or wish
about them, but to have them good. and
happy here and forever, and they should
therefore live as His dear children, and
try to please Him out of love; that they
could not be good without His help, any
more than they could lift themselves over
the river in basket: that it was some