The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-07-11
DISTRICT LIBRARIES.

DISTRICT LIBRARIES.
Few influences contribute more fully
to development Of yirtuous habits in
youth, and the suppression of unhappy
propsnsities than thorough cultivation
ofs love Of reading. Reading 10 chiefly
the minds Intellectual food, aud child.
rem viii read; If they srs rot furnished
With books of . foe moral tone and such
as both instruct and elevate, they will
find recourse to books of different or
der, and ius,inctively drink in the dress
and trash which float so universally upon
ell the surface Of our literature.
The early bias of mind which children
acquire from reading in their ,eoder
years fxes itself indellibly upon them.
If that reading is Of philosophical or
historical nature the drift Of mental de-
selopnent comedies. II the taste 0: the
young reader leads him into the glowing
field Of fiction, or poetry, the wit and
imagination becomes cultivated into
sparkling playfulness and sen,imeu,ally,
while in all these the heart traces a: ev-
cry step the foot prints Of virtue and the
grac GUS influences Of . great frs, cause.
A most satisfactory argument in sup
port of the truth that children should be
amply provided With books selected from
the very best authors is the fact that a
cheap and vitiated press circulates con-
tlnually class of literature wholly at
variance with every grade of virtue and
morality. The tendency of such writ
ings-ehiefy yellow backed pamphlet
trash, and New York story papers-can.
not be successfully disputed; and ,suf.
hc'ent evidence of their circulation is,
the liberal patronage they receive
Morally loose and ephemeral in their
character they lead the viciously inclin
cd further away from paths Of rcc,i,ude.
and instil drops Of poison into the tender
mind of innocent childhood. Iustead of
imparting habits of frmness aud integri.
ty, or cultivasiDg keeness of perception,
strength Of perception, vigo. of intellect,
they strip the youth of what he has into
a trliing ideality of life and its response |
b'litles. Instead of elevating to the
highes. walks Of excellence aud moral
ree:itaae, how often does their influence
check aud coutaniuat the mind that
Might have been immortal-misht unclose
The wings within it wEapt, and proudly rise
Redeemed from earth, Il creature of the skies.
asa most efectual way of dissenIinat. |
ing useful knowledge, what can be more
suggestive than the establishment Of dis
trict libraries )? IL some States, among
them Michigan, district Libraries are es-
saolishcd by law and rcplenished stately
by public tax. These Libraries are furn.
lshed with some standard works in almost
every department Of learning. Fiction,
because 1t Is abused by host Of serb
blers, should not be excluded. In poetry
what could be more brilliant fllan Moores
" Lal.ah Rookh," " Paradise Lost" or
the illusions of Tennyson? In prose
what could draw the intellect to sweet
er or higher elasticity than the pen
pictures Of Walter Cotton, or the sketches
st Washington Irving? These are some
of the great minds that cruiscd along all
the shores of literature and collected
beautiful museums of its gorgeous gems.
But when shall we have dis.ric. libra.
ries established in the common schools of
Iowa! Why is it that we do not have
them now? 1t is certainly a project of
high utility and recommends itself to the
consideration of the teachers and people
OF our growing State. X.