The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1863-02-06


child of perhaps fifteen, with one of those
'yellow-covered'' novels in his hand, de-
voting the time, when impressions are
most vividly made upon the mind, to the
perusal of class of books which should
be banished from our libraries. I wish
Secretary Stanton would publish an edict
to this effect-as he has been so success
ful in crushing out free press, and the
private opinions of once free people.
When once the habit is formed of read
ing certain class of novels, person be-
comes incapacitated for. enjoying those
great standard works which Gil the mind
with new and profitable thought, aud open
to the imagination beauties in the visible
and mental world, Of which he never
dreamed. The class of novels which [
am condemning, famiiarize the youthful
reader with characters who are one moment
in the heights of felicity, and the next in
the depths of despair-who have no coun-
torpart in reality-and the youthful read
er insensibly initiates these ideal heros
and heroines, and we see around us null
'''uueS vi 'he youuS,
"On rose-leaf beds, pampering the coward heart
With feelings all too delicate for use."
Common everyday life loses its charm
reality its force. Their friends and the
world become, to their diseased imagina
ton, angels or tiends. They have not
the power or will to discern the base cur
rcncy from the true coin, aud they go
through life like somnambulists walk and
talk, though all the time asleep. How
many true and noble heart has been mis-
directed and hurried into acts which con-
science condemned,we can never know; but
around us we see wrecks which we know
were caused by the baleful influence of
novel reading; and we believe upon the
grave of many useless life might be in-
scribed, as warning: "Novel reading in
youth, with mind untutored, the subject
of this epitaph formed his opinions and
principles from false teachers, led sad
life, and at last sleeps in this narrow
house.
"No further seek his merits to disclose,
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,
(There they alike in trembling hope repose),
The bosom of our Father and our God"
Far be it from me to advocate the theo-
~ of those old fogies who, because they
have never read anything light, without it
be "Josephus, are loud in their denunci-
ations Of every description Of novel;
knew an old lady to offer as serious OBJ
lection to afather's sending daughter to
a certain school, because the principal
read Sir Walter SCOTS novels sometimes
to his scholars. She had never read,
found on inquiry, one of these prescribed
books, but they were novels-that was
enough to condemn them. This reasoning
reminds me of "Honest Old Abe" who ran
disguised through Baltimore, and argued
from this fact, that if he had gone through
the city as President should, he would
have been assassinated. About as much
sense in tHonest Old Abe's' reasoning
as there is in the remark of the old lady I
have mentioned.
Nor am / for .torcieg young people to
forego novel reading, by scolding and for
bidding them. This generally increases
the evil tenfold, as secrecy is employed,
and some delicious solitude" found,
where the taste may be revelled in to the
hearts content. | do not believe cosr-
cion ever fulfilled its mission. There is
principle, love of liberty born with US,
which rises to resist force and subjugation,
while gentle and mild means subdue re-
sistance, and make converts of seeming
impenetrability.
There is class of novel reading can
not too highly commend to every age and
station, which tend to keep alive our serl-
sibilities, and instruct with vivid, if ideal,
delineations of society and the world
such as Sir Walter SCOTS, Thackeray's,
Dickens, Cooper's, Longfellow's, aud in
fact, all those novels which readers of the
"yellow-covered literature never open.
Some writer says-I give the sense,
not the words-any book which produces
that state of mind which leads us, for some
time after its perusal, to refrain from
reading our Bible, is hurtful and any
book which has contrary effect produces
no harm, if it performs no useful mission.
NJ.
The TALENT OF SUCCESS.
a 4 ~. . 4 =. L