Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1864-06-24

One of the very best means of preserving the
health, happiness and morals of sons and daugh-
ters for raising them up to occupy high, re-
sponsible and honorable positions in society,
and for securing TO them an old age of quiet
repose, with happy freedom from wasting and
wearing diseases of mind and body, is to make
home, the family Preside, the companionship of
parents and one another, the sweetest, happiest
and most delightful place of all others. TAX
ing into consideration the intensely inquiring
character of the youthful mind, and the ten
dency in all to regard as true what is put in
print, there is, perhaps, no other one method
of bringing up loving and loveabe family of
securing happy household, than that of sup
plying the children with suitable reading from
the time they are first able to read at all. There
may be some difference of opinion as to what
kind of reading is most suitable, but the great
mass of the intelligent and the good will have
no difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that
in the main it should I've such as will combine
truthtuness with interest. Fill and feed the
mind with facts in language which shall engage
the attention; facts, and truths, end histories,
which lead out the affections, the best feelings
of the human heart, which will wake up the
sympathies TO heathful and practical exercise.
There is no scene in domestic life so purely
beautiful, except that of family worship, than
that Of father, mother, children, all gathered
around the table, before cheerful, blazing fire,
of a winters evening, reading aloud by turns,
with intervals of remark as to the sentiments
conveyed, their application to the times or to
one another, their literal correctness the pro-
priety of the mode OF expression and the many
other points which may be suggested to the
mind of reader or listener, as page after page
is passed over. Very many articles might be
selected from different writer's as an example of
the miscellaneous reading which might with adj
vantage, come before a family once month
The subjects are various enough and practical
enough, and withal truthful enough 10 engage
the attention, impart instruction, and lead out
the mind to thoughtful inquiry and TO practical
action in any family circle which might meet
together. All the articles are truthful. Fact
and not fiction is the best nourishment, the
most appropriate food for young minds to feed
them on imaginary variations is as inevitably
pernicious TO the mind as the habitual use of
stimulants to the body. An early grave, or
life OF poverty dishonor and bodily suffering,
is the fate of those who "drink = Just as GER
tainy will those who feed daily on fiction
"spoil" the mind, weaken it, unfit it for the du-
ties of life, and for the high and holy exercise
of the sympathies and the best feelings of our
nature Novel-reading is the parent of selfish
ness, of hard-heartedness, and OF a hayward,
aimless, fruitless life. The last persons in the
world to devote themselves TO the benefcence
of life to the practical charities which so elevate
us, are novel-wriers and novel-readers. The
blessings of the good he upon him who, read
ing this article shall resolve that there shall be
at least one family magazine in the world which
shall come every month to eager households,
freighted with all that is beautiful in sentiment,
truthful in narration, and in matter instructive,
pure and elevating 10 be read aloud in the
family; Of the advantages of which recent
writer well says:
Books and periodicals should be angels in
every household. They are urns to bring us
the golden fruits of thought and experience
from other minds and other lands. AS the
fruits of the trees of the earths soil are most
enjoyed around the family board, so should
those that mature upon mental and moral
boughs he gathered around by the entire house
hold. No home exercise could be more appro-
pirate and pleasing than for one member to
read aloud for the benefit of all. An authors
IDEAS are energtEe4 by the confidence and love
is open to the truth like the unfolded rose, to
receive the gathering dews. The ties of owe
between parents and children and brotbers and
sisters, are thus cemented yet more and more
and varied charms and pleasures are constontly
open through this medium to make home p
very paradise. If parents would introduce This
exercise in their families, they would soon see
the levity and giddiness that make up the con.
versation of too many circles giving way to re,
finement and chaste dignity. Read 10 YOU,
children, and encourage them to read to you
instead of reading your books and papers il
silence, and in silence laying them away" Thu
making home inviting, cheerful and happy, tn
sons will be kept from the COMMUNICATING inAu
ence of the street, the corner-grocery the en-
gine-house and the tavern, while the daughter
will grow up loving, domestic, virtuous ant
pure, and both sons and daughters will liv
happily, healthfuIly, usefully and long alp
journal of Health.