The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-07-25
For the Lancaster Gazette,
Read Good Books.
No *

only good DOCKS. IL iails agree
ably on the ear, and we irresisti-
bly, feel that the su question comes
from a good heart. 1t does come
from an honest, pure thought. No
one who utters the precept means
other than he expresses. The in,
tention is to counsel you to read
the best thoughts Of the best minds,
committed to paper to read books
that will inform you; will expand
and strengthen your intellect
prompt to goodness of life; and
protect and sustain morality, vir-
tue and religion. The command
also, as far as its authority may be
held to 60, inhibits the reading of
books that, though perhaps arc re-
garded as innocent, are yet frivo-
lous, and would be time thrown a
way; as we'll as forbidding the
reading of positively hurtful works;
hurtful because they would drag
the mind to low thoughts, and poi
son the intellect. We can't help but
feel pleasure at the precept, so oft
repeated, tread none but good books"
Bnt then what are good books ?
Are all books good that the popu-
lar sentimentapproves? Are books
good books because the populace
read them? At the time in which.
write, the public taste for read.
ing has become we'll nigh as vari,
GUS as the taste for physical stim-
ulants, and is quite as fastidious as
the gourmand's appetite that loaths
the plain, substantial, nu tritious
food that nature requires, and will
not be satisfied without its daily
increasing condiments and stimu-
lants, which are to end in the condi-
tions of impaired or ruined physi-
cal health, disc ase, and perhaps in
premature death. II
Do those who counsel the read
ing ofgood books enforce their pre-
cepts by their examples2 Why
then is it that works offiction have
usurped the place of science and
common sense in every house that
one can enter? There are no re.
strictions that / can learn. The
old folks read them: and the young
folks read them and read moth
ing else. Boys and girls bring
their books from school to prepare
for recitations, and deposit them
on the table, or bureau, and take
up the Ledger or the Weekly, or
something Of that sort, and devour
it with concentration of mind
that / have observed to render
them oblivious to everything be-
sides. l don't see that any body
attempts a check. Parents, church
members and all, wink at it. And
every Saturday night the news de-
pots are thronged with all classes,
to procure their Sunday reading,
and deposit part of the earnings
Of the week, whether there is a
good book" in the house, or 1our,
or meat, or necessary fuel; or
whether the little ones have COM
Portable clothes, and shoes on their
feet; or whether the baker, or the
milkman, or the man that dug the
garden has been paid or not. We
must have something to read.
And what are these cheap pub
lications? They are the effusions
to a large extent, Of a class Of weak
brains, whose minds run on a low
plane: hired scriblers, who can
write Of little above love, and
seduction, and murder. There
are exceptions, but they are few
But old heads justify works of fie
ton. They talk Of good delinea
tors Of character; of good novels
tho best writer's &C.; and yet yor
cant take a monthly, ora weekly
aud run through their silly stories
if you are on observer, without
coming with the writer down to thu
lowest plane that mortals move on
and staying there till you see "ptr
tue rewarded and crime punished,
There is where they all end, o
course, alter dragging you through
theslime and filth of moral de
linquency, and awaking thoughts
and inhaming passions in the de
veloping mind, that elsc had no
been awakened or, awakened
might have been awakened on
higher level. ~.
The older heads are to blame
Writers for bread write what pub
fishers are willing to pay for; an
publishers publish what the popu
lace crave; and ifthe name of
popular preacher can be added t
the list Of contributors, to write
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