West-Jersey pioneer., 1869-10-22
CHILDREN's BOOKS.
BY REV. T. DE WITT TALMAGE.


there was no juvenile literature. If the
book appetite arose, they were fed on
slice Of Wilberforce's Practical View of
Christianity, or little tit-bits from Ed
wards on the Affections, or were given
few nuts to crack from Chalmers As
Economical Discourses Their fathers and
mothers sigh ed lest these little ones should
turn out badly, because they liked ginger
snaps better than Westminster Assemblies
and would spend their money for marbles
WI hon it oughU 10 have gone toward fur
nishing red flannel shirts for the poor
heather children in Kamschatka. You
lost all faith in John Bunyan's veracity,
and whistled incredulously when you
came to that story about Apollyon. Pic
lures were scarce; and book was con-
sidered profusely adorned that had at the
beginning sketch of the author in gown
and bands, and long hair of powdered
whiteness, and at the close in ornate let
ters the word Finis, which you are told
meant The End, although, after reading
it through, you did not know whether it
was the end of the book or the end of
you. You might as we'll feed ynnr baby
.on lobster salad as at that early age TO
have been expected to digest the books
that were set before you
But now the children's library is filled
with books of large type, and tasteful
vignette, and lids riged, and dowered, and
scrolled, and columed, and starred with
all the fascinations Of the book bindery-
There is now danger that what is called
the 'smilk for babes" shall become moth
.iug but ulialk aud wauer. Many uf the
Sabbath-schools are doing much to foster
a taste for trashy literature. In some of
these libraries you find sentimental love.
yarns; biographies of generals who were
very brave, and good examples in some
respects-wben they were sober; fairy
stories, in which the FAIRIES had very loose
morals; accounts of boys and girls who
never lived = books in which there is no
more religion than in Don Quixote or
Gulliver's Travels. We have been won
dering why some religious society did
not publish nice little edition of Baron
Munchausen, with moral at the end,
showing our dear little people the danger
of tying your horse to the top of church
steeple On Sunday night your child
does not want to go to bed. He cries
when compelled to 60, and looks under
the bed for some of the religious hobgob-
Inns that came out of the Sunday school
library Religious spooks are just as bad
as any other spooks. A child is just as
afraid of Floras, Pomonas, sylphs, breads
and fairies, as of ghosts The poor little
darling in the little blue sack goes home
with book thinking she has heaven un-
der her arm, and before she gets through
reading the story of love and adventure
feels SO strange that she thinks she must
be getting lots of religion.
In the choice of our children books, let
us not mistake slops for simplicity, nor
insult our children's tastes by disquisi-
tions about "footsy ytootsies," or keep in
forming them of the historical fact,
which they learned a great while ago,
that MARY had little lamb" or assem-
BILE the youngsters in coroner's jury to
clear up the mystery as to ''who killed
coek-robin" If a child has no common.
sense at seven years of age, it never will
have
Have at least one book in your library
in which all the good children did not
die. My early impression from Sunday
school books was that religion was very
1t seemed terrible distem-
per that killed every boy and girl that
it touched. If found myself some day y
better than common, [ corrected the
mistake for fear l should die: although it
was the general opinion that was not in
much danger from over-sanctity. But |
do believe that children may have reig-
ion and yet live through it. A strong
mustard-paster and teaspoonful of ipe-
cac will do marvels. Timothy lived to
grow up, and we are credibly informed
that little Samuel woke. Indeed, the
best boys ever saw occasionally upset
things and got boisterous and had the
fidgets. The goodie-goodie kind of chill
dren make namby pamby men. should
not be surprised to find that colt which
does not frsk becomes a horse that will
not draw 1t is not religion that makes
that boy sit by the stove while his broth
ers are out snow -balling, but the ''dumps."
The boy who has no fire in his nature may
after he has grown up, have animation
enough to grease wagon-whoel, but he
will not own the wagon nor have money
enough to buy the grease The best boy
[ ever knew, before he went to heaven,
could strike ball till it scared out of
sight and, in the race, far as you could
zee you would find his red tippet coming
out ahead. Look out for the boy who
never has the fingers of good laugh
tickle him under the diaphragm. The
most solemn looking mule on our place
had kicked to pieces five dashboards.
There are parents who notice that
their daughter is growing pale and sick,
and therefore think she must be destined
to marry missionary, and 60 to Borneo
although the only recommendation she
has for that position is that she will new
er be any temptation to the cannibals,
who, while very fond of cold missionary,
are averse to diseased meat; or finding
their son looking cadaverous, think he is
either going to die or become minister,
that there is great power of
in liver complaint, and think
ing him doubly set apart who, while Pres
bytery are laying their hands on his head,
mas dyspepsia laying its hand on bis
Obi for religious literature that shall
axe for its model Of excellence noy
hat loves God, and Gao digest his DIN
,ar in two hours after he eats 1t! Be
,ot afraid to say, in your account OF MS
Iecease, that the day before you lost HIM
,e caugt two rabbits in his trap down on
he meadow, or souudly thrxhed street
uffiln who was trying to upset little
sirps basket Of cold victuals. DO not
hink that heaven is so near to an lily
yentilated nursery as to good gymnasium
If the church of God could trade OH |