The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-20

promise those among the artists who may at
plain our whole-hearted support and that of
the art-loving pnolic.
There never was an age of the world when
reading was so much habit among people as
it is at present, and there is, probably, not
another country under the sun wherein this
habit is so common and universal as it is
among us. Our public schools turn out read
ers faster than we can supply aling matter
to them, and children of ten or twelve years
of age may be and generally are as familiar
with the current events Of the day as their
parents can be. This is the result of our
cheap newspaper and book publishing system,
which brings the most Interesting topics Of the
world within easy reach of the youngest and
the poorest. Hence in the cars and on the
steamboats, and along the streets and road
sides we see people constantly reading. No
sooner have they finished their morning paper
In the city than the evening papers are thrust
into their handsome edition after another,
from noon until the time of the evening repast
comes round; and thus it goes from day to
day.
But the newspaper does rot and cannot
supply all the literature needed for the long
GUNNER days and for the idle life of fashiona-
BILE society. Our people leave comfortable
city homes by the hundred and thousand every
summer, and seek the cooling breezes Of the
ocean or the brac ng air Of the mountains.
They return in the fall strengthened and in
vigorated in body, it may be; but how is it
with the mind? Is that, too, nourished and
built up by what it feeds on in the retreats of
ountry life or amid the gay scenes Of fash
ionable revelry2 What kind of literature takes
the place Of the newspaper, of which fewer
editions reach them in the country? They
Rre, so far as our experience goes. novels OF
the lightest kind-the fictions of Charles Reade
or Mayne Reid, or others like them; rather
than the standard works Of Scott or Shak-
speare or Dickens or the more solid reading
of other authors Unless, indeed, public at
tention is called afresh, as it is just now to
purer class of novelsts, they are pushed aside
for the newer and the himsier. An idea-and
q mistaken one, as it seems to us--prevails
among our country going society that pleasure
and enjoyment and fashionable dissipation
are the only things to be thought of or sought
for during the summer vacation. Hence hun
dreds of our people, instead Of returning in
September fresh and active for the sterner
duties of the fall and winter, come back tired
and jaded. and far worse in mind and body
than when they left US. Health and quiet,
rest and recreation are the true objects of
summer vacations, and they should be recog-
uized everywhere as such.
But there are many who do not spend their
weeks or months in this fashionable dissipation
to which we refer who yet do not improve the
days as well as they might In the city they
have ample time during eight or nine months
of the. year to study the brick or brown stone
walls and the few objects Of interest in our
public parks; but ia the country the opportu-
nifty is afforded to study nature and to store
the mind with truths which shall never die,
were they only properly appreciated An
interest in the sciences might be inculcated in
the minds of many young persons, during
summer vacation, which should ripen into
love and ultimately produce among us
scholars and Swans, which we, almost
alone of all the civilized nations Of
the earth. lack at the present time. Hum
boldt tells us that his interest in nature
was awakened by a friends description of
tropical vegetation in his presence when q
boy. The interest excited in his mind never
died out, but grew and strengthened with his
years, and produced afterwards the ripe
scholar and the friend of humanity which he
proved himself to be. But fash novel reading
will never produce O Humboldt, q Mscaulay
Or a Draper.
And now let US ask, cannot authors furnish
suitable literature for summer reading, which
shall be both new and attractive? And cannot
publishers find anything more salablc than
tho ''Terrble Temptation" and such works,
which border just az closely on vulgarity as
they possibly can do and hope to become popu-
Iar9 II they can we hope they will ere
another summer rolls around, ard will give us
awatering-place literature which shall recreate
the mind as the pure air of the mountain or OF
the ocean recreates and reinyiaorates the
body.