Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-06-15
Fireside Department
ON READING.
A WORD TO THE BOYS.

"We boys love stories" OF course
you do. l like them myself, but
the danger is, that with such null
titude of exciting, sensational ones.
as are sold nowadays, you will
read nothing 6ut stories. And that
would be paying dear for the whis-
tie" would it not? If for the sake
of books that have not the slightest
foundation in truth, nor, indeed, in
the probable, written only to amuse,
not more than a single grain OF
wheat hidden in a whole. page OF
chaff, you lose all relish for a high
er and better style of reading, you
do yourself a grIevous wrong.
am not condemning you to dry,
dull books, indeed, / am not. My
own young days are not so far away
but l know quite well what you
want. But only think of the books
that are waiting to take you all over
this great world of ours; up into
the artic seas; down below the equa-
tor; showing you all the strange
forms of life in those tropical re-
gions; into the depths of the sea,
and pointing out the still stranger
forms of life there; whole volumes
of travel and adventure that will
add to your stock of knowledge, as
well as enlist your eager interest;
and histories without end, that will
charm you like a fairy tale, if you
only give them a chance; taking
you through, not the world merely,
but through the past centuries:
showing the grand discoveries and
dreadful struggles which have made
the world what it is now.
Then think of stirring tales of
real heroes, who have fought the
battle of life and came off conquer
ors; have struggled through a boy
hood of poverty and trial and temp
tation, in noble resolute manhood.
Isn't there enough in such examples
as these to interest? Does it not
set your blood to tingling to think
what others have done and what you
may do?
Now, word about the newspa-
pers. | always feel hopeful of a
boy who reads habitually the daily
or weekly paper. l set all such
down for live wide-awake boys,
when / see them taking such an
interest in the current news of the
day. But l wait first until i see to
what part of the paper they turn
most eagerly. If, as the sheet is
uniolded, they run over the tele-
graph column, to find out what is
passing in other countries as well
as in our own, then | know there is
an intelligent interest. Their ears
have been open to the discussions
among the older members of the
family, and mind has been at work,
too. There is no excuse for igno
rance now. When all the nations
of earth are knocking at each others
doors, we may learn what we will.
If / see the eye brighten over some
noble deed of charity to the poor
and suffering, then am glad, for l
know there is a generous spark down
in their own hearts, that shall yet
kindle into fame of its own, and
gladden. others some day with other
noble deeds. But if / see them
with eager interest reading the hor-
rible details of crime and murders,
hope dies ont of my heart, and l
turn away with real pain. 1t is a
crying evil of our day, this publish.
ing in such minuteness thes loath-
some details of crime. | see no end
or purpose or justice to be answered
by it, but only fearful harm. Your
young hearts should turn in instant
recoil from such brutal tales. Boys.
if the public journal, that should be
a school of better morals, spreads
this snare before you, do not walk
into it. 1t will blunt all your finer
feelings, and familiarize your mind
with forms of cruelty and sin that
otherwise you would never come in
contact with. Every one knows that
ANYTHING made familiar to the mind
loses half its deformity. Never
suffer yourself to head one of these
articles. If your eye catches the
startling heading, pass it instantly
by. Do not fill that mind of yours,
which should be all manly and no.
Bile, with these dreadful pictures of
sin and guilt.
/ have said nothing about those
poisonous books-low and vulgar
that sometimes find their way Sc
cretly into some boys pockets
trust there is no need to caution
YOU against these. Never, never,
read anything that you would blush
to have your mother or sister see.
Read! but pray be careful whdt
Won read.-Hearth and Home.
n.y. yTYAnl4r