The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-12-17
For the Register.
Pernicious Effect OF Novel Reading
TRUE STORY.

In the winter of 18-, when tho long
evenings afforded such delightful oppor.
tunities for reading, | went to - Post
Office for my letters, &c, and having to
wait half at hour for the mail.carrier' S
arrival. | had time to look around on the
company present on similar business to
my own. In that company saw group
of young people-with how much patience
they wore waiting | canuot say, but as
soon as the mailbag was brought in and
its contents were being distributed, this
group drew nearer, Watching every pack.
age as it was opened and now the clerk
takes up one, about FIVE inches square,
tears off the wrapper, and the yellow.cov-
cred contents are soon in the hands of
those young people, who evidently re.
ceived them with delight. On this, l
ventu:ed to ask the clerk. "What deli.
cious morsels have you there, Carlos Is
it honey to catch bees with ?" Aud he
handed me one. found it to be one of
the dime norelS, the like Of which had
been so ly.condemned by the friends
of morality and good order.
Weeks passed away, during which l
made call at the boarding house OF
Carlos, where ! was shown book be-
longing to him, and which bore the marks
that well-rcad books generally bear 1t
was one Of the dime novel class its ten
dency being to pull doien the barriers
which the lovers of law and order were
endeavoriug to build up. at once saw
the tendency ofsuch reading and repre-.
sented my views to some ot'my neighbors,
inviting them to put our pennies togeth-
er, and procure reading matter for our
Young folks that would be both interest.
ing to read aud profitable to remember
A gentleman in New York, who wa
known to bo friendly to young people.
"as applied to, soliciting his co.opera.
ton in forming "a library of entertaining
and instructing books having a moral
tendency. lie generously responded by
sending. without expense to me. a pack.
.ge OF books, valued at 80 dollars, good
III themselves, but better ftied for older
rcaders. With the donors consent, tn.
books were Otherwise disposed OF, tho
principal part aIding acceptance 10 one
oi our colleges Aud the effort to form
= library OF good books for the young was
aoaudoned, hut not forgotten. and time
passed on without further effort beiug
made in that direction.
Weeks passed away Smokers smoked
their cigars, "poking fun" at tho idea OF
Investing money in u town library, made
up of hooks Of moral tendency. What
ha book reading to do with money max
ing? Time appeared to be taking breath
to answer that question.
One morning toe stiffness of a "quiet
was disturbed bv the an
uouncemeut that Squire BIS house
had been entered in the night, and the
Squirc's pantaloons pockets empted of
several hundred dollars in cash Susp.
cion Immediately fell on a young man
who was known to be an associate of that
company of novel-readers. and had list.
ened with interest to their reading. The
town authorities were called on to attend
to the case, all of (which was done in ac.
cordance with law for Furnishing offenders.
The Reform School did not admit offend.
ers OF that age. We had no House of
Correction to assist u.s. Nothing short of
a strict trial by the County Court would
meet the case, This was resorted to,
conviction of guilty" followed, and IL
months or more Of state prison life was
the sentence.
Now, here comes question IF the
attempt to divert the attention of young
people from novel-reading has no money
making attractions, therefore is unworthy
OF the support of the lovers Of law and
order, will this latter class say that nov.
el-reading has no connection with moaev.
spending? Individual, town or county :?
Let any one, having fair measure of
common sense turn over the leaves of
some Of the books read by that company
Of novel-readers. Let him ponder the
lessons conveyed by the illustrations in
particular, and ask himself it the tenden.
cy is not in favor of fraud and riolence,
A CITIZEN OF ADDISON COUNTY.