Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-05-16
FIcrrT1OUs LrTRnsTUuR.

1t Is unquestionaby true that nearly the
entire youth of the country, and great
many of their elders, are beset by pas
sionate and apparently Unsuitable desire for
something to read in the way of "fction,"
and sentimental literature" And this
taste has become by indulgence, so power
full as TO control their thoughts, feelings,
desires and habits, increasing in strength
just in proportion as love for sound
healthful reading is dscou ragged; depress-
ing the nobler and more elevated feelings
and instincts; creating false views of life,
and injuring the mental and moral charac-
ter as certainly as the poisonous fumes of
the lamp will wither and destroy the sem
sitive leafet. And right here is where the
formidable danger lies. III the continuous
reading of trashy literature-and the more
dangerous, because seductive and skilfu
ly written stories, depicting t various
phases of life, passion and crime, left only
transient impressions on the mind of every
young girl who read them, the danger
would be comparatively light. But this
is not the case, AS every observant parent
must know; these impressions are deepene1
anu iutcusilcu ny uIutual cOuNclsatiul, ny
reviewing the deeds of heroes and heroines,
until to their distorted imagnations, their
parental homes assume all the appearance
of castle, with portculis, meats, wardcns
and keepers and to eyes dazzled with the
glow and glitter of romance every fanciful-
ly dressed adventurer must needs he a
prince in disguise, or some gallant cavalier
pinng for a congenial heart.
Why, with such perverted views Of life
and humanity, the ordinary affairs of life
must necessarily appear prosaic and COM
monplace, dstasteful, and something 10 be
avoided at any time, for indulgence in the
rose-hued visions and pictures OF palatial
life with chosen knights, and all the gar
| nishing with which day-drcamers adorn
their castles in the air.
Is a son or daughter prepared to act the
part of faithful, dutiful child, when his
| or he head is filled with such wild vaga-
| ries that render present life and its duties
| unreal and repugnant, and keep them con-
stanuy transported TO the realms of fiction
| and fancy? The readers of this trashy lit
OF ature cannot realize that there is any
| thing stern or commanding in the duties
| and requirements of to-day. II IL here and
now, where we are TO live and make our
characters, shaping them in noble endu-
| ring proportions, or permitting them to
dwindlc and dwarf until they cease to at
tract attention or TO exert any influence f r
good.
Yet to those who have not taken the
| pains TO inform themselves the amount of
money expended from week TO week for
these light and often disgusting publica-
lions, would appear almost incredible; and
| still, while the virus of such licentious
| teaching is being spread broadcast and
| stcalthily through our entire land, into pri-
| vate houses, into schools and sem nai les, -
we find Christian parents, relatives and
friends, standing quietly by, unmindful or
unobservant of the great wrong that is thus
being wrought upon those in whose welfare
they should, of all others, be most con-
cerned. The tastes, h'bHs and sympdthies
of family WW soon dssimildte WHh The
character Of he literature Furnished them
Weekly, and il is for parents and guardians
to see that nothing corrupting, degrading,
| or that in the least degree is able to con-
taminate pure and refined taste, shall be
| brought 10 their notice. Farmers Home
| Journal.