New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-04
NoKgLS IN PUBLTC LIBRARIES.

Novels. certainly, have some moral and intellect
ual value; if we had not thought So we shoui'I
hardly have printed so many OF them. In 'he
transactions and Proceedings of the Conference
of Librarians in London, October. 1877" there Is
an interesting paper which was read to that Dody Dy
Mr.. Cowen on the " Admission of Fiction Ill rec
Public Libraries" The author advocates It's exclu-
SION but his view opposed By no less parsonage
than the Librarian of the BOdleian, who held that
the real use of fiction was to supply imagination 10
those who have it not Moreover, he argues that
Librarians Tor manaCersl ould be travelling ont Oh
their sphere and. without authority, acting as CEN
sors of morals in excluding this that according TO
their own views.
II might have been added that apart from the pur-
poses of circulation and popular reading. novels,
being distinct feature of literature. and also
special records of public feelings and tastes,
are well worthy of preservation. They IN
dictate phases Of culture, whether 1t be
high or low. They preserve the memory
of manners and of morals, and the col
lOquial pecuiarities Of the period to which they
belong As SUCH they are history-often 1t Is true
in a crude and undgested form, but history still.
As such, they are of Importance to all students OF
the past If we would know what an Englsh
squire was in the last century, we must go to Field
ing If we would know what an English fine lady
was seventy years ago, must look into the novels
of Miss Edgeworth Ii we would know the English
man of fashion of later period, We must read Bull
wer. If we would comprehend something OF Eng
lish middle life, who give us better information
than Miss Austen or Mr. Trollopei The novels OF
Dickens and ThGckeray, like those of Fielding or
even of SmOlleLt, have, of course, distinct literary
value, but they are also full Of information, as
every American reader knows, Of a kind not to be
inc VanOF
be said of many minor noveists, from whose
books deficient as they in literary merit, some
knowledge is to be had, which otherwise, in the
absence of personal observation, would be missed.
Many great men have been great readers of novels.
II was the poet Gray who thought that nothing
could be more delightful than to recline upon sofa
deyourlng eternal romances Of CrebillOn. Lord
Nacaulay was an OmnyOrous novel reader; so was
Charles James Fox; so many Of our great American
statesmen and jurists have been. They find their
account in it intellectual rest at least and some
times much more.
As a coincidence, it may be mentioned that some
complaint has been made OF the character OF the
books furnished to the inmates Of English hospitals
that they consist manly OF religious works. tracts
sermons and ascOurses. the selection being left
chiefly 10 the chaplans Of the institutions. Tie Lr-
amiuer thinks that these gentlemen whatever their
hostility TO sensational novels, ought not to OBJECT
TO the works Of Dickens and Scott. move Is to be
made to furnish these poor sick people with little
light reading, and writer in The idH MAJ Gazette
warmly advocates the project. Agreeable reading,
a. all who have tried the experiment know. Is
greatly promotiye Of conyalesceuce, and we do not
see why the tedium of the sick-bed should be IN
creased BY books which it Is next to impossible to
read al all.
The advice of Mr. Carlyle to a young man TO
read the book which he desired to read has Wis
dom in it. As a rule nobody can get much benefit
from going mechanically through a volume which
does not interest him. If public libraries are made up
Of books Of solid and serious turn exclusIyely-what
are called useful bOOks-they Viii be public merely
in name. Their object specifically is TO encourage
reading, not necessarily as duty, for that would be
to encourage study, but Us a harmless and generally
profitable amusement. calculated to keep readers
out Of mischief and indirectly TO refine their man
ners and tastes and habits.