Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-30

N)lb GOlOl, ulGdh mug III btCtlllUtl,
1871 l was passing down crowded street
in one of our beautiful New England cities
when my attention was called to a most
piriable little object crying in the most
hoart-rending tones, Mamma, Mammal
Where is your Mamma, dear child?
will help you to find her" "Oh, no. no;
she has gone down into one of those hor-
rid pjaceS,' y pointing her little hand in the
direction of II low drinking house,
thought moment, then taking her
cold little hand in mine, said, Come, |
my child let us 90 and find your Nam
ma She drew away with II shudder.
&" No, no; can't 60 down there, not for
my Mamma, for it will make me just like |
her," So telling the child to sit down on
u low curb-Stone, made my way into that
Aorrid place.
There, indeed, was that poor child's |
mother, lost to ALL save to her, by the AL
lurcmenlsof the hour.
Drink, drink! she was saying rs |
entered. went at once to her, and lying |
my hand on her arm, told hcr as best |
could Of the little daughter waiting out in
the cold storm for Mamma. Away from
the further corner of the room came up Il
voice, You better 90 with the lady" |
did succeed in leading her forth int the
pure air, and of seeing the child lead
away the woman for once All me how
long will it lasl9 thought |, with the nfu
rating demon lurking about her, and u
score Of drinking houses in sight of her
little attic window.
How very suggestive are the words of
John B. Cough: "Strke hard and strike
home, warning not with men, but with the
demoralizing traffic" Nm.
TIE LITERATURE OF CRIME.-America
presents most prolific field for cheap RI.
e. l0V grade] literature; and as our boys
and girls are essentially n reading class,
and the demand for this literature is large,
the bookstores and news stands are stock
ed with it. An unnatural development of
sentiment, at The eTpenSC Of judgment,
leads the young Of both sexes to patronize
that species of romance, startling fiction
or even course vulgarity, that is 50 unspar-
ingIy meled out to them in the novels and
story papers that have attained immense
circulation in the land. They dcvour with
: lo Of INN rrinurU n,1ta,
lures, and follow with all the interest of
absolute reality, through the pagess of
these highly wrought productions, the
wavering fortune of some fictitious hero
or equally mythical heroine. And the
same irresistible pencbant for these sensa
tional romanccs that has enthrallGd the in
telects of much of our adult population,
has become n kind of second nature with
our rising generation. 1t has become
woven with their very being, so that it
would appear to be necessary adjunct to
their existence. They neglect the perform
ance of thei" ordinary occupations and
shirk the responsibilities of position or
} duty 10 indulge their propensitcs for such
reading. 1t appears to carry with it Il fas-
cination, that impcrceptibly steals over
, the senses of its votaries and cbaiRS their
intellect 10 its dominion.
We advise parents to exclude from their
homes the filthy story papers which con
) stitute "the literature Of crime" and we
: would warn them that when once youth
} has Welded his undevcloped intellect to
the subtle and poisonous influence he en-
f dangers the safety of his intellectual aspi-
S rations No more will he aspire to true
t and substantial literature; no more will
his ambition prompt him to covet intel
lectual study; no more will he seek to
= make everything subservient to the in
i crease of his intelligence and the proper
!, culture of his genius and talents; solid
literature will no longer have any charms
!. for him, as his tastes become submerged
l. in the yawning guilt of debasemcnt.
II Many young man of the brightest tai
enls, whose career at school was honorable
and successful has thwmtdd his high an
70 ticipations by the habit of reading 1.-THE
literature of crime" 1t is, then, the sol
emn duty of parents and guardians to see
Z that their sons and daughters do not read
Y this intellectual poison which is duly
poured from the press, School and Home.
j.. THE TEXAS PRAIRIEs AT the moment