Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-11-14

temptations lie in the way. What gardener
would ever think of keeping his little plot Of
ground free from weeds by impoverishinp
the soil Has it ever been known that fruits
and flowers could be grown in soil so barren
that no weed could find nourishment? This
very richness Of growth that is manifest in
the child who is eager to read anything and
everything he can lay his hands on, is mat
ter of rejoicing 1t is an indication of the
richness of the soil. Never fear that by care
in cultivation the pure and peaceable fruits of
righteousness may not be brought forth.
Cultivation Of the taste for reading is what
is needed, not ignorance Of letters. More
learning is to work the moral cure, not less.
BY giving more freely are we to secure the re-
form we seek, and not by Withholding that
which is meet. In this work of securing cul-
ture there is a part for parents and teachers
to do, and there is n part for children and
pupils.
Parents and teachers have work to do by
precept. After all, that which the young
most need, when the taste is forming, is ad-
vice and encouragement. l believe it posi-
bic to put such books and papers into the
,
way just those desires and appetites which
crave for that which is sensational and cor
rupting. This cannot be done without
knowledge, and skill, aud tact 1t must be
borne in mind that the childs tastes are
childish. Paul himself speaks of milk for
babes. 1t is not the story as such that merits
condemnation. Indeed, it will probably be
| by stories largely that the childs taste for
reading will be educated. 1t is the vile and
sensational and demornliling story that is to
be condemned, and the condemnation is to
be made reasonable and satisfying by point
ing to the story that is at the same time
amusing and instructive and there are plen-
! ty such TO be found, both new and 'old. The
child cannot discriminate among these. lie
needs advice; and little good advice. with
the Offer Of assistance, or the loan Of books.
will often prove the turning point in a boys
career. Ofteutimes child needs to be told
how to read "a book his interest needs to be
excited by hints Of the story or Of the author,
or by pointing out exciting passages.
| The incident is told Of Edison, the inveu.
tor, that when boy he formed the resolve Of
mastering the contents Of public library in
a Western city and this lad Of fifteen or six
teen actually commenced and read in course
part Of one Of the lower shelves Of diction-
aries and encyclopedias, and folio books of
reference. He doubtless got a good deal of
information but it must have been OF a very
miscellaneous sort, and his mind must have
been Of curious construction if he could have
remembered much. What waste of time
and energy was that for a newsboy with only
odd moments lie could call his own and how
much might have been done for him by
few hints from one who had knowledge of
books and who appreciated the talents Of the
lad. And yet this foolish resolve WAS rs
sensible as some advice that is given by those
who ought TO know better. lady teacher
told me few years since that she once asked
a Clergyman in thio STATE what book lac would
advise her to read as relief from the care
and strain of her profession; and he advised
her in all seriousness to take up for recrea-
tion of an evening hour, "Heryey's Medita-
tions Among the Tombs :" That is not the
kind Of knowledge and tact mean when l
say that the young can be kept from evil lit
erature by the advice Of parents and guardi-
ans Some people think that book or pa
per is good for child in direct ratio as he
hates it, and the more he hates it the more
he ought to read it when, rs a general rule
the very reverse is true. No parent would
think of feeding a child persistently with
food he loathed. Growth and development
are looked for upon diet that is perfectly
adapted to children's natures, and wants, and
cravings. Now the analogy is perfect be-
tween food for the body and food for the
mind. What is food for one may be poison
for another; and in educating the taste of a
child for that which is wholesome and good,
it is by no means safe to ignore his likes and
disikes.
But to the precepts of parents and teachers
must be added the influence of wholesome
example. We can hardly expect that our
children, at least while they remain at home,
can have higher tastes for reading and study
than ourselves If they see us read only the
newspaper, and fiud our chief interest in the
reports of crimes and murder trials, or in the
column of gossip and fashions, they certainly
cannot understand the justice of blaming
them for gratifying the same tastes by the
exciting story or the lewd novel If they
never see us take in hand standard book
from one years end to another, history, or BIZ
ography, or essays, or travels, or poems if
they never see lying about on the tables at
home the higher class of papers, or maya
zines or reviews, or novels, in a word, if the |
atmosphere they breathe is not pure and ele-
yating how can it be expected that their
tastes viii be healthy? 1t is true that chill
1r1p In bnp,ag tyba tba ia
ence has been anything but good and keep |
fellowship afterwards through life with the |
very best OF minds. Thanks to our schools |
and colleges for this. 1t could never have
been possible TO have introduced them to |
such company in their own early homes. |
Their later lives have been more fortunate in |
their surroundings. Now it is not necessary |
that our homes be filled with books and papers, |
or that parents have much leisure for read |
ing, in order that the influence upon the chill
dren DO good. Only let the papers and |
books which are found there be the best of
their class, There are papers published at |
the present day which contain as much good |
reading as a frst-class book Their supple
ments are crowded with the best thought of
the times. The trouble is not that there
is not money enough spent by us for books
and papers, however much or little that may
be but the money we do spend is not wisely
spent. Too much of it is worse than thrown
away. Too much of it goes to make million
aires of those whose publications have been
like poison to the young, Too much has
been wasted upon papers whose cheapness is
only surpassed by their worthessness; too
much has gone for trashy subscription books
and sensational stories. Let me say here, and
say with emphasis, that do not condemn the
novel as such. There are novels which may
take their place side by side with some of the
best books, aside from three or four, which