, 1880-12-04
TRASHY NOVELS,
4 GROWING EVIL.

CHICAGO, Nuv. 3O.-1t Inns bern sotno time
Since have added my 1nfte 10 The Home. I
have been n dillErnt render Of I'uE TnnuINE
for years. and the Saturday ettttlUn Is always
loukch forward to with cagprness on ac-
cn,,nt of tic pleasure ami amusement. tho
perusat Of the contributions to The uuma
nllnrtls lilc,
i have been particularly interested IN the
views expressed by correspondents ft'fcfer.
c,tcc 10 noyut-rcailng. As I'LL humble STU
dent Of hulnnn VIRTUES antl frnflitles l will
e,lttcuvor tu give NY lt,vas OIL this question.
To my mlnt 1t Is not n question Of society
1ioyel.rnsing which Should cngross tho
mind of tic thinking man AMI woiunn. Per-
SONS Of tho a,iu!t ngc HrG supposed to Jayo
sufficient Judgment to cnnble them to dis
crElnnatc between trashy novels and tllusu
Of weight md sounl philosophy It Is
question Of far greater importance to tho
parent, tho guardian, nntl the teacher
am somewhat surprised, too, 10 find that
The Home contributors llnyo passed this
matter over so lightly. Some there nrc WHO
deem 1t a subject Ut little Importance, bit /
an sure The nalnrlty must sea the matter lii
II tH!atly different light.
Ilint my. suggestions may hayo SOHO
weight, md Ely ret,lnrts ba entitled 10 suns
degree Of respect, will confess #, humilta-
ttoh mil bitterness Of spirit TINT Atn living
example, Of tile dire ctFercts PRODUCED ly
taat alenu a t, bi,luu foi ills '!s siste :V of
things. 1t adtls little to tic cou.furt Of the
sufferer 10 remind him tint rs he has sown
tue wiliA 50 lie must reAp tho wltirlWnd. It
ls enough TO say tint | l,ad MY. opportunities
for il ths % Gitisr,ss of nffs thoust a w''Ic sSI
wells up III my soul wien mediate upon
the ,past alld think What might hnve been!
The dissemination hf frn411V nNtn1a-fffna
and liAlf-tllnle 1ndian tufes. nEd, stccli.
!r9ilatlccs--is spreading nj ,an nlatlning rut,..
There are III this city hundreds, Of eht1dren
road to crime aud ruin tilinitgli tilo i,.r,iiam
nf this vile literature. Every few days wo
Ar" allItssed t?} BY rea!iing IN the daily. papers
tllnt "GnurElH So-alt!-so was ft'und," utter
,ein nssG1 iron, MS home for several tLnys
WIN llAlI II tUIe!t OF his co,ntansnlis, living
Il, q cave, wearing renl bowt.kniyps ant, ~
v1lvelS, and actLng out III mimIrry the lives
which aru tiioir constsnt companion" ~
=, Inc young 9lsd tender minds Of our aet1st-
tive buys u,,4 girls are easily corrupted by
the ecnsiy poison OF tl1s ,tpas-trea growing
asld t!outisllNg III our midst,
Tako Il str.'ll down any of our prthctpnl
streets md trop lnto one .nt the su-enlled
ncws.stands and observe. On tic wills nru
nrxe ni'! snowy pictures, represcntins scenes
plaeartls,: inf9rmtns ths public that ''rhe
new mud thrilling story, MT, tlie Scn,t, OF
TIE Demon of The l'rnirles,' Is ct1nnlenceft in
tl!is number of the l,alfdln,e serEcs or some
css fGsy p'crd ~ sanry afs 9sEt
s,na!l buy ul,d iure lin to Its destruction.
went Into 9ne of these stores II few days
hines 10 p!irclnso Soma llttir article Of sta
tioery, md, willis waiting tn l}e served bs tlle
PROPRIETOR, my nltentln!, WIS called to two
buys Of ,nrrl,aps . und II years nsc. T1lay
were looking over the nickel libraries. 1'lto
elder yonngster stood with trGt spread
ii bnti' ai,ds tic ltsst ,iu.jer IL 's; 81 tl,Is d
nbomtnuble "Ilternttre." Short, sturdy. n
perfect picture Vt gpod health lM Iooke.l,
0ut tnern @ was all undue brea,ltl, af the rther
ana ii slor!t,E down ot Ills crail,,m III tilo
crronal rcslnh. where frpnolosisls locate tlit,
orEnns or sp'rit1Mlltty, sublmtty, atd cut-
scltllsiousErss. The Gagerness with Which
lArcl,as.., an,i llle occasional exclamation Of
dnligilt With which IIe grcutcd sn,no l,urtIclI-
lnrly pleuslHg p1ssnge, Wis evidence enough
!, t'sat !,o " was i.st drifting down tho raId
cl,ccknl, soon 1,o hurlp.i intn TIC Whirlpool
Of crime AsNl ruin Of budy nnd snnl.
,r{,i Ls yo!l11aEsr yoa1a 9t tlie two children Was
Jig WIS rapidly turning over lie trash spru.,,1
bcf0re him, evidently Ii, scarrll OF sollle par
tlcnlar fny9ril. AZ last llc Guund tt, md tito
look of s1IsEsfnctinn that SpreIll itself over liH
up 10 Tic yGutiEsecr nn! pleasantly asked flu
u he would nllDW iuB to rXnlltno bis Dllr-
t,! rstsy. lle dit 80 with evident rel,rtai,ce.
I,!'e 9ook wAs nf Tug sa'ne character as ,uost
!a!lhisl' i'aIlle,-l ll.yo forgotten Just wat.
books rs tl!ls asksd i!u wi ila ,tsd eSI,tcniy s!
took i,e for II "il,tenr fish," for ho Instantly
,nE !o',,!,lyt y, exclaimed: "D'ye tako MD for
'rhis Is but .ons Of many Instances which
s ay y9G ~ i sa rss y t'fiTr"S y Tha a o,sS % n
tne tEnuplc 10 spend fow ltDnltTlta occ.l-
sinnat!y u 0'Is Ut these news-tlplmts, l,e or
s's tif w'I ylI l!ny. a!ne opportunity OF studying
Some lnay ,inaFIna t!.at tic only children
WHO rcAd this yilu stutI Nro tho offspring uf
tho YiEluls !.l4l crlnllal clnss.s. II lhts were
true tlle ay!l h g'raa enough to call fur Inn
locat n,lt1url.ies; hut It Is mt. the ctls,.
lllseed tug very roverse Is True, for lll ,usst
ii,stances IL Is Tho children Ut respectable
nna We!l-t0.d0 nt0ple who pasrantzo must
nStainy t,SGufin!y tho stands whore these books can ba
Just think Ut it. mothers. yonr SONS an.l
.a,,i'X',ts|'s. ;,' Eerl,nps unknown 70 yo, arp
1 ssx 9's'tE ss . lsIT nE X9E'E os s at i VII 4 q, ss
san!e, il II !rue The sentl"r, l"licate l cilii.
t,.. s,,cy !" ,'orb!tlnrss, i tiu quo, WHO wilt
@ anI IN whoa tie n'ftets will bs most Ias,il!E
grG annually rllits"t bylusl1inE this yitu stuK,
~ isaus 10 iahlla " sioth aid inlnlrlre; 1t
slrangu tnnclss, hIstnrls human l,at.Iry, aini
caasrS, thu youthful ru!I.tcr to adunlru thD
'S9st ylci0'ls trnits III man.
slotl'trS, tAlllers, btG to 1t, iMplnra you,