The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-12-02
One Way.

children from reading sensational books
The best way to answer this question ls by
telling you what have done. The other
evening, coming into the sitting room, saw
James reading dime novel. At least /
| thought 1t looked like a dime novel. Moth
er had her sewing, Jennie was working on
an afghan, Tommy was making set of
jackstraws out Of piece of red cedar.
Lets have some reading aloud" said 1.
'James you seem to have got hold of an in.
teresting book, there suppose you read it
aloud to us" James looked up with flush
on his face.
~ don't believe you would care for this "
said he. f'It isn't much of q book"
"You're mighty interested in it.n said
Tommy, "for book that isn't much of a
book,
"Yes come," seld Jennie, .slet's have
| some reading aloud. Why not James?"
"Mothcr wouldn't like this book" said
he.
"Why not9" said mother.
"oh, you wouldn't, that's ALL" said
James. ''It's just stuff"
'lf 1t isn't worth reading aloud it isn't
worth reading at all, " said Jennie.
'Ihat does not follow" said l, ssby any
means. There are a good many books
worth reading that arc not worth reading
aloud. But If James is too much interested
In his story to put 1t aside, the rest of us
will form reading circle and get some.
thing that Is worth reading aloud"
ooh. don't care anything about it" said
James. ~ was just reading to got through
the evening. II you have got ANYTHING
better On hand let's by all means have lt.S
With that he laid the book by with shove
that sent it halfway across tho table.
"What shall 1t bep" SAID I.
"How would it do to begin course of
hlstory3 There's our Hume In the book
case. don't believe that any one of us
ever read 1t through. How would that
do2"
l though to myself that probably none
OF us ever would read 1t through, but did
not say anything. waited for some one
else to respond.
., 'Tve got jolly book up stairs" said
Tommy.
''What is it ?" asked.
David Crockett, said Tommy. ..ssI will
go ana get It," With that, and before any
OF us could decide whether we wanted It or
not, Tommy was of up stars, He ia "a
quick as flash In everything. It proved to
be one of Mr.. John s. G. Abbot's Pioneer
and Patriot series.
'What Is there jolly about it7" said I to
Tommy, when he had produced it.
why It's full of adventure-about fel-
low that lived in wilderness when the
country was now, and even Ohio was as
wild as On lndian-what do you call it?
'Resorvation, said Jennie.
YES, reservation" said Tommy.
what DO you say, James, "saidI; "will
you read aloud for us while 60 to work
on the shoe box am making for mother2"
James said he would ana we then and
there inaugurated rcadiug circle. We
have kept 1t up, 80 far, all winter, James
and l taking turns in reading aloud. and
the rest gong on with their work. Tommy
Is quite expert with his knife, and lie has
begged off from the reading to 20 on with
his carpentry. We follow "David Crock
ett" with "Daniel Boone" and then took
up Mrs. Brassey's "Voyage Round the
World in the Yacht Sunbeam" We are
reading that with an atlas, and look up tho
places In the atlas and Jennie sometimes
looks them up further in the cyclopedia,
and tells us more about them at the next
reading.
And haven't seen anything more of
James's dime novel. My way to keep our
boys from the bad Literature is to overcome
evil with good.
How can find the time2 Well, Ibelievc
that he that does not provide for his own
family is worst than an inf1del. And I
think that 1t Is part of my duty to provide
my children with good books and good
company In reading them. and will not
take so much work on my hands that can
not 10 something for my own children.