Middletown transcript., 1880-02-07
BOOKS.

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BOOKS.
COUNTRY people, as a class, do not
appreciate the value of good books in
the household. They read newspapers
and periodicals, keeping well posted
on the topics of the day, but, frequent
", the additions to the contents Of the
book shelf are "few and far between"
We are particular to be up with the
times in the matter of household adorn-
ments. Our carpets and furniture
must be in style, our store of bri' "a
brac frequently added to, while, too
often, the books on the shelf do not
number dozen volumes, and many
country boy with a thirst for knowl-
edge has found bis researches limited
to family library consisting Of the
Bible, Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress
and the almanac; all excellent-we
may say indispensable-but not enough
Of themselves for the young reader Of
inquiring mind Good books are our
ever-faithful friends. They are always
ready to enlighten, instruct and enter
tain US. They cheer US when we are
depressed, they take US travelling in
distant lands and carry US back to
ages long gone by. The influence Of
books upon the young, doubtless, has
much to do with moulding the charac-
ter of the man or woman. No doubt
many a boy has gone out from home,
night after night, because time was
heavy upon his hands and there was
nothing to amuse or entertain him
through the long winter evenings.
The boy that is weaned away from
the joys of home to seek diversion with
boon companions in corner groceries
or on the village streets has made a
fair start on the downward road that
leads to crime. A few entertaining
books, together with parental exam
pie and advice, might have turned
the scale and made a useful citizen
out Of many such boy. In other
cases taste for trashy "blood and
thunder" novels has been acquired
because healthy literature was not
attainable. Some young people have
great thirst for literature and read
everything that comes in thei. way,
good, bad and Indifferent. Not find
ing books at home they seek them
among their friends, and oftentimes
come up with little of the good" and
much Of the "bad and Indifferent.
Many novels Of this day are positively
injurious to the young, particularly
those that are spread out under stir
ring headlines in the multitude Of
story papers that now food this coun-
try. Some of these are printed ex-
pressly to suit the tastes Of the young
and contain each week installments Of
marvellous adventures Of Juvenile
highwaymen and other preeocious
lads who buckle on a pair of navy re-
volvers half as tall as themselves and
go out to be star spangled heroes.
This is the current literature of the
young who read and have empty book
shelves at home. 1t would be an easy
matter to turn their minds to some.
thing more solid, did parents fully un,
derstand and appreciate the value d
good books in the household Many
villages have circulating libraries
but, while these are to be encouraged
they do not entirely fill the bill. Lei
the young grow up among good books
E with good books in the reach of theil
hands, after they learn to read, an
f they will acquire taste for a whole
some literature. Children frequently
become deeply interested in history
and read it with great avidity, Otter
preterring it to romance, a preference
which deserves encouragement. Tht
, family library need not be either ex
: tensive or expensive. In this age o
cheap literature fifty dollars will buy
many excellent standard works tina
| will bring more pleasure to a country
e home than anything else the sam,
t amount would purchase. If there ar
I boys in the household, Irving's "Lif
; Of Washington" and "Prescott's Con
f quest Of Mexico" and Conquest 0
d Peru" should be given a place on tn,
3 book shelf. Cyclopedias have here
: toiOre been too costly for the farme
J. and mechanic, but reprint of Cham
bers very excellent work, with severa
| volumes Of additions on American sub
; jects-twenty volumes in all-neatl,
printed and bound, is being sold 70
ten dollars. This is a great storehous
J Of informatioh-a library in itself, anc
> should be added to every family Ii
brary where more expensive cycle
} pedia cannot be afforded. Many stand
! ard works, such as "Don Quixote,
"Gil Bias" etc, are being sold in good
, binding as low as fifty to sixty cents
In history "Macauley's England, and
6Roll;nui Ancient H;stoyr,,S oar IL