The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-11-20
F7ciiou as q Means Of Eiucatioa.'

Fiction as a .Neans Of Education.
Those who object to fiction.
claim that it has an injurious effect
IN the pcsons WHO read it by max
ing them dissutitied with their pre-
sent condition and BY giving item
exaggerated views Of life. They
also assert that nearly all the sto=
rics published ut the present time
arc not only improbable, but many
Of them exceed the limits otpossl-
bility.
But these statements arc subject
to notifications, and the views
therein contained are in sonIcIrc5
spccts erroneous. One need only
read the papers which give tllc
daily news to satisfy him$elfti
very little can be written orcon=
ceivcd which is impossible, oreyen
improbable. A person WHO makes
such sweeping statements onlY5be=
trays his lack Of knowledge ofthe
actual events Of tic day. Itis
quite true that there are stgEies
written whose influence is untlenis
ably bad. But shall We denounee
all fiction on that account? AS
we'll might we say that becallse
there are cllarlatans and qlileEs
among physicians We will never
employ a doctor. No result oFliC=
man effort is perfect or free from
liabilityto abuse.
|ZNearly=all#pcrsons =layeiatat times
nstrong craving foringntal#cXllila-
ratien.SEspccinlIyz this notice
=able=wllen= body=llas= =6non:cXerss
cisctl during the stluvzwith con
stAnt# manual labor, |whilo|tlaS
miLd hns not been fully employed
In s,tcll cases persons wish toabe
interested and amused without
either mental or physical cxertion:
They therefore take up a good
buok or newspaper, which proves q
soulcc OF agreeable and innocent
enjoyment. =
When written with skillfnl#
hand fiction may be made pow
erfui means Of education. Its style
interests the muses., md it las an
important influence in forming the
tastes and characters If those WHO
read it. Useful instruction can bc
given and moral principles inctll-
Gated in the form OF fiction where
they would not be needed in any
other form. Essays, lectures, and
sermons, which by manyarc consll-
cred more suitable educators, arc
seldom heard or read by the mas
ses, who, in their hours OF leisure,
generally seek means Of amlse-
mcnt or entertainment rather than
instruction. But yet it is neces-
sary that they should be educated,
for in the same ratio thut the peo-
pie at large are educated will crime
be diminished; and where the
great majority Of persons are fond
Of reading, the larger portion OF
them read nothing but fiction.
The value Of fiction us M cduca-
tor is shown by its Introduction
into the New Testament in the
form Of parallels. The very name
parable signifies III fable OF allego.
rical relation or representation Of
something real in LIE or nature,
from which moral is drawn for
instruction" II, therefore, the
Deity considers fiction Il worthy
means Of imparting useful moral
lessons, shall any Of Ills creatures
deny its value?
All works Of fiction portray char
actcr. and thereby have u tendency
to create taste for biography
They utso chronicle events, and
lead the way to history and travels.
In many cases Il skilltul presenta-
ton Of these points cxcites the am
bition Of the reader, and stimulates
him to enter upon particular lines
Of action in the serious business Of
life. Hrntham, in describing the
influence which The pcrusal 0ll'e-
lemuchus exercised upon his mind
| in hovllool. said: "Fnat romance
may he regarded lis the foundation
stone Of my whole cl,aractcr-tllo
starting point from whence my
career of life commenced. The
first dawning in my mind Of tho
Principle of Utility may, | think,
be traced to it."
Since, then, fiction has showmto
I've an important means Of educll-
: ton, il seems necessary that it
should he written, and quito proper
that it should I've read by all clusses.
But it must always be horne III
mind that care sIl0ihl be taken 10
+ read only such books as have beell
inl0rSvd by competent critics, ot
stories published in papers bearing
, I'M established reputation both fol
. purity Of tone and for high literary
| .,sI