Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-11-17
One Way.

How would 1 go to work to keep my
children from reading sensational books! !!
The best way to answer this question Is by
telling you what have done. The other
evening, coming into the sitting room, l saw
James reading a dime novel. At least
thought it looked like dime novel. Moth
er had her sewing, Jennie was working on
an afghan, Tommy was making a set of
jackstraws out of piece of red cedar.
Lets have some reading aloud" said /.
'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.
81 don't believe you would care for this, ]"
said he. ''It isn't much of book
YOU'RE mighty interested in it." said
Tommy, '.for book that isn't much of a
book.
"Yesl come" ssld Jennie, lets have
some reading aloud. Why not james,"
Mother wouldn't like this book, " said
he.
why notl' said mother.
''Oh, you wouldn't, that's ALL" said
James. ''It's just stu6."
''If It isn't worth reading aloud it isn't
worth reading at all, said Jennie.
That does not follow" said /, ''by any
means. There are a good many books
worth reading that are not worth reading
aloud. But if James is too much interested
in his story to put it aside, the rest of us
will form reading circle and get some
thing that is worth reading aloud"
''Oh. don; care anything about it, " said
James. 81 was just reading to get through
the evening. II you have got anything
better on hand let's by all means have 1t. "
With that he laid the book by with shove
that sent il halfway across the table.
''What shall it be?" SAID l.
"How would it do to begin a course of
history2 There's our Hume IN the book
case. | don't believe that any one of us
ever read it through. How would that
doa"
though to myself that probably none
of us ever would read 1t through, but did
not say anything. waited for some oRe
else to respond.
'Pve got jolly book up stairs said
Tommy.
''What is II ?" asked.
| ''David Crockett said Tommy. 81 will
| go and get it." With that, and before any
of us could decide whether we wanted it or
not, Tommy was of up stairs. He is as
quick as flash in everything. 1t proved to
be one of Mr.. John S. c. Abbot's Pioneer
and Patriot series.
What Is there jolly about it :" said tc
Tommy, when he had produced it.
why It's full of adventure-about fel-
low that lived in a wilderness when the
country was new, and even Ohio was az
wild as an Indian-what do you call it
"Resorvaiion," said Jennie.
"Yes, reservation, said Tommy.
"What do you say, James, said | twill
you read aloud for us while go to work
on the shoe box am making for mother?''
James said he would, and We then and
there inaugurated readiug circle. We
have kept it up, so far, all winter, James
and | taking turns in reading aloud. and
the rest going on with their work Tommy
is quite expert with his knife, and he has
begged of from the reading to go on with
his carpentry. We follow ''David Crock
EFT" with ''Daniel Boone" and then took
up Mrs. Brassey's Voyage Round tht
World in the Yacht Sunbeam" We art
reading that with an atlas, and look up the
places in the atlas and Jennie sometimes
looks them up further in the cyclopedia,
and tells us more about them at the mex
reading.
And | haven't seen anything more o
James's dime novel, My way to keep ou
boys from the bad Literature is to overcome
evil with good
How can find the time? Well, Ibeliev
that he that does not provide for his owl
family is worst than an intidel. And
think that it is part of my tuty to provid
my children with good books and goo'
company in reading them. and l will no
take so much work on my hands that l ca
not do something for my own children.