The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-03-24

W
what makes men popular.
j. BURRILL.
FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.
The good and bad are sadly mixed
in this world sadly mixed they seem
to US. but, If we could see from the
beginning to the end of human exis.
tence we might say. happily mixed;
however that may be, we must take
the world rs we find it, and to secure
the highest degree of happiness must
choose the good, reject the evil.
Periodicals and books laden with
thoughts of thinkers are conveyed
with railroad speed into all parts of
our wide country, some bearing pure,
clean seed thoughts, others badly
mixed; therefore, the important and
difficult duty of selection demands
consideration, on the part Of the
individual for himself, and of guar.
dams of youth for them.
The objection to reading books of
doubtful moral tendency was met
recently in a Journal Of wide circula.
ton by the mis.applied phrase, honi
soft qui mai q Pense-such books and
papers in mental culture, are like
seed wheat with foul seeds intermixed
in field cultivation, under favorable
conditions for the wheat it dies out,
and the weeds having plenty of room
grow luxuriantly, overlapping and
dwarfing the wheat that may remain.
Like produces like the world over;
the good husbandman is careful to
procure clean seed for his fields, we
should he more careful that no i'm.
pure, unc.ean literature comes into
our households.
Imaginative. impossible young
people left to follow their inclinations
devote their reading time mainly to
novels of the sensational sort, stimu.
lating an already active imagination.
leading to air.castle building In
which they and there chosen mates
dwell in ecstatic bliss; but the first
jostle from the realities of life knocks
out the underpinning and the airy
structures topple over, coming down
about their ears like a thousand of
brick. Much of the prevailing un.
happiness in the married state arises
from false ideas Of life got from
reading high colored fiction; such
reading is enervating as we'll, causing
mental dyspepsia, becoming chronic
if long continued. giving the unfortu.
nate subject distaste for, and ina.
bility to digest and assimilate SUBJ
stantial intellectual food.
Unfortunately such literature is too
common, news.stands are loaded with
the sentimental trash, and blood and
murder horrors, their fiashy or start.
ling titles stare on in the face from
the shelves of circulating libraries,
from center-tables in the parlor and
light.stands in the kitchen. What
can be done about it! It seems that
just now we can only arm the young
by teaching and exemplifying the
doctrine Of self.denial.
/ am glad to note that enterprising
publishers are taking advantage of
recently improved methods Of book.
making, are re.printing standard his
torical, biographical and miscellaneous
works of value, and placing them up.
OH the marks at astonishingly low
prices, thus bringing substantial men
tai food within the reach of all. Let
US give our children an abundance
and a variety of good reading, not
neglecting by any means the cultiva-
ton of their higher, spiritual natures,
their whole personality, expressed by
the phrase, Giving SOUL" do all we
can to fit and prepare them for use.
fulness and happiness in this life, and
happiness in the life to come. 1t is
right to enjoy this life, our Father
meant it so when he made this beau.
tiful world and placed the highest of
his earthly creatures in q paradise
called Eden-meant it 50 when His
only son was given as an antidote for
the poison of sin--as our teacher and
exemplar, showing that the highest
grade of happiness comes only
through self-denial for others good
as our sun, lighting the pathway all
the way through the journey Of life
and across the river to Paradise
regained. FARMER.
yn:kl. A. Il ln,,l .~..,.-.,