Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-02-17
Educational Department.
Conducted by ]. II. Terry, Principal of Mineral
Point Public Shoots
WHAT SHALL THE BOYS AND
GIRLS READ?

career of professional outlawry,
armed with many of the appliances
and familiar with the practices and
the jargon of experienced criminals.
Investigation in most of these cases
reveals not only an acquaintance with
the customs Of the craft, but the
possession of a kind OF literature
the study of which has aided much
in obtaining this acquaintance.
Nickel libraries" dime novels, and
kindred publications furnish the
ideals for this class of boys; the
youthful imagination is fired by the
adventure they describe; the picture
brilliant and fascinating, its dark
side kept well out of view. and the
career of a heroic marauder, seems
to the mature judgment of twelve or
fifteen years thing not half 50
difficult or impracticable as "old
fogies" would like to represent it.
All this is the result of depraved
taste nobody denies; but somebody
is responsible for it. The dogma of
total depravity is not SO popular as
it once was; and there is a growing
belief in the existence of the germs
of good as we'll as those of evil in
the youthful mind. 1t is not in
herent badness that leads boys and
girls to read trash or that which is
worse; it is the neglect or ignorance
Of those whose duty it is to provide
for healthy moral and mental
growth by furnishing the kind Of
reading calculated to develope right
tastes. The boy who reads the
Pirates Own Book with ayidity
would take the same pleasure in
Robinson Crusoe or the stor-
les of Jacob Abbott, or w. l.. Alden,
or Miss Alcott, or Miss Phelps had
the friendly counsels Of some one
wiser in such matters suggested
these, and placed them within
his reach; and instead Of disgust
for all wholesome literature, the
sure outgrowth of a perverted taste,
there would grow up in the mind Of
such a one a love for the kind Of
reading that imparts useful knowl-
edge, stimulates reflection, and
eventually forms very considerable
part of his mental culture.
Mistaken reasoning leads some
parents to the conclusion that thier
line of duty lies in REFRESHING, and
ultimately destroying the taste for
any kind of reading. On the same
principle all the powers both of
body and mind should be kept in
the weakest possible state, lest if
they become strong they may be
turned into potent agencies for evil.
If such a parent were a farmer, con-
sistency would require him to keep
his team thin and weak, lest by
their strength they should tear in
pieces his wagons, or do other in
jury. The taste for reading is to be
fostered and guided, not repressed.
But there is a class of parents
neither hostile nor Indifferent to
their children's tastes whose inter
csts deserve special consideration
before concluding this article those
who desire to administer to these
tastes but know not just how The
number who are inquiring what the
right kind of reading is, and where
it is to be had, is large and steadily
increasing. \ few suggestions are
ventured for the sake of such:
Take some Juvenile periodical in ev-
cry family where there are children.
There is no difficulty at the present
time in procuring those that are I'M
objectionable. First liz this list is
st. Nicholas the paragon OF iu-
venile magazines. The boy must be
far gone whose likings are SO per-
verted that he does not welcome the
coming OF this monthly with de-
delight, and it is rather a peculiar
family whose younger members are
the ones who only greet its coming
with pleasure.
Following close upon this comes
Harper's Young People-a weekly
which costs but $3.50 per annum, or
half the price of the St. Nicholas.
The Youths Companion supplies
the literature for an immense family
of boys and girls-and supplies a
kind that is well adaptedi to make
manly boys and womanly girls.
Other periodicals highly meritor-
ious, no doubt, deserve mention
here, but the writer is unwilling to
risk 4 recommendation of those
with which he is unacquainted.
As for books, there is no end OF
them. The constantly recurring
Chatter Boxes, Prattlers, and multi
tudes of works whose authors, men
and women Of genius, devote special
effort to children's books, make it
impossible to even begin in this
place catalogue Of such works.