Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-10
THE pUIY OF FATHER TO SOY.

Edward Everett Hale struck the right
note when he recently declared that it i.
the duty of every father TO impress dis.
tinctly upon the mind OF his son that c
certain amount OF good reading is as es.
sential to his development as a man as are
good manners to his bearing the stamp of a
gentleman. It is by no means difficult
task to direct a boy in the right way Of
right reading, Even the father whose vo-
cation prevents him from reading with his
son, or closely observing and criticising
his reading, or whose own education has
been limited, has but small excuse for
laches in permitting his boy to acquire
vicious habits OF reading. This is letter
| truth, because the means afforded by the
publishers Of this day for youths to enter
in at any door OF literature ara simply
marvellous in number and attractiveness.
With cheap, attractive books, free libraries
and pure and elevating magazine litera-
ture, any father is culpably negligent who
permits his son to read improperly. At
first it may require severity to confne the
lad to given amount of good reading
each week, but that severity will be of
short duration. Nothing is so plastic as q
child's mind no chivalry is keener.edged
or more sensitive to appeal than that of a
fine spirited boy; no gallantry is more
courageous or self.sacrifioiDg no imagina.
ticn quicker to kindle, no fancy reader
to respond to call The literature
for immature minds is at this day of two
orders, the best and the worst. There is
no middle ground, for such as is indiffer.
ent should be clGssed with the worst,
in view of the fact that the pure and
the good is SO plentiful and free. 1t will
be found very easy to direct the boy Alright
in delightful, strengthening, ennob,ingread-
ing if the father begins even with the first
"toy" books to select the right kind
those that appeal to the chivalrous senti.
ments, that enlighten the understanding,
that fire gallantry, quicken the generous
impulses and inform the mind. For in.
stance, the whole range of history has been
searched and the appetizing things ar.
ranged by some of the best minds of the
day especially for juvenile reading Then,
too, adventure and travel are presented in
the most charming style legends and 70.
maces lives Of men and women who are
examples; stories of great inventions the
mysteries Of science and the glories of art
the problems of mechanics and the wonders
of natural history-a'l these and more are
at hand IN most alluring forms and so by
easy and delightful steps the boy can be
led, az he approaches manhood, to thorough
reading, and to wander in the loftier and
broader fields of history, drama, poetry,
romance, art, mechanics, biography and
science, and even philosophy and criticism.
1t is scarcely possible for lad thus en-
trenChed by reading that so soon becomes
a pleasure, to grow into vulgarity or be-
come eItangled in the network of vicious
cheap literature spread for his feet. Bat
let the father neglect his duty in this re.
spect and permit his con to acquire taste
for the trashy matter of the news-stands,
and the chances are his boy will give him
cause for gray hairs and bitter woe, and
society the task of furnishing a criminal or
supporting vagabond.