Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-02-28
HABITS OF READING.
What Home Books Should Be Given to
Children TO Read-Readinc Aloud

As we live now, it becomes a distinct
object to wean young people from
children's books, and teach them to
feed themselves from the stores of gen.
eral literature. They are to leave off
the corks and other life-preservers, and
swim in the ocean. At the same time,
however, we choose a beach where
there is no undertow, and where the
current does not set off shore. Read
ing aloud in the family circle is almost
sure to interest even the youngest peo-
pie about what is read, if You have
made your selections wisely. But,
without relying upon that, we'll
ordered household ought to be always
tempting children to read mems and
women's books; and in the purchase of
books and other family arrangements
such temptations should be one of the
first considerations.
II, for instance, / went to the fair, as
Moses did, and found that for the 81
had to spend / could buy either
secondhand copy of Lanes Arabian
Nights, or the long coveted "Pfeiffers
Mystics, if | had family of young
people at home / ought to buy the
Arabian Nights" For the "Pfeiffer's
| Mystics' 1 should send to the college
library. | should put the Arabian
Nights" ON the bookshelves, and 1
should be pretty sure that, in the
course of twelve months, every member
| of the family over 10 years of age
would know more or less about it. And
this would be not simply so much
-
alton, but positive information as to
Eastern habits and literature, and, in
deed, wider interest in the history
and literature of the world. Life would
| become larger and the world wider,
and this is the real object of all educa-
tion--an object necessarily lost sight of
| in a good deal of the technical work of
| the school-room.
To speak of mere detail, which,
| however, illustrates principle, there
should never be glass or other doors to q
bookcase. No binding should be too
good for use, and children old enough
| to handle books should be not only per-
| mitted but encouraged to take them
down at pleasure. If there are any
| books not fit for the use of such chill
dren, they should be boxed up and put
away, or sent to auction, or probably
best of all-burnt in the furnace fire.
Some children take to books, and to
grave books, as naturally as ducklings
take to water. But all children do not,
and would never leave taste for read
ing to the chance of their doing so. I
have no such respect for the free will
of children; but am willing, as Cole
ridge said--to prejudice my garden in
favor of roses and strawberries. And,
just as teach my boy to swim, to ride
on horseback, to drive well and to row,
| just as teach him to read and write
and multiply and divide-I should teach
him to like books. Nor should / take
it for granted that he will like them of
course, more than / should take it for
granted that he will swim of course.
Probably he will, in house full of
good books, as boy will probably
learn to swim if he lives near the sea.
| But / am not going to leave either
choice to that probability. Precisely
because he is my boy make it certain
that he can swim by teaching him to
swim; and so 1 make it certain that he
shall be fond of books by teaching him
what is the range and what the Joy Of
| literature.
/ am not at all above setting him easy
stents in this matter. It is quite as
well that he shall be made to begin
would not have thought of it. The
time comes when, even if he is not a
bookish boy, he can be told squarely
that certain range of reading is es-
sential to gentleman in civilized life;
that if he does not like it to-day, he
will tomorrow or next year; and that
/ wish him and expect him to read an
hour day in such and such books
which point out to him.
| But, even here, [ should wish him,
within certain range, to make his own
| choice. When he once finds out by
some experience what Mr.. Emerson
calls the line of genius" he will
| choose fast enough and we'll enough.
/ have known a boy who began.-and
thought it was by accident-on the
local history of the neighborhood, and
followed it out in the range of the vari.
Gus publications of the historical clubs
and societies till his interest in history
was sure. This was not by accident,
any more than it was by accident that
| the Monitor met the Merrimac. 1t was
because q wise and thoughtful father
took care to have the right books at
hand in their country home-where the
boy could study the Narragansett
swamp fight ON the ground if he chose.
In that way, if you really want to do
it, you can take boys fondness for
fish. or game. or flowers. or horses. or
boats, or machinery, and put him in
the way of improving himself in all
these things by reading at first hand.
Do not be particular. Do not worry
if he skips. Do not expect him to take
notes until you have shown him how.
Do not ask him to talk too much about
what he is reading. But let him see
that you are interested; and encourage
him in every way, by sending every
where within range for the books he
wants, and by finding the people who
are the best counselors.
/! And here / return to the suggestion
l threw out before, that reading aloud
in the family is the best possible way
to break in, and always proves per-
suasion and temptation. There is a
long period when boy or girl does
not read so easily but that the process
itself is burden. If you will read to
him then, he will be very grateful to
you, and you will form an appetite
that he will never be rid Of I knew
the mother of family who read the
"Waverley Novels" aloud five times, as
her several children became old enough
to hear. The hour after tea belonged
to the boy or girl who was, say, 8 or 10
years old. The boy or girl had, so to
speak, the right to hear mamma, or
somebody, read aloud. Well, you can
read aloud any "Waverley" novel in a
month, if you read an hour and a little
more every evening. In the two years
when each of these children claimed this
/ ,ariyiIenn which thair nanthar,s ,aaran=