The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-01

~ AS4UA 4tG.
fan books and periodicals sent to Mrs p
Reynolds, Of Glendale, M r, vii, racs,a-
prompt attention an, ca eful reviews In Nv
culunn.l
Sume years ago, not 81 very manv
either, for it il within our reruembe:.
ance, fiction was not regarded with
favor by the good people.
ALI classt s Of fiction were put to,
gether, without Discrimination, and
young people of Christian families
lid their no, ell reading by stealth
for u novel was looked upon as quite
as dangerous as u loaded gun
Our childhood was In the transition
days, when ideas Yer broadening
aud our educ alton progressed while
these liberal vie w. extended, until
now fiction holds its rightful place in
| the great fields of literature.
There is u certain class of fiction.
still regarded by parents and guar
| dians like poison, VIII oh it really is.
| out there Is NJ difficulty In recogniz-
lug it, and there is so much that Is
pure aud beneficial that there Is no
excuse iOr importing with The
''OIOud and thunder" novels.
Perhaps there was some excuse
years agone, for the intense horror of
a novel, for even the purest in tons
were terrible distortions of character
aud the young often obtained false
views of life.
In these days, he is considered the
best writer, who creates characters
which are types of those we know
aud meet every day, whose converse
lions and plot, are natural, and who
presents some high moral, intellect
ual, Or religi ,us sentiment, which
helps to elevate the readers. The best
people and the greatest thinkers are.
now in favor of the best class of tic-
lion, for. as Noah Porter says, Nov
ell reading Quickens the brain and
furnishes topics for conversation"
James Freeman Clarke says, "FIctiOn
meets an eternal taste In man. 1t is
not merely milk tor babies, but meat
for men. A man who has no taste
for fiction is deficient in some fac
ulty."
The Christian Union SAYS: "A
good novel rests the We Aried brain,
cherisi,es the moral sentiments, pre-
sents the higher truths in concrete
and applied form, awakens the emo
tons, opens the Invisible world to
the soul duiled 10y continual contact
with the earth and SENDS it back
from it's mound of vision with q
higher conception of lite and q purer,
nObler, purp, sc to live worthily,
notify and h~erOically."
Since every question of the day.
whether scientific, political or social.
is treated of i'll modern fic.ion, it
lays Que open to the charge of ignor-
ance aud narrow mindeduess ii he is
prejudiced against it.
Within a lew years too, the best
fiction has been put before the pu. lie
in as cheap q form AZ the most per-
nicious novels assume.
"a dime novel" used to be the
of all that was bad. 1t sill
is, for the same class, but happily.
we can now get for ten or twenty
cents the works of the best authors
both modern and standard.
Tnis cheap litera ure Is published
by a number of different firms, but
the Franklin Square Library, pub
lished by Harper & Bros. ha-, per-
the best selected bucks, the
best paper and cleare,t print.
Que volume we have lately read is
y novel by MIS-. J. H. Klddell, en-
titled IA Struggle for Fame" The
story relates with striking humor
and unaffected truth, the various vi
cissitudes OF an authors life. Surely
the writer has been there" or the
Of ;.athors aud publishers
could not be 80 perfectly decided.
Pathos is not wanting, for many af-
scenes add to the interest
aud attest to the power of The author.
Friendly as we are to the best de-
lion, We would not advise any one to
,onfne his reading wholly tothat class
,f literature. We know OF many books,
are written solely for iu-
,truction. but still with such an
style, that those who
to read are irresistably drawn
)n to finish the hook.
One such, is "For Girls" written
ny Mrs. Shepard, and published by
y Wells, Of New YORK.
The title of the book declares its
mission. 1t il really a sp,ci,l
physiology for girls, and should be
u the hands OF every girl, and
aught, Is a text book, in every girls
school in the land. In an Interest,"
ing manner, and in delicate, we'll
phrases. the re 4her is made
acquainted with that which concerns
physical We'll being, and
eads one 10 place q proper value on
and beauty.
Well written, beautifully printed
md neatly bound, For Glr.s' is all
me could ask.
IN the education of our youth, we
rain in the three directions, mind
manners and morals.
There are numerous text books In
trade for the intellectual develop
nent, and the morals are best
nnder Bible precepts, but, for
manners, there is needed a different
While it is true that true po~liteness
prings from kindness of heart, and
\ bile no social maxim has yet
gu lied the Golden Rule, for general
Use. there are some rules which all
'ught to learn to observe, and which,
t not learned by constant association
With polished society, must be got
rom some manuel on the subject.
Inere are numerous books on
tiquette, giving the nece ssary,
llrections for dress and behavior IN
I!tterent phases of social life, but it
'ou want a book to help you in
raining your children at home, one
hat will teach them the essence OF
'%oliteness, and at the same time
ives rules for every occasion, you
'ant "The Manners That VIM" a
lost elegantly bound look, pub
shed by the Buckley Publishing
company, of Minneapolis, Mimi.
We have other delightful books to
lscuss another time. F. A. r.
THE REV. GEU. H. THAYER.
Bourbon, Ind, says: ''Both my
If and wife owe our lives to SHI-
.NIy1S M NyCTy ~ nrvo&