Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-05-04
the GROWTH OF READING.
"Of the Making of Books There
is No End"
How Public and Private Libraries Grow
and INTERPRETATIONS of Volumes
Under Single Roofs.

A most instructive and entertaining SER
mon was that preached by Rev. DR.. d. A.
Cunningham, in the First Presbyterian
church, yesterday morning. The text was
|. Timothy, w., Is: "Give attendance to
reading" and with it as a basis the divine
reared most interesting superstructure.
In the course OF his discourse, he said; 1.-THE
exhortation of the text is applicable to the
present age of the world As to reading in
general, it might be thought waste OF
words to urge it, for is not ours the age
when everybody reads? 1t is begun early
in life The miss and the master devour
books as they do candy. Almost the poorest
families have library. The growth OF
libraries surpasses appreciation. Whatever
Solomon saw in his day to justify the re-
mark, 'Of making Of books there is no
end we do not know, TOR
at most the tablets form the
ruins OF Nineveh count but few thousand
OF such works as we call books. And when
the famed library of Alexandria is cata-
logued after our modern methods, about
10000 volumes is all at hand. Now, single
Libraries bear millions on their. shelves.
America was two and quarter centuries
old before it had thirty recognized libraries
in all the land. But beginning at the in.
coming of this peerless century of human
progress has anything increased as the max.
ing OF books? In the year that we ceiebra-
ted the centennial OF our National 1ndepen-
dence we counted 2,240 public collections.
Departments of knowledge, which till this
century had scarce a recognition beyond
narrow circle Of educated
people in high places, have been opened
to the least distinguished Of society. When
it has come to this that copy of the most
valuable book which the eye of man ever
fell upon, the Holy Bible, can be bought in
good skape for twenty-five cents, the tariff
may be said to be entirely off the commerce
of intelligence Free trade is established
in the world Of thought.
"As to the reasons why we should give so
much attention to books, there is so much
to be had for so little. We think that by
travelling one can learn more than by
thumbing books. The swiftest progress of
travelling requires seventy-fye days to cir
eumnavigate the globe. But with map,
history and biography we can belt it in an
hour. We enter without guide or letter Of
introduction the cryptS OF the past and the
courts of the future.
For hyperbole to describe cheapner, 81
you sometimes hear it said, cheap as. dirt
But good books are very muct. cheaper
than dirt. For if you take the price OF 6
few square feet of earth in any large city
which may be yielding neither bread or in
terest, it will buy books enough to make an
armory Of truth against which not a singlf
prevalent and pertinent error can stand
And can anything equal the multiplication
of these low.priced goods Of highest quality
Good books do not die"
In conclusion, DR.. Cunningham said
"Let parents know what books and paper:
their children read. They should con
scientiously and carefully select their read
ing. That young girl, so absorbed in hel
books-wbat is she readiug3 Th'
question is not. mainly for he
/ ID answer; it is a question
even more pertinent to her parents. il car
hardly be said too often that the responsi
bilty of the children rests very largely with
parents. 1t is their business to know what
books are passing through their children
hands, and emptying their contents in their
minds and hearts. The matter is too i'm
portant a one to be neglected. 1t will re
quire care and thought, to be sure to see
that your child has proper reading at hie
command But you may be very sure tina
unless you exercise wise supervision in the
matter, inferior, if not positively harmful
reading, will drift into your childs way"