The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-01

nerOltm NJ urcr, OF nave riekeu lneir
lives TO save others. These thing are
possible and probable, but this making
boy drive off band of Indians, or break
up gang OF robbers, or capture a ship
load of pirates. is against common sense.
Let me instance some other evils. In
a book recently published by very re-
spectable Eastern house, and having for
It's author person with Rev" before
his name, he tells about sailor falling
down the middle companionway." He
meant hatchway, but some day some one
of his boy readers will say something
about the middle companionway" and
find himself the butt of ridicule. The
same author speaks of sailor in his
hammock. Hammocks are never used
aboard of merchant vessels, but the men
have berths. He has the crew gather
around the man at the wheel to sing and
smoke and yarn it, when every boy who
ever heard of discipline aboard ship
knows that no sailor il permitted aft un.
less called there by strict duty.
In another book, put forth by an equal
ly respectable house, the length of the
Mississippi River ia wrongly given. Ar
kansas is put on the wrong side OF that
river, and the distance from Vicksburgh
to Baton Rouge is not correct by thirty
miles.
Such instances rs have related befog
a BOYS mind and lead him into error and
he had better have spent his time in
playing marbles.
Let me ask you how much better of
you would be to sit down In a grocery
for three hours each evening and listen
to some man telling lies. knowing all the
time they were lies? Would that i'm.
prove your mind? Many of the novels
are no more improving than such grocery
tales.
Now let me ask you what makes an
intelligent, well-posted man? School ed
ucation. to begin with. If we learned
nothing after we left school the world
would slip backwards. His mind goes
on, day after day, week after week,
picking up scraps of history, politics,
travel, botany, astronomy, and so forth,
and by and by he is human encyclope-
dia. He may read love stories and adven-
lures all his days and be no better off.
Indeed, he will be far worse of.
"Well, what shall boy read?'
There are one or two boy papers OF
good moral tone. The heroes are not
exaggerated, and the adventures are not
improbable. Ii the story is of mining,
the author gives some valuable informa-
ton in regard to minerals and how to
mine. If it is Of hunting you are taught
how to make snares and traps, and are
given the principles of taxidermv. Ii
it is of boating you are taught the prin'
ciples of sailing and rowing. If it is
of the SEA, you are given the correct
names of ropes and yards and sails, and
the habits aud traits of the people of other
countries are correctly stated.
There are few boy books which are
true to everyday life. Read these, and
if you have further time take history, OF
something else which is certain To return
some beneft-a daily paper-with it
news from every foreign country-its
home happenings-its discussions of all
matters of interest-its incidents and &C.
cidents, is geography, history, grammar
and photography combined.
Think of these things, my boy. 1t you
were going to be boy forever the case
would be different. No one would expect
anything great of you. But, as the years
roll on, you have got to pick up the col
leges and factories and railroads and gen.
eral business of the world and keep them
moving. Will such trash as Buffalo
Bills Last shot" or 1.-The Demon of the
Gulch" aid in fitting you to carry out the
trusts which will be turned over by and
by? Your excuse that you read them to
pass away time is poor one. You have
no right to throw away an hours time to
the detriment of your future.