The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-03-27
BOYS AND NnnFIs
The Detroit Free Press Wan CT.
Good Advice 10 HOuua~ters-

Good Advice 10 Nouu1~fer.
Does it hurt boys to read novels 81, ..
The great trouble with novels is =.
false ideas and vicious theories Tffs -
same with all serial stories IN the sc,-s11.,
boys papers, and it is so to n cer-s-, =
tent in many Of the boy books. In n.
first place the boy. no matter yvb., ~
age, is always made to perform fe,,s +.
Valor which common sense teaches rs =
Impossible. He never acts nor talks liz.
BOY His adventures as hunter. de-a,
tive or runaway are too improbable
Nevertheless, as you read YOU find vo-,-
self half believing. at least. and the ,.-.
thing Is to wonder why you cant n,
hero. The story makes vOu dis,a+iss.s
with school and home and family -
ment, and the first thought is n -
away OF plan some adventure Fv.- !.
you say 70 yourself that you won't belize,
a word Of the story, the mind viii g-fr
soak up many Of the false Theories gr,F a.
surd ideas, and later on in years il r7-,
cost you something TO get rid Of them
A story which is put forth FOR q ba-- o.
read should. although 1t may be MI
fiction. contain nothing exagve~a-e7 =
improbable. The hero NAV De 49,.
without OVERRIDING the thing Yrrr -
IND IN the papers almost any dav irs-r--.---
where boys have displayed great Hf.r..5--l
al fires, or have riSked their lives +r 80
others. These things are p0--ifl. ~
probable, but this maxim a b0,- d l-a--.. -
a band OF Indians. or break nm "a -
OF rohEers. CT capture -hfuFrs1 =
pirates IS against common sense.
let me instance some other eEfle I'M.
book recently published by very -csr,art-
able Eastern house, and having ~ H.
author person with q 90 Rev -- EaF.-. ~
name he tells about a sailor F.Trfrg
down the middle coz uaufo---.v 555
meant hatchWay. 1rr some Gar some ~
the boy readers VIII say sonnet linn .r.--..
the lie cOmIal uuGay and find
hlmseia butt CI riIirUle T..a ----r.
author axis OF saiior iu his haamark
HammDCE- are - yer us gnrgrI .r r-.--
chant vessels, hut the men have Ha--E-
He has the crew 2gther around tie r,--
at the wheel to sing and smoke arF .e---
it. when every boy who ever head -
diSCip ine aboard sHIu -1 .rs-- tler.rr..- H.--
duty
In another book, put forth by ON equally
respectable house. the len -lr .t rL.
Mississippi River Is wrar-+r-1lv .s-a-
Arkansas is Tut on the WRONG silpuf rrst
river, and the distance from NirE-rr--E
70 Baton Rougs Is not correct by t-irtv
miles
Such instances as / have related rzs,g
and he had better have spent his time In
playing marbles
Let me ask You how much better of rau
would be to Sit down i'm a grocery Sf..-.- ~
three hours each evening and listen 70
some man telling les. knowing g ] -Ha
time they were lies Would that in
prove your mind Many OF the novels
are no more improving than such grocery
tales.
Now let me ask Won what makes an IN.
tPlllUeut Weil-UUgrpd man -ghnrT -
cation TO begin with. If We learned moth
ing after we left school the world would
slip backwards His mind goes on day
after day, week after week picking NJ
scraps OF history, politics, travel hota1y,
astronomy, and so forth. and by and hT
he Is a human encyclopedia lie mar
read love stories and adventures all his
days and be no better Of. Indeed. he wil
be far worse of.
Well, what shall boy read ="
There are one or two papers OF GOOD
moral tone; The heroes are not exsR-
gerated, and the adventures are not i'm
probable If the story is Of mining tbs
author gives some valuable information
In regard to minerals and how 70 mine Il
II Is Of hunting you are taught how %
make snares and traps, and are given the
principles OF taXidermy. II ID is of boat
ing You are taught the principles Of sail
ing and rowing. If il il is Of the sea vuu
are given the correct names Of ropes aud
yards and sails, and the habits and t-Rits
OF the people Of other countries are cor
rectly stated.
There are few boy books which are trus
20 everyday life. Read these and II vou
have further time take history, OF sone-
thing else which IS certain 10 return soma
beneft-a daily paper-with its news
from every foreign CuunCry-its home hsp-
penings-its discussions on all matters az
interests incidents and accidents. g
geography, history, grammar and OrthoErs
ply combined