Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-25
READING WITHOUT FEARS.


/
boys should not confne their attention to
books especially intended for the young,
| but by species of natural selection and
assimilation should appropriate all that
| Is suitable for them in the works written
for those whom Jenny Lind would style
"grOWn-ups." Thackeray and DICKENS
are quoted az having been familiar with
| Dumas and Fielding, and although they
are not advocated as the best books Tor an
ordinary boys library, it is advised that
some OF the masterpieces OF English liter
| allure, including much OF Dickens ana
! Thackeray, Scott and Cooper should be
substituted for Oliver optic, Harry Cas-
tleman and others of that school.
A notable change in the matter pro-
yided for boys perusal has taken place
| In the last few years. A rivalry to the
blood and thunder" style of stories has
been instituted, which, ii it has not yet
succeeded in driving this OFT the ground,
has at least supplied stock of whole
some and interesting reading that leaves
| parents and guardians no excuse Tor
! knowingly permitting their children TO
! indulge in purely-and lmpurely-sensa-
| tiOnal literature. For awhile 1T really
| seemed as though the dime and half dime
novel were destined to per ert not only
the literary taste but the moral sense OF
| the youth of to-day. The sO-caled comic
! VI
| ly reach the top of the counter, stretching
up on tIptoe to inform the shopman that
| he wants bowie knife and pistol, for he
| Is going West to join the Raging Rangers
| OF the prairie, was at first laughed over
! as a caricature and afterwards sighed
! over as sOrrowfully true to nature. when
| accounts OF the arrest of youthful runa-
ways we're so frequently followed by
significant comment TO the effect that the
| hnV had hna itatT ti,An oil oil
lies and WilG West stories, and had been
melted by them to leave home in the hopes
| OF Joining sOmc Western gang.
| The new departure IN boys books in
| cIudes such works as Sidney LanIer's edi-
tions Of Froissart, Morte D. Arthur and
tue Mabnogian; Collins "StOry OF
Liberty" a"d "rhe Boys of 49," Miss
| Ionge's charming series OF hist0ri :,
Brooks "ilistOric Boys" and Stoddard's
wholesome stories, all volumes which no
one need hesitate To place in the hands OF
| any boy. One might say that if search
had been made there need have been no
pprverslOn of taste by cheap rObber an d
desperate yarns while the " Leather
stocking Taies," MarryatC's and Mayne
Reid's books and ''TOm Brown" were In
| existence. But the average boy, if he be
possessed of reading habits, is an Omnlvor-
Gus creature, anu, octopus like, grasps
| everything brought within his reach, good,
bad or indifferent. 1t behOOyes those who
bave the supervision OF his leisure hours
TO see that The literature which falls in
his way Is tit nourIshment for growing
| mind. Too MANY parents are satisfied to
see child reading, unmindiul Of what
| occupies his attention. "Ile cannot get
into mischief wnen lie is busy with Il
book" is commonly said. the truth re-
mains that it is just at such seasons that
| the deepest, most lasting harm Is done.
| The reader of Lamartne Will recall the
time when be, with a couple Of young
companions, fresh from school, had their
first opportunity TO browse undIsturbed
in French library filled with volumes of
the least eXpurgated description. He
describes graphically the sensations of
shame and selt-cOnsciousnes that filled
their hearts when they awOke from the
| destinations that mad held them. and
realized what they had learned and lost.
The sheltered character of a GRIPS life,
the restraints of home and society that
encircle her seem to render useless as
close a supervision as is exercised over a
boys reading. Thoroughly bad books are
seldom allowed to fall inJO her hands.
The worst that can be said of much Of
the literature placed IN her way is that 1t
is weak and silly, injuring her chiefly by
ytiatng her taste and giving her false
ideas OF life, its privileges and its duties.
Who can say how much OF the foolish
eehtimeutality OF the girl, the weak ir-
responsibility and lack OF sGlf-pOise of the
woman may be traced to mental diet o I
Mary }. Holmes, Rosa N. Carey and ''the
DuehessY Tie fault in the co Sc of both
boys and girls lies in great measure
wICh the parent. True, there comes a
time to every child, usually when between
II AID 10 years old, when there is a ten
dency to break loose from home control
and plunge independently into what is
grandilOquently called "seeing life as ii
is.' Even in carefully guarded families,
where the proper training of the children
has always been the first consideration
this evil is not wholly aYoined. The
chance OF its appearance is diminished a
bundrediOld if the child's aims and tastes
have been from the first regulated by wise
and gentle hands. At the outset OF a
Child's training it is as easy to lay good
foundation as "a bad one. The education
OF the mature man and woman would he
more thorough, their atore of facts more
accessible il their early reading had been
such as To Instruct them in tue rudiments
OF those different departments OF knOWi-
edge which would engage their attention
in later years. No fairy stories are more
enhancing than the tables Of classic my.
tholugy rs related by Hawthorne in his
"Wonder Book" and "rAnglewoud Tales. -
!
"Macaulay's Lays" SGotps poems and
many OF the early English ballads and
metrical rOmances. stories from Chau
Ger, Sponsor aud Shakespeare, if rightly
told, may safely lie trusted TO vie success
fully with the ordinary child's book
while readings from the more modern
poets and prose writers may plant GRAY
ing for better acquaintance with theii
works.
1t is not desired to make OF healthy
robust child a solemn priG. A love iOI
good books is not Incompatible with :
fonduess tor frivolous ones. If it be true
that
"a little nonsense now and then
ls reu.had by the best OF meu,"
It is positive delight to child and IL o.
the right surJ, cau do no harm. Even
older brains may he ireshened and
amused by such charming nonsense tales
as "a lice in Wonderland" Through the
Looking Glass'' aud "Ihe Hunting OF the
Shark sophie May's, Susan Cooiidge's
aud Miss Abbutts bright books Tor child.
rem aud girls. and tho works OF many ex.
celleut writer's for boys will be found no
less interesting because interspersed with
selections from volumes designed less eX.
ciuslVely fer children.
Papa, have you seen 'Susy's Six Birth.
days?' queried an S-year-old boy enter.
| ing his iather's library. 81 can't find il