Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1886-03-04
Reading for the Young.

There are few more important infiu-
ences in forming the character of ma
ton than the quality of the books and
papers which are read by its young peo-
pie. 1t may be fairly said that the vol
untary reading which is done by lads
and girls between the ages Of twelve
and twenty does as much to settle their
opinions and tastes, and to decide the
bent of their moral character, as what
they learn In school or what they hear
in church.
There never was 4 time in this coun-
try when there wassso much and such
varied reading for the young constant
~ pouring from the press, as now. The
BOOKSTORES and libraries present a be-
wldering mass of volumes for Young
people, on history, travel, science, bio
graphy, and story-books; while of maya
zines and weekly papers designed for
this class there is an ever-inereasino
number, and every imaginable grade of
quality.
Much of the literature which is thus
offered to our boys and girls is either
foolish and useless, or positively bad.
There are story-writers the tendency of
whose books is unhealthy, and even
dangerous, in their influence upon the
young mind.
They are sensational and over-excit-
ing; they produce feverish brains and a
harmful love of excitement and advan-
ture; they con lure up scenes of blood
shed sometimes, and make heroes and
heroines of their characters. not because
they do good actions, but because they
do something exciting. daring, and per-
haps criminal.
The same may be said of the .sflash''
papers which are to be seen every week
displayed at many news-stands. Coarse.
pictures, representing unnatural and
violent scenes, are accompanied by
highly wrought stories, the plots of which
are devoted to keeping the young read
er's mind on O constant strain of morbid
excitement.
The harm which such literature does
the young cannot be easily described or
estimated. Certain it is, however, that
the harm is very great and widespread.
We are constantly reading in the paper
of boys who have broken the laws, or
have committed some crime, who them
selves confess that they were prompted
to evil doing by the sensational books
and papers they had been reading.
On the other hand, there is at this time;
a great abundance of good, healthy, in
structive and yet pleasant reading for
our young people. Within the past
twenty years, moreover, q change, vast
ly for the better, has taken place in the
method of writing for boys and girls.
The art of such writing has visibly i'm
proved.
What we may call the ''namby-
pamby'' style of writing for the young
has happily pretty much passed away.
The best and most successful writers of
our time do not think it necessary to adj
dress boys and girls with sort of baby
talk such as was once used. They dis
tinguish between readers of eight years
old, and those of from fourteen to
twenty; distinction which the former
writer's for the young sometimes for
got
The authors who stand highest in
these days respect the budding mind,
which has begun to think and be Curl
Gus, and which really quickly under
stands what is said in simple, clear,
straightforward way; and write in much
the same style for such minds as if they
were writing 10 be read by middlc-aged
people.
The style is n.ostly made up of short
sentences, short words and short para
graphs, and is thus lucid and easily
understood and the writer's do not 90
out of their way to treat young readers
as if they knew nothing at all, and were
incapable of compromising a direct
statement or a graphic description.
1t is the same with the best young
| peoples story-books, histories, biograph-
| les and travels which are published now
| a-days. The father may read them
aloud in his family circle. with equal
| pleasure to the mother and their child
rem; and all may receive equal profit
from their perusal.- Youhts Com
pGni0n.