The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-05
Rcad.ne eo.. IN Yn.ln


There are few more important inGa-
enees in forming the character OF n ma
ton than the quality - the books and
papers which ave read BIZ its young peo-
pie. II may be fairly said that The vol
untarY reaa.ng which > done by lads
and girls between the ages Of twelve
and twenty dacs a. ."h 70 settle their
opinions au.i tastes. aad 10 decide the
bent Of their moral character. as what
they learn in sohoo! or What they hear
10 church
There never was q time ia this coun-
Try when there was 80 much and such
varied reading COR tn young constant
IL pouring from the press, rs now. The
bookstores and libraries present be-
wildering mass Of volumes for young
people, on history, travel, science, bio
graphy, and slory-books: while OF maya
zines and weekly papers designed for
this class there Is an ever-increasing
number and every imaginable grade OF
quality.
Much of the literature which Is thus
offered to orr boys and girls IS either
foolish and useless, or positively bad.
There are story-writers tha tendency OF
whose books is unhealthy, and even
dangerous, in their influence upon the
young mind.
They are sen sational and oyer-excit-
ing; they produce feverish brains and a
harmful love of * ityment aud adyen-
ture; they conjuFe up scenes of blood
shed sometimes, and make heroes and
heroines Of their characters. not because
they do good actions, bat because they
do something exciting, daring, and per-
haps criminal.
The same may be said of the flash"
papers which are TO be seen every week
displayed at many news-stands. Coarse
pictures, representing unnatural and
violent scenes, arc accompanied by
highly wrought stories, the plots Of which
are devoted to keeping the young read
er's mind on 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
/ ana papers tUtN lidtl DtSli LcdblIl3-
On the other hand, there is at this time
n great abundance of good, healthy. in
structiyc and yet pleasant reading for
our young people. Within the past
| twenty years, moreover, change, vast
IL for the better. has taken place in the
| method of writing for boys and girls.
| The art Of such writing has visibiy inn
| proved.
What we may call the mandy.
pamby'' style of writing for the young
| has happily pretty much passed away.
The best and most successful writers Of
| cur time do not think it necessary to adj
| dress boys and girls with a sort of baby.
talk such as was once used. They dis
| tingush between readers of eight years
old, and those of from fourteen tc
twenty; distinction which the former
writers 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 mucl
the same style for such minds as if the
were writing to be read by middle-age(
people.
The style is mostly made up of shor
sentences, short words and short para
graphs, and is thus lucid and easil,
understood; and the writers do not g,
out of their way to treat young reader
as if they knew nothing at all, and wer
incapable of compromising a direc
statement or graphic description.
1t is the same with the best youn,
peoples story-books, histories, biograph
les and travels which are published now
a-days. The father may read then
aloud in his family circle, with equa
pleasure to the mother and their child
rem; and all may receive equal prof
from their perusal. Youths Com
PaRion.