Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-11-12
NOVEL READING.
Hints to Mother. and Their 6onA and
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"Will you write about tho evils of novel
rcadng!' writes an anxious mother whose
children, she possibly fears are vcnturir9
Tito forbidden paths, or who has herself
seen evils arising from the habit of sensa-
tiunnl story reading INDUCED nto an un-
limi cd extent. ,.
cannot condemn all novel reading.
should be doing violence TO my own con-
Nictions were ! to do so since believe
that much of tn. wisdom of life can be
learned in this way, that great deal of
true culture is TO be obi aimed from the
best novels. And why should it not he
SO, when the very finest intellccts, the
highest ORDER of genius and the purest and
truest men and women have been devoted
TO the production of this kind of literature?
1t wouid be n sad thing for the world were
the works of George Eliot, Dickens, WAL
ter Scott, ThGckcray and host Of others
whose names nrC now but n memory,
blottcd at once ard forever ont of exist
cnce, to say nothing Of those who are now
using their rers to delight the lovers of
good stories. Ii has been said, and ii Is
true, that Scottish history, or ut least GER
tain portions of it, can be better taught
by some of Scotts novels than in any
other way. The pictures of life in those
days, tie tracing out Of the motives that
nctuatCd the actors in many of the histor-
ical scenes, the whole glowing with the
intensity of the authors vived conception
of character and purposes, bring to the
mind of the reader such strength of i'm
press ion as to fix the facts there so power
fully that they cannot be forgotten.
a Lesson i'll morality may be given and
will be taken TO heart more efTectualy,
presented through the medium of well
told story, than almost any other way.
where Argument will fail TO convince.
where sermon viii have no influence,
realistic presentation of the consequences
of n certain course of action conveyed in
eloquent words that thrill the heart with
varied emotions, as what arrCa &c mes
from ri al life pass before the reader,
brings truth home to stay. 1t is with
writers as with act@rs. Those who sway
the people arcsuch as seem to live them
selves through what they arc representing
or telling, so that there appears no cxag-
geratioa and no improbability. .
Highly wrought fiction giving false
views of life, inflaming the imagination,
exciting the fancy and stimulating the
passions arc to Ge avoided. And here is
where the principal danger of novel read
ing comes in. Unfortunately, the book
world is flooded with mass of fiction
which, without being absolutely vicious,
does moic harm than as il undeniably
bad They find n place In many libraries,
both public and private. Passing under
the name of sensational works only, they
are worse than that, because, while giving
all the excitement that the purely sensa-
tional does, they arouse thoughts and
emotions that were better left slumbcring,
and this under n guileless and innocent
outward seeming.
Every mother knows--or II she does not
she will know-that what she absolutely
forbds her children to do, without making
the reason apparent, they are almost GER
tain, at some time. TO cRdcavor by expert
ence to find out what are the evils in the
prohibited action. 1t is human nature to
long forbidden fruit and therefore tho
only way TO prevent its being eaten TO the
persons own undoing Is not to shut 1t
away entirely, but to teach discrimination
in choosing what Is good and what IN evil.
Novel reading has become entirely too
general, n thing accepted by too many
good people ast some extent right and
prnpcr, TO render successful Its entire re-
| IcCllOu lIulii lI0 ulcb vi young
peoplea possibility. 4 much better way
than etcn 20 make the attempt is for
parents to advise and direct boy or girl
inthcir reading, select for them what will
amusc and interest as well as instruct.
Choose nol hing which does not bear the
impress of a good author or read first
yourselves what you are about to place in
your children's hands, l-.. .,-.....,,....
A great deal of trouble, say your That
Is true, and yet not so much after all,
when you consider how full the world is
of good books how cheap they are and
how much depends upon the reading of
the very best. II is part, and a very inn
portant Part, Of the education of your
children, and if you do not take control of
it-not by any arbitrary rules but by wise
guidance-thcy will be very likely to do
themselves d world of harm by an over
indulgence in works that tend TO lower
! their ideas of right living or to give them
wrong ones.-T Philadelphia Times
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