The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-24
Learning to Read.
From the Standard.

ton. Does the latter? In school or in
the family do children or young peo-
pie learn to read in way to include
all that should be meant in that fami-
liar phrase? Elocutionists assume to
teach how to read. Who teaches what
to read? Is it not the truth that, in
general, this is a branch Of education
which is pretty much left to take care
of itself, amidst chances and perils of
the time?
This matter is the more serious IN
view Of the fact, not only, that every
body reads, but also that there is every
sort Of thing to be read. It would
be difficult to name any species OF
literature, from the very good to
the very bad, which may not
be found somewhere in the immense
outflow from the press Of this marvel
Gus age. The amount Of production,
in this kind, is most amazing. In no
department ofhuman industry is there
more Of activity, or the product more
immense One may find in tables of
statistics figures to give some idea OF
the worlds product in agriculture, in
manufactures, in the mechanic arts. So
far as we are aware, no attempt has
vet been made to measure the amount
of literary product, either in books, in
magazine, IL newspapers, or in that
nondescript sort which defes pescrip-
ton. One can Scarely turn himself
round without finding ''something to
read" You 60 to church and it lies in
Your pew. You try to run away from
all reading as from ali business, and
the hook-agent finds you on the ears.
You try the privacy OF home and 1t
meets You on the doorstep. You flee
TO the mountains and the newsboy
with his daily paper follows YOU there.
If YOU were to 60 to sea in diving
bell, we almost prophecy that "news-
stand" with its supply of papers and
trashy novels, would be found at the
bottom of the ocean. Is it wise for
one to leave himself at the mercy of all
this infinite miscellany; his mind to
become as chaotic, and his knowledge
as much a jumble of good and bad,
worthless and worthy?
This is a matter of especial impor-
tance to young people, and it is with
reference to them that we are in the
main writing this article. The young
person, desirous ofacting rightly in this
matter, may set out with one fact as a
reliable one, namely, that there is
great abundance of good reading.
England and America have reason to
be proud of their literature, alike for its
superiority simply as such, and for its
wholesomeness in every best point OF
view. In every department oflitera-
ture, and in all those varieties which
tend to enliven ones reading, to quick
en- intelligence, to broaden the literary
sympathy, and to cultivate what is
best in ones mind and heart, the lite
rature of the English-speaking nations
is unequaled. What we may say OF
this cannot be said Of the French, the
German, the italian, in fact any other
language or literature whatsoever.
From the time when England began to
have literature until now, from Chau-
Ger to Tennyson and Longfellow, from
Philips Sidney to Irving, from Jeremy
Taylor to Diddon or MacLaren, the
centuries have been enriched by an
authosing:: which combines all that is
most noble in manly and Christian
character. Why should a young Amer
lean "fatten on garbage with such
a supply of fchoicest intellectual viands
Why consent to be emasculated in in,
tellect and morals by poisonous trash
in literature, when it is so easy to be
we'll read and cultured in all that is
best:
Then it IS to be borne in mind thai
the reading habit does almost more than
anything else to form alike the MIND
and the character. Ifthere be no read
ing habit at all, that itself is bac
enough. Yet, there is even in that
case a certain ground for encourage
ment, since in the case Of such a per-
son, should a taste for reading some
day be created, there is at least fail
field for that which is good in a minC
which is thus not as yet preoccupied
with the bad. Upon the other hand
vitiated habit in anything else, and il
is in this particular worse than any
other that it is so little in way to be
counteracted by better influences. The
inveterate novel-reader can even fix the
attention upon only that which appeals
to the Imagination, much less become
interested in it. And all that docs sc
appeal is for that reason alone revelec
in. \ meal Of French slops is for such
one just as palatable as wholesome
English dish; Zola is as welcome a:
Thackeray or Irving all that is sough
is excitement, and whatever ''come:
to" that met" is sure to be "fsh.'
Besides, to be able to know and to value
good book, or to detect and detest {
bad one, is a real accomplishment. II
these days a person of intelligence
should be ashamed not to have an in
telligent estimate Of what is best in th'
literature of his own language. HI
should be as unwilling not to know
ochat to read, as not to know how t.
read.
We are quite sure that what we ar
here saying will appeal to very man.
| who ara charre1 with tho core of vOunt