Dodge City times., 1890-11-28
TRASHY READING.
Valuable Hints About the Literature OF
the Present Day.

VoIuoolo Hints About the Literature OF
the Present Day.
What vast amount Of nonsenical andl
trashy books are read nowadays! This
Is the thought suggested to me as en-
tered book store last week. Counters
were laden down with cheap novels,
whose lurid titles proclaimed the class
Of literature to which they belong. Ger.
tainly, ths catalogues OF these stores
are relieved now and then by brilliant
work written by some wel!-known,
author. 1t was one of these latter that
l was after. Upon asking for the de-
sired book. l was informed that it was
not in stock, as the demand for it was
very limited. Itwas not "spicy" enough
to suit the prevailing fashion. Deter
mined not to be disappointed in securing
my wished-for reading matter, visited
nearly dozen stores before finding the
book for VIII 'ch was searching. All OF
these stores were large ones and situ-
ated in the heart of the city. Some OF
them had conspicuously displayed, in
lieu of sign board. works that would
be prescribed by all save those whose
literary appetite is SO morbid that moth.
ing but vile and corrupt reading will sa-
tiate it. Many other works which
possess absolutely no literary merit
are displayed on the counters. Their
sole value is the sensationalism and
the grandiloquent language contained
therein. Many persons urge the read
ing Of these works They argue that
large vocabulary may be gained from
such practice. But books are to be
preferred that will teach one something
more than to ''love' a color. perhaps. or
to be "awfully' sorry that it rains
Some educated people have also what
may be an absurd dislike to the por-
trayal Of every stump speaker as a
brilliant renowned, kee:-witted ora
tor" or the describing of every male
character as "her ideal OF physical man.
hood, handsome as Apollo Eelvidere."
Moreover, the sensational school is the
source where many newspaper reporters
find never-failing source of adjectives,
such as tremendous, horrible, terrific.
etc. to describe-well, say the noise
made by the moving cable Of street
railway. If the acquisition Of n vocabu.
larry is alone desired it would be better
to read the elegant productions OF 1rv-
ing. Disraeii and hosts of others that
might be mentioned.
OF course great number of people
insist that the aforesaid light reading
rests the brain. This is true, but might
not any reading that entertains and
amuses one be called restful? When
people can not read history and high
class literature it is not the fault of the
book. The mind of the reader is either
weak or lacks education. Few people
care to read the elaborate accounts of
standard historians. Yet if man would
learn to appreciate history he would
have no use for fiction. As Solomon
said, 'There is no thing new under the
sum-" and probably the plot of every
novel is taken from a incident OF the
shadowy past, disguised beyond imme-
diate recognition. If novelist wishes
to describe dissipation and cruelty can
he not turn to tho history of the EN-
perors of Rome or to the records of tho
dissolute reign of some of the Bourbon
Kings of France? Scenes of splendor
may be depicted from the history of the
caliphs of Bagdad. Is not the wooing
by Lords and Earls Of country maidens
in the novels of the present day but
poor imitation of the marriage of Peter
the Great to a peasant girl. All through
the web of history is bright thread OF
romance, which, with littlo study,
may be drawn out at pleasure to amuse
and instruct the student in all his vari-
Ous moods Leader