Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-10
Many American Youths Wasting
Their Precious Time In Reading
Worthless Fiction.
How Libraries Should be Classified
TO Make Them Useful to Our
Boys.
An Able and Interesting Disquisition
On the Many Writers of Juvi-
nile Literature.
Springfield Mass. Republican.

books. But now. when not only excellent
talent deyOtes itself to writing for the
young. but everybody who can write is
eager in trying to win money and fame,
to write popular" books, like Miss Al
colt 5, puzzled parents are called upon to
decide that most hard question, What
shall we allow, and what not to allow our
children to read? The matter is more
difficult as regards boys than girls Mrs.
Whitney and a number of similar writers
interest the average girl; and while Their
writings have no special value except from
a moral point of view, they can do no
harm. Boys are not apt to be so limited
in their taste. They like to make ven
boy of IA the other day reading Jack
Brag," which he had Just begun. How
do you think YOU will like it?' | asked.
"Tip-top. was the answer. As he happen
ed to be boy who liked to have my good
opinion. said it was not a fit book for him
to read and suggested Tom Brown" for
which he at once exchanged it. Another
lad Of II boasts that he has read ID of
Jules Verne books in his vacation. Men
tai stimulation like this, fancy, is scarce
" noticed by the average parent. jules
Verne is sanctioned, and therefore the
child is left 10 run riot through his long
list of productions.
Our libraries TEEN with works of fiction,
and to Judge 10y the condition of the vol
umes alone, our boys surfeit themselves up
on them. Many of our prolific American
writer's captivate bright young minds with
their exciting stories. Most Of them con-
scientiously strive to write morally. But,
except for this. what do they give their
eager readers? They simply amuse.
Verne, who gives them some knowledge OF
natural history, pretendS to better claim,
but who can disentangle his fiction from
his fact? A person with cultivated taste
sci iom finds juvenile book that he can
relish. This is not on account of the
juvenility, but the want of naturalness, re-
fnement, and, above all, that substantial
tv in character 10y which alone any book
has reason d'etre. A really good juven-
lie is interesting alike to grown person
and child Mothers will smile and sor-
row over Little Lord Fauntieroy"
fathers do not disdain to read again, with
their sons, the trials and delights of Tom
Brown.
On the other hand, great many books
for grown people are suitable 70" young
people. and would be relished by them
were their likings not already formed.
A boy Who enjoys Jules Verne can be won
to like such book as "NatuTalist's Noy-
age Around the World" by Darwin. The
knowledge Verne could give Is dispersed
by the excitement of bis herO's eXtraOrdi
nary adventures Darwin besides telling
so ulucb in delightful way, touches with
his personality; and what influence Is
greater upon the character Of boy than
coming in contact. even III Il book, with
a great, good man?
Many years ago John Stuart Mill fore
| saw the immense food of writings that
would overwhelm us, and suggested as a
| remedy literary guild All books as fast
as they appeared should be submitted to
test of worth, aud catalcg be made of the
valuable ones IN every department. Our
| libraries are inestimable But to do their
best work. there should exist standard
| set in science, in fiction, in history. in
! poetry. and into this set no volume should
! go that was not OF the higest order. Such
a set of books would be the guide for
! scholars Of our grammar and high schools,
whereas now they have to depend
| upon the opinions of their teachers
| which are not always at the best level.
| Teachers who prefer William Black to
| Walter Scott, or the latest volumes OF
| lyrics TO Tennyson. will not be likely to
rouse great enthusiasm among their
pupils for the bette writers. When the
time comes that a 10y in the average
American family shall be as ashamed to
be seen reading a second or third rate
story IS he would be now to be seen read
! ing a dime novel, great step IN the
education of our boys will have been taken.
| This can be done by setting the stamp Of
| inttriOrity upon inferior books. AmerI-
can boys, like their parents, have a natural
| leaning towards the best in everything.
They like to dress well. They like the
well prepared table They readily take
to the new and improved sports. They
are rather proud Of being thought well
read. Let even their sense of pride be
| touched in this matter of books, a. d there
is fair beginning to work upon. Tho
! is your fayOrite writer ! asked a boy of
! Is who had Just come from the library and
carried three thick books. Walter
Scott, he answered with pride. Now the
| fact was, his parents had a high standard
Of reading, and the little fellow knew
when he announced Scott that he was do
ing credit to his taste.
There is a current opinion that if boy
cares for something besides the regular
bows book, he Is "goody goody. but
why this should be one finds it bard 10 ox
plain. No one thinks boy al incjpient
| dude because he always looks ncatiy-,iresS-
ed nor is a boy laughed DIT for his prim-
ness at least by sensible people. II every
word he uses Is not slang Why the very
best taste in books should not be encour-
aged in a boy one wuuld like 10 have made
| clear Parents often say: They have 20
take a run with certain books, ike Optic ;
or Kingston's as they do with measles or
the whooping-cough. After while they
will prefer something solid. Boys Will be
boys, and we can expect them TO be men
at once Ir fact, we don t want them TO
| be" So they are left to cram themselves
with the miscellaneous literature lest
they lose their boyishuesS. ard become like
the models Of the Sunday --clool tories.
But some of us kuo very we certain
Young friends, real boys. 100, who care for
| something better in books. thanks to their
wise parents And in reading the lives Of
successful men, we cannot fail - see what
an important part good books have played
in their youth. As a general thing they
lived the boys lives too. Much interest
was aroused some time ago 10y the state
mentS in one of our popular magazines 81
| Of some of our distinguished men concern
ing their early readings. There was a
preponderance Of solid matter. Tyndali
tells us of his quite early love for Emerson
and Ruskin. Darwin states that the
travels of Humboldt had great influence
upon his choosin ga scientific career.
The task of awakening an interest in the
better class OF books Is not always hard.
There are some works In every department
that admirably serve as introductory. One
day when happened 10 be reading the
Odyssey, troup 81 toys. aged from ; tc
IA came in with their young friend. ard
one of them. with clild'S curiosity. ask
ed what was reading? As ae expressed
an interest in the subject. | said would
read 4 little if he would like. Il ha pen
ed to be the part where Ulysses lueets
with his Adventures among the Le-rry-
cones. The boys threw themselves down
In various attitudes and listenedzior over
an hOur-in fact. until was tired. rather
than they. Cries of: That's paine
We like that. greeted Ha. and IA;
long after some Of ghc older Ongs came
20 tell me they were now reading tie
odyssey.
/ Homer or Walter Scott are about the
best writers TO introduce them 10 good
poetry. For history the Putnams nave a
capital series, The Srory of the Nations.
/ which 1t seems to me imust ANY byy
would enjoy In fiction, with a few ex-
ceptions. let them keep As clOse,as possible
r, -ha standard rr-nr.-S They vii than L