The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-12

Jake the time to peruse them. Personally,
never trouble myself to wade through a
novel simply because others do the thing.
l can generally tell whether will enjoy a
DOCK by hasty glance, and if 1 find the
SUBJECT uninteresting, Throw it aside with
out further thought, as consider it sheer
waste OF valuable time to drudge through a
work that gives me neither pleasure nor
profit"
READING FOR GIRLS.
There is,' continued Mrs Field, eno
doubt but that there is far too much license
allowed by parents in the matter of their
cnlldren's choice of literature. Mothers
should carefully guard their daughters from
lnoulglng too largely in novel reading at all
| uimes, and should personally supervise the
cholce OF authors i do net denounce all
modern novels as weak or injurious. On
the contrary, / consider that there are very
many OF our present day writers whose
works are powerful and elevating in their
tome, but 1T is unnecessary to individualize,
as L would prefer not to be drawn into talk
on book reviews. Much depends upon the
bent given to the taste in youth, and if par
ents neglect so important a duty, they real
lie too late the evil resulting from their
carelessness. In general, L believe that
young people read without thought of the
evil hidden beneath the surface, so palpable
to the more worldly wise, and probably they
would unconsclously pass over much that
When brought to their notice would attract
SIMPLY from the fact of being forbidden
Many authors, like Ouida for instance, at
tract with beautiful images and clothe vice
IN a garh SO attractive to the outward eve
tnat much of the impurity is lost sight Of
10 be sure it is less harmful to older heads
whose experience Of the world has taught
tnem TO appreciate appearances at their true
value, where more susceptible mind would
be led astray and fall into the natural error
OF putting faith in the theories evolved by
an author without regard to their correct
nesS.n
HOW MRS. MILES TRAINS HER CHILDREN.
Mrs. General Miles opinions are to be re-
garded with the attention due to a woman
OF such marked culture and refinement, and
a talk with the wife of the great Indian
hghter will soon impress one with respect
and admiration for her breadth of thought
ana wide information upon all subjects of
modern interest.
IN regard to modern literature she re
piled to my question, 81 do not class all as
impure and Injurious, but think that it in
general inclines to weaken the mind and
visate the taste of the young, thereby rem
derlng 1t unit for solid food. For this rea-
son consider II necessary that parents
should carefully supervise the reading of
those committed to their charge and select
such as are conducive to the elevation of
the mind and proper training of the heart.
personally supervise my daughters edu-
cation IN this respect, though she is at an
age when most girls usually indulge their
taste without regard to the advice of their
elders. The general is especially careful
OF the books that are placed in the hands of
MS daughter and son, and am happy to as
sert that my daughter, though fully grown,
never INDUCES in book that has not the
sanction OF her parents. Unfortunately
there is too much license allowed the fancy
In the crowded novel counters at most of
our fashionable summer resorts, when there
is much idle time that is in this manner re-
Heved of monotony. In such hours of
leisure, should the taste be guided in proper
channels, the good results would soon be
realized in higher moral tone and superior
attalnments of mind"
GOOD AMERICAN WRITERS.
Among modern WRITER'S Mrs. Miles
went on, 81 enjoy Bret Harte, whose stories
relate largely to the free western life of
the plains with which / am so familiar.
have also lately read beautiful book by
Mrs. Burton Harrison, whose style is very
pure and characters naturally drawn. Then
there is Mrs. Hodgson Burnett. What could
pc finer than That Lass O'Lowrie'sp
N-eiy NoSA nay has dlSO written many
novels OF an elevating character. Such
may be classed many of the works of the
Duchess among light literature
SOME BAD BOOKS
81 think two of the worst novels that I
ever read" said Mrs. General Miles, 'swere
Anna Karenina, by Tolstoi, and Amelie
RlVes' remarkable conception, The Quick
Or the Dead L class these two together as
tending to the moral downfall of all those
sentiments and feelings that are usually
held sacred. Anna harenina' is without
doubt one OF tie very worst books ever put
upon the market and should never be put
into the hands OF young man or woman"
IS NOVEL READING DECREASING?
l sought an interview with Mrs. Lowry
Bell, of Philadelphia, whose name is a
familiar one upon every occasion of social
gathering at the capital, and whose warm
personal friendship for Mrs. Wanamaker
has, during the past season, rendered her
familiar figure upon every occa sion of enter
tainment at the beautiful home of the post
master general. Said she:
81 consider the literary taste of our age
far more pure in tone and elevated in char
acter than we are usually credited with, and
judging from observation, believe that the
sale OF worthless, or what is generally
classed under the head of light reading, de-
creases each year The young of the pres
ent day crave more substantial food for
their minds than mere romance. A book
must have real literary merit to attract.
where formerly the fancy was satisfied
with the mere enjoyment of the moment l
cannot conceive of the remarkable run of
such book as the 'kreutzer Sonata Its
a work without a single literary merit. Had
the work never been criticized it would
probably have passed unnoticed through
the market and soon died natural death.
1t is more often that people, and especially
young people, are apt to rush for book
that through adverse criticism fiavors of
forbidden fruit"
TWO GOOD NORWEGIAN WRITER'S.
Mrs. Bell went on: Compare the works
Of the only two Norwegian writers of whom
we OF the present day are acquainted.
tredrika Bremen and Ibsen How differ
emit In style, yet which of the two are more
known or read? Few of the
present generation are familiar with Ibsen.
whose works received such recent revival
OF interest through the Interpretation of
Mrs. Winslow's public reading of the DOLLS
House, one of his best known works.
while the translations of Fredrika Bremen
are quoted IN almost every household in the
land. such works will live on from gener-
atlon to generation as true pictures of home
NE and national customs l would be will |
ing to assert that visit 10 the leading
libraries and book stores of our land would !
elicit the fact that the rage for light novels
IS surely on the decrease. Never before |
has there existed SO many literary clubs, |
especially among fashionable women. In |
Washington alone the number of these as
soclatlons for the purpose of general culture
mas increased TO an unprecedented extent. |
anu ladle5' cIuos are organized under every /
variety of pretext. The Current Event
club, of which l am member, meets week |
y at the homes of the different ladies To |
ilscuss, as its name designates, every tonic |
u public interest as the subjects present |
In this way we have RI raod !