The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-04-30
CHILDREN'S READING.
II should Gradually Lead Up to the Bes
Literature.
nal.

II should Gradually Lead Up to the Best
Literature.
In very old-fashioned work by the
very nld-fashioned Mrs. Hannah More.
Il book which is SO utterly devoid of the
stock incidents OF fiction that it would
be - wild imagination that could now
characterize it as a novel" the
pcdantic authoress depicts Il sceue
which has Il moral for all who are in
terested in the mental growth of chill
dren. The papa of the lovely young
creature who is mildly udored by the
very proper and eligible Cnlebs who
writes the story is blessed with mum
ber of other olive branches whom he is
training in the way he should go. 70
celebrate the birthday of his daughter
Kate, he has family gathering on the
trim English lawn, and reads 'John
Gilpin" for the benefit of the little maid,
who, having reached the mature age OF
seven, is to give up her childish books
and be introduced to standard works
BY the ceremony of publicly bestowing
all her baby literature on her younger
brothers and sisters, little Mistress Kate
is debarred FROM undue lingering, and
being admitted u higher walks of read
ing at once, th-teupon realizes the inn
portance OF living up to her enlarged
literary privileges.
1t would be well ii every child could
pass through some such experience as
this. With what delight the little schol-
ars give up one reader for another of
higher grade, and how definitely the
old book is laid aside, Now why should
not each one pass from nursery books
by gentle but always ascending steps
until the high level of fiction is reached
and Il taste for the very best formed?
While the young reader is conscious
only of the story" and ignores the
subtleties of criticism, is denscly ignor.
ant of ''subiectivc" and collective" " and
thinks everything realistic the nina
is growing, and lifelong friends smile
from the pages of Scott, Thackery,
Dickens, dear Miss Austen, and Mara
Edgcworth.
Another argument for early reading
lies in The fact that the works OF all
these authors, and of elder ones as well,
are supposed to be included in polite
education; but if acquaintance with
them is to wait until MAY gIides on,
ward into June" their charm is never
SO fully appreciated, and they are voted
slow by Il generation which dawdles
long over nursery tales, and then skip.
into cphemeral literature, light, indeed,
but ruinOus to good mental digestion,
People who have never read Miss Burney
IN their youth smile over the adventure.
of Evclinu, and run hurricdIy through
the novel, wondering what there wah
in IL to create such Il sensation more
than II century ago. But the woman
who read it first when she was little
girl of eight can never forget the pleas.
ure of making acquaintance wilh SO
lovely being as Eve!ina, and so ideally
perfect hero as Lord Oryille. Later,
she enjoyed Miss Burney's Diary with
greater zest, and found, with eXulta-
ton, that Lord Macaulay, that great
and omnivorous reader, was ever true
to his early fondness for old-fashioned
novels, and that ne gave warmest praise
to the Miss Austen who had always had
such special charm for her own small
self.-Harper's Bazar.
-"My wife is queen OF ahe tea table" ("
remarked n host to Is faiA&dly visitor
And she never reignS b. . ;he pOurQ
Nag the uuiet renlV