The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-12-17
NOVEL READING.

MASS, HJdllnB JDdJ TWO DOys, eacn 10
years of age, had disappeared from
that place, taking with them several
hundred dollars of money stolen from
their parents. The report further
stated that they had planned trip to
Europe. Their escapade was ascribed
to the influence Of dime novel reading.
In all main respects, this is but repe.
etition of a tragi.cOmedy that has
been acted many a time on many a
stage within recent years. More fire.
quently, though, the adventurous
youth set out for the Far West to fight
Indians, in imitation of "Dare- Devil
Dick, the Terror of Bloody Gulch," or
some other hero of the same sort, with
whose imaginary exploits their brains
have become inflamed Occasionally
they elect to enter upon the high way
mans career and rehearse between
themeelves many times, while secretly
preparing for that noble career, the
scene at some hypoth etical crossroads,
where, at the witching hour of mid
night, they are to leap forth upon the
belated traveller with the awful alter
native, "your money or your life."
lis fact well known to all who
have taken interest enough in ques-
tiOns affecting the manners and morals
of the rising generation to reflect upon
the matter that innumerable instances
occur where beardless boys, crazed by
the perusal ofcheap and trashy fiction,
have run away from home with the
intent to realize in their own persons
the characters and careers of their
dime novel heroes. Sometimes the
youngsters are caught and brought
back before they have gone far. AT
other times they succeed in getting
hundreds of miles away and perhaps
into Jail before their parents or guar
dians discover their whereabouts. 1t
is to be hoped that on being restored
to sorrowing friends they are uni
formly well spanked; but there is rea.
son for misgivings on that score.
The miserable excuse usually offered
by adults responsible for their crmi.
nal capers is that they cannot help it,
that "boys will be boys" and, there
fore, will, If 80 inclined, read this de-
testable literature. Without stopping
now to controvert this poor apology
for evasion of duty, the HERALD
wishes to point ont one way by which
the taste for stories of adventure can
be gratifed without any such peril to
youthful human nature as is INSOFAR
able from the sort of reading described
above. The perfectly safe, sure and
simple remedy consists in supplying
bOys--snd girls, to-with stories that
are at once exciting and wholesome.
1t is always best to put an emphatic
veto on the other kind, but that can
be easily and effectively done, if the
right kind is furnished. 1t is a mis-
take to think the people really crave
dime novel literature. What they dc
crave is certain something they
find in it, but which is not at all con
fined TO it. That is the mental thrill
that comes from accounts of peril;
met and conquered, courageous deed
done, strange scenes visited, life ful
OF action, achievement, adventure
Cheap and nasty novels are nearly al
fpoor literary quality judged regard
less OF their moral quality. They ar,
NOT hrfOhf thafr atyIa 10 furcrfd a M
feeble, their plots are void of ingenu
ity, they have not spice of Origina
wit. They are never written by mas
ters of the literary craft. They ar
ground out by the ream, at smaI
rates Of pay, by persons whose CON
parative rank in literature is like this
in art Of those 'artists" who, aided b,
a camera and dozen yards Of canva
stretched round sky-lighted garre
daub off dozen "oi paintings" da
TO supply the fake" picture sale auC
tiOn rooms.
Here is brief list of standard bool
for children that every boy and gil
whose mind is not already corrupte
and weakened by reading tras
would enjoy great deal more than
that kind: "Roblnson Crusoe
"Swiss Family Robinson" "Esop'
Fables" Hawthorne's "Wonder Bool
Charles and Mary Lambs "Pal
from Shakespeare" Anderson
FAIRY Tales" Dana's 1.-TWO Yea
Before the Mast ""Gulliver's Travels
''Tom Browns School Days" "Hez
kiah Butterworth's zigzag Journeys
Little Lord Fauntelroy," Dicker