Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-24
The Morning session.

AHo uoNoVloHal HOuI, at O'CLOCK, was
remembered by number of persons
and there was good attendance at this
meeting, one OF the best of all the gath
erings.
Rev. ]. A. Henry led the meeting and
took for the morning lesson John xvii,
Christ's Prayer for His Disciples.
Many beautiful thoughts were brought
out by the leader and also by the various
persons in the meeting. AS usual at the
devotional hour, prayers were offered,
songs sung and many earnest, helpful
testimonies of Christian experience were
given.
The Bible normal class had as a topic
OF consideration continuation of Teach
ers' Methods and Means. The best
means of securing the pupils attention
was discussed, how his curiosity should
be aroused and his interest won and
sustained, the need of bringing into
action the imagination of the scholar,
but especially should the teacher seek
to aid in picturing on the scholars mind
the scenes of the Bible lesson.
Under the heading of Bible study the
topic was Christ. 1t was shown that
Christ was the theme of the Bible from
Genesis to Revelations. The points
brought out and discovered by the class
we're: Why should and does Christian
ity succeed, and its peculiarities the
elevation of its teachings, it's ideal of
character, its influence on the world, on
individuals and on nations.
Miss Hasse talked on Reading for the
Young. She said: 'If it is neither the
exclusive duty of the library nor the
schools to maintain the proper use of its
| books, and If the teacher exerts her in
f1uence upon the reading of the chill
dren under her charge only as it is con-
nected with their studies, the response
| bility OF catering to the mental taste Of
the juvenile reader depends upon the
parents. The more educated they are
the greater the responsibility.
"Few things have the influence upon
a child that its reading has, and yet no
other part of its training is left by the
'average parent so much to chance
Children have but one object in read
ing, and that is to amuse themselves.
"If child prefer stories OF adventure,
why deny him this pleasure? Only don't
give him this entertainment in the form
of Tiger Dick, and other decoctions pro-
duced for the derangemento of the juven-
lie mind. He will as readily assimilate
the accounts of Paul du Chaillu, the
stories of travel of Edward Everett Hale,
Butterworth, Knox and others. These
are all full of adventure, and will please
the romantic, childish heart.
ga personal visit, with the child BY
its parents, to the library and a joint
examination of juvenile literature will
produce more good results than any
number of suggestions made at the
library to the child.
1T would be as judicious for the Ii
brary attendant to say to patron that
he should not read certain book be-
cause it might interfere with his mental
health as it would be for waiter in a
restaurant to differ from you in your
order.
''It is the aim of every we'll regulated
library to offer to its juvenile readers
what is not only not vicious, but which
will leave no desire for vicious litera-
ture, yet it cannot limit its selection to
books of one class, and consequently a
child turned loose upon miscellaneous
! collection of juvenile literature will very
I probably cultivate habit of aimless
! reading.
ga little reading is dangerous thing,
too much reading is more dangerous,
and no reading whatever is most dam
| gerous of all.
''The child who goes daily to the pub
lie library for new book is on the road
to literary debauchery, and literary dis
eipation like physical intoxicatien, can
end only in degeneracy. ~
"The teachers responsibility in the
child's reading lies only in the books
read at school or assigned at school to
be read outside of the sessions and in
connection with its school studies.
Actually then her chief influence is in
suggestion.
imaginative literature is very good
form OF literature, but be sure it is liter.
ature. 1t would be very foolish and
unwise to prohibit novel reading en-
tirely, because good novel is as active
a factor in the formation of taste for
healthy society, for cleaner and purer
environment, as social treatise.
] Ii so many parents either cannot or
do not oversee the reading of their chill
dren, then the duty OF the character
building of the child becomes a public
charge.
The talk was closed by selections
from two different books, ILLUSTRATING
the tastes of different boys. The titles
of the books were: Captain Bayley's
Home and How Dick Lost His Scalp,
DR.. M'INTYRE's LECTURE,
When this speaker arose to deliver
his second lecture before the Chautauo ua
assembly he was enthusiastically
greeted.
In his delightful word picturings OF
last Thursday evening he had 80 pleased
the audience that they expected yester-
days address with impatience.
When introduced he said that he was
| glad he had not witnessed a blunder
like young sunday School superinten-
dent had made when introducing him
to country audience. The local orator
| had composed flowery address, and got
SO warmed up in it that when he was
ready to introduce him he turned
around and said, II have the pleasure
of introducing to you Mr.. Nc Mr..
Nc"
''McGinty" suggested small boy in
the rear of the hall, which caused the
audience to laugh and the superintend-
ent to be embarrassed. An old man in
front seat came to his rescue, saying:
swell Mr. McGinty your lecture won't
be very dry anyhow" and the speaker
had no difficulty after that.
He would not attempt anything new.
he eaid, but would try only to take his
| audience back to scenes that were
familiar to them all, the ''dsys gone
| by" He knew that they had no farms