Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-03-03
REVIEW OF BOOKS.

There were over four thousand FIVE
hundred books published in America
last year of all grades of literary merit
Out of the vast accumulation a few are
destined to live and fulfill a mission
some for good, some bad. The far
greater number will bring brief hour
of sensual 1ntoxication, a little swerving
from the mental equilibrium, very
little trend upward or downward in the
moral plane of life and then be forgot
ten. The taste for reading is acquired.
Step by step the young can be led up to
heights Of excellence, through beds of
roses and realms Of fiction until they
stand among the stars by the clear light
of cultured, trained intelligence,
discerning the clouds beneath their feet
from the hazy mountains of past and
present generations of literary grandeur.
[ fancy little surprise would creep
into the faces Of some of our educators
who object to ''such trashy reading as
Robinson Crusoe" for the children, to
find that such men as Abraham Lincoln,
James Russell Lowell and Henry Ward
Beecher considered Hsops Fables,
Robinson Crusoe and Pilgrims Progress
aImirable models of diction. It is said
that Lincoln read and 1e-read, copied
and learned by heart, large portions of
them. Many young man learns for
n fr.cft hot
like, or who the supposed author of
fable he learned when a little boy in
the Primary was, when he is given latin
translatlons to make out in College.
Note the brevity of the sentences in
Esops Fables, study the simplicity of
expression. Do not imagine you are
too old to care for these books. If YOU
have not read them, do SO at your
earliest convenience. a,.
While calling to mind some of Abra-
ham Lincolns favorlte books we would
mention his decided partiality for Abbot
as an historical writer. Mr.. Lincoln
often said ga thorough knowledge of
history could be cleaned by intimate
acquaintance of Abbott's series of
histories, that his entire study of history
had been confined to those works. Sir
John Lubbock gives a list of zone
hundred best books and the Routleges
are publishing in cheap form the entire
hundred. 'Hypatia', 'On the Heights,
and The Last Days of Pompeii', three
from the chosen list, are to be found in
the Library. Who has not read "Black
Beauty?" Nearly 250,OOO copies have
been sold. The Humane Education
Association is translating it into Italian,
French, German, Spanish and Volapuc.
Every man and boy in the country
should read it. 1t is child's book but
none the less book to be keenlr
enjoyed by the ripe scholar. Until it
circles the globe and speaks to all men
in all languages its mission is not
accomplished. 1t is the Horses Bible
mo irreverence is meant.)
Hawthorne is counted by many as
beyond the comprehension of youth.
We would earnestly beg place for his
works on the library table. Granted
that the hidden meaning of the
beautiful old NEUROLOGICAL tales are not
quite plain to the very young, the
stories charm and impress the imagin-
alton and develop thought. The little
girl who plays keep house" and visits
imaginary neighbors, will "play" the
Marble Faun was real, and while
listening to the make believe story of
Midas will learn a far greater lesson,
and take in the real life story embodied
in the charming wonder story. The
little boy who needs only bit of string
and two chairs to assist his imagination
in furiously driving a chariot and fiery
steeds, will easily comprehend in part
the wonder story of Pegasus.
Of writer's of fiction that are repre-
sented in our library, HELEN Hunt
Jackson is worthy of mention. Her
Ramona is pure, clean story of Indian
life. Mrs A. D. T. Whitney in Hitherto
and Faith Gartney's Girlhood gives us
attractive stories in real life. Mrs.
| Virginia F. Townsend in the Holland
Series gives fascinating glimpses of
girlhood with singular hdelity and
simplicity. In a literary contest about
year. ago the question of who was the
most fpvable female character in poetry
was voted on and Longfellow's
Evangeline was awarded the prize
''Sir Galahad" (Tennyson) was awarded
the place of the noblest male character
in poetry. Are they not worth reading
| even if we have read them?
| FELIX FAIR.