Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-09-14
PERNICiOUS READING.
Have We books in our Library of
Dime Novel characteristics.

1t is a just and pertinent query, con-
sidering events of vital Importance to
our youth forced upon US. What books
have we in our public library that tend
to demoralize youthful readers? We
are not of the kind who condemn indis-
criminately all fiction whether it come
IN the blood and thunder, criminally
indecent, or the guise of romance,
parable or Illustrative history or BIZ
ography. The young by their very
nature crave the excitement of story
and narrative, and thrilling details.
We cannot change it except as we
crush out the desire for it, by cramping
the life and vigor and enthusiasm of
youth with it.
When such men as Garfield and
Talmadge, as Blaine and Depew, ,and Le-
land Stanford, when such women as
Frances Willard (the first time the
writer ever heard her speak in
public she quoted from "Faith Cart
ney's Girlhood'0 Harriet Beecher
Stowe; and scores whose names crowd
our minds as we write, find place and
time for fiction, we will not mercilessly
condemn it. But we owe it to ourselves,
and community that the reading we
furnish our youth shall be of such a
character that tends to elevate and in
spire to higher life. What boy or
girl can read and not be the better for
the reading. Miss Mulocks ideal stories
or those marvellous conceptions of Miss
Phelps, Gates Ajar, and others. Ben
Hur that wonderful story of the olden
time; The Prince of the House of David
when the prince was a friend among
common people; Schoenburgs Gotta
Family when the young man Martin
Luther had such thrilling experiences;
Uncle Toms Cabin, where the sensa-
tional episodes awaken all of ones SYM
pathies for an oppressed downcast race,
of poor little David Copperield or self
sacrificing Little Nell in Dickens novels.
What boy or girl would be sneaking
vile hypocrite after reading of Uriah
Heeps "Umbleness," There are books,
novels even, so strong with truth and
heroism that they insensibly change the
characters of their readers, and in no
other way can we so influence and sway
our youth as by the class of reading we
give them, Let us weed out the idly
lurid stories of fighting, lawless, de-
moralizing characteristics from the
books we place in their hands. I've
never seen boy who did not enjoy the
story of Black Beauty, novel though it
be, utter nonsense, some call it, A
horse telling its own life story. Yes!
but a fiction SO enrapt with great truths,
nature. Let us fill our shelves with at
tractiye reading of this class, and lead
the minds of our reading boys step by
step through fiction travel, biography to
the higher realms of literature filling
the mind so full that there is no time
left for wild west adventures, burglars
exploits blood and thunder tales Of
crime. We are not free from a shadow
of blame until we have tried to help
the wrongs that call for redress. Be-
side the reading there is one other
thing we most earnestly protest against.
Allowing boys in confinement to play
cards for amusement. AS we would
purge our library of vile books and
substitute healthy ones Gf there are
vile books in it, so would we find other
games than cards, dice or the like to
amuse young boys whose ideals of life
are to be "toughs" We can do some
thing, at least voice a protest against
allowing cards in jail or vile books any
where accessible to our youth. Let
those having these things in charge as
sumo vigilant care and use their authori-
ty to bring abouta change.