The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-12-28


Mrs. Stenhouse's "Tell 1t ALP, bio
graphical work which exposed Mormon
ism and aroused sentiment against the
sin of polygamy. Perhaps it was to this
book more than to any other that is due
the fact, that, when in the Worlds Con-
gress of Religions at Chicago, a Mormon
elder defended polygamy, he was met
by Kisses and cries of "shame, shame"
from the whole vast audience.
"Ben Hur" and "The Strange Case of
DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. HYDE" are two nov.
els whose beneficent influence on man.
kind can never be estimated till that
great day, when everything, both small
and great, shall receive its just recon-
pense of reward.
General Lew Wallace replied to tie
great agnostic's question, "Is There a
God?" and thousands have believed,
while we of the faith can say with great
er assurance, "I know that my Redeem.
hveth."
In CDR. Jekyll and Mr., HYDE" We
have, perhaps, the finest picture OF
sin. allured, sin-lost soul ever penned
ned by uninspired man. And the pow.
er of habit in wickedness is so forcibly
presented that we instinctively shudder
at the mere hint OF vice.
There are many forms of fiction most
| of which are didactic. The historical
novel, by bringing out the manners and
customs of different countries and times,
helps us to form more adequate notion
than the mere historical fact could do:
and aids us to become broad minded and
cosmopolitan in our views of life.
We cannot read Scott without keen.
er appreciation of the times and people
of whom he wrote.
We cannot read Dickens without
learning to hate shams and trickery, and,
better than all, we are brought into
close touch and sympathy with different
phases OF child life, which is sure to ele-
vate us, making us better men and
women and better teachers
Who could turn from the white pinch
ed faces of "Little Nell, ""Paul Dombey"
or ''Poor 10" with anything like cruelty
to children still in his heart?
From Thackeray, we gain knowl.
edge of human nature which no amount
of ordinary observation give. And we
turn from his works with nobler char
ity for others, and burning desire to
rise above the miserable cant and hy-
pocrisy which are so truthfully por.
trayed
Another use of fiction is that it rests
and creates. A really good novel is a
great tonic to the weary brain. The
imagination is stirred, the emotions
awakened, and we are made better, wiser
and stronger.
Again, fiction idealizes life. 1t keeps
us from becoming sordid and plodding
and together with poetry and art, it cul.
tivates in us love of the good, the
beautiful and the true.
OF course, to obtain these good results,
we must read with the utmost discrimi.
nation. Nor should fiction form more
than sauce for the meat in our educa
tional food.
In advocating fiction as an educator
1 would not be understood to include
the great oceans of publications which
deserve no better name than trash.
A bad book is worse than vile com.
panion. The blood.curdling romance
and books that idealize vice and crime
: should be avoided as we would plague
Better, by far, to let loose viper te
sting and torment the youth of our land
than to put into their hands books reek
ing from cover to cover with vile sug
+ gestions, questionable situations and sou,
destroying alllrements.
Such are the works of Ouida, Zola
Tolstoi and many others who work in {
more covert way, which, no doubt, il
= still more destructive, for while the fla
grantly obscene may be repressed, the
, insidious goes on its polluting way, un
9 molested.
Little good will come OF prohibitin,
| the "kretZer Sonata While Anna kaf
! enina" lies upon the shelves of evel
q the best public Libraries.
Here, then, lies the danger in fiction
And here is where teacher and paren
q are responsible.
+ 1t is not wise for the teacher to or,
down the reading of fiction. 1t is no
4 wise for the parent to protest "My chilt
. shall not read novels" These are ex
. treme measures. What we want is t,
a strike the golden mean, giving the child
the youth and the maiden what they
, need in this line. For novelty, they
! must have, and if it is not provided
! they will seek it, and all too often th'
, quest ends in moral destruction.
| mi /.