Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-08-14
LITERATURE AND CULTURE.

What are you reading and what are youl
children reading1 What does the community
read' Have you family library and is there
public. society or community library in your
town or neighborhoodp These are questions
that will be discussed in series of papers in
the Journal
Only few can go to college. But there is
no reason why an intelligent person able to
read and write may not have an equal degree
OF education and culture as though he or she
had gone to college. Indeed many 90 to
college and attain to very little true culture.
How can the individual or the family obtain
liberal education and a reasonable degree OF
culture in the home? OF course the ambition
and the desire must spring from within. That
cannot be forced on you. 1t can only be
acquired from books, lectures and the best
newspapers and magazines. The newspapers
must be read for the news Of the day. The
magazines must be read with discrimination.
In all ages of the world there is much printed
and purveyed to the public taste that does not
elevate but degrades it. There is enough
time and money spent by the american people
on their reading matter to make them the most
cultured people in the world. But it is doubt
full If in general intelligence we are anywhere
near the front rank, or ever will attain to the
best culture. So much of the energy Of the
people is absorbed in making a living, in
social duties and pleasures, in drink and to-
bacco, that at best progress is made slowly.
We would like the readers Of the Journal to
consider with us the desirabiaity and the
practicability Of making each home where it
is read a center of cultural influence that shall
60 out in all directions for the ennobling and
uplifting of the American people. To
accomplish this within a circle of 10000
readers would certainly be great achieve.
ment How shall we begin?
THE HOME READING CIRCLE.
Reading aloud in the home is the best means
of general education and family culture. In
nearly every family there is one good reader
Should be considered family duty 10 have an
hours reading every evening. The old New
England custom of family worship and reading
of the scripture carried great deal Of liberal
culture along with it besides religious edifica-
ton. How many of our readers have reading
aloud in the family circle2 How many are
willing to try it2 What nobler object can we
as Americans have than the education,
upbuilding and Strengthening of the home
circle, to say nothing Of cultvating and pur-
flying it2
How shall we begin1 OF course, if you
have family worship begin with the bible.
But so many do not have family worship, or
if they do have, omit that, that we will not
embrace the religious question. There is no
strong, enduring family life possible without
religious culture to begin with. 1t need not
be advertised or proclaimed on the street. 1t
may consist entirely Of religious living and
doing. But the dedication Of the spiritual
nature to the higher purposes OF being must be
made in some way and as we knew this would
come up in our talk about family culture we
thought we might as well settle so far as these
articles are concernnd.
COURSE OF READING.
How shall we make up our course Of read
ing2 Begin with good daily newspaper.
1t need not be large. The principal local,
state, national and foreign news should be
briefly read. Then there should be some read
ing for the children, in a magazine or book.
There are plenty Of these and if you do uot
take any, you had better get some at once.
AS a rule whatever is good, wholesome and
interesting reading for the children and young
people is good for the older ones. Take as
an illustration, "The Youths Companion"
1t is read quite as much by the heads Of the
family as by the children. If the "heads"
only knew it there is one OF the secrets of re-
naming young in taking vital and real in
terest in the amusements and literature that
that charms the young. What Of magazines
for older ones2 That would take seperate
chapter to discuss. They should not be taken
for cheapness and amusement only, But for the
real merit they possess. Although it is high. |
priced and contains more advertising pages
than anyone should like to have, HarPer's
magazine is an illustration Of the best
American literary monthlies. 1t is in itself
liberal education. There are other good
monthlies, but Harper's is the best in quality
and when we speak Of family culture for the
the American peaple or any small number OF
them we cannot ignoie certain ideals.
ABOUT BOOKS TO READ.
We are sorry 10 confess that the present
day home has on the average not so good
q library as homes had in this country forty
or fifty years ago. There are not as a rule
as many books ir the library. nor as standard
a class Of works as there were then in homes
that had lribary Of say one hundred volumes
or upwards. Books were then deareT, diffi.
cult 10 purchase, and money was not 80 well
distributed among the masses. There is now
such wealth and abundance Of good books on
every subject that there is not much excuse
C,, family IN lie without decent collection.