The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-14


ton.
General history leads all other works,
with Dickens, Shakespeare, the Bible.
Longfellow and Hawthorne following in
the order named But these give no relia-
BILE standard by which To judge of the
scholars taste for they are found among
the papers of the students of English
literature. and are either among the
books to be taken 10 the island uhis is
particularly the case with the Bible. or
are marked partly read. showing 1t is
because they We're taken up i'm the class
that they occupy SO large place i'm the
lists.
Popular works are those of Miss AL
colt. kipling. Bret Harte Scott, Mark
Twain. I'll. H." with "Uncle Toms Cab
in and "The Underside of Things" prime
favorites. But the overwhelming prepon-
derance Of fiction is deplorable. Teach
the young how to read" Are they learn
ing this in reading almost nothing but fie-
ton? You would consider yourself crimi-
nally careless IL you let your children eat
nothing but cake, even though the cake
contained none but the choicest mate
rails; but a diet of fiction ruins the mem
tai digestion Just as surely as cake does
the physical digestion. Most of il is good
fiction though there is large exception
to this. Gunter. for instance. is quite
favorite, and he uses the most abomina-
Bile English ii has been my fortune To
encounter. And Sentimental Tommy"
Don Juan" "The Christian" 1.-The
Heavenly Twins" and 'Trilby" are rath-
or strong pabulum for school children.
Solomon says: with all thy getting,
get understanding. The spelling and an
swers of some of the scholars show that
they have overlooked that little point.
Connection is Connection" library is Iii
barry, idles appears instead of "idyls.'
a
books but never looked to see who was
the author" How much intelligence is he
bringing to his reading? Another speaks
of "Dante's INTERVALS" and "Macauley's
Essay on Man / suppose some of you
will be up in arms at what you will prob
ably call the heresy of what | am going
TO say, but many truths have been called
heresy before. These papers have con-
WINGED me that the majority of our young
people are already what ! think most of
us elders area race of hypocrites as re-
CARDS reading. ! really believe we often
fool ourselves AS well others. Just let
me illustrate. In answer to the question.
What have you read during 1892" one
answers. Haven't read any and in an
swer 10 the second question the same
would have taken to the island Shake
speare Millions paradise Lost" Irvings
works and Benjamin Franklins works.
Now it is possible that one could read
nothing for whole year and then make
that selection, but ii is exceedingly i'm
Another has read. From the Ballroom
10 He'll q don't know that work. and
the newspapers. In answer to the second
question he would take the Bible. diction-
airy. Shakespeare, History of the World
The list of authors read may be Augusta
Evans Wilson, u. =. Roe. Wilkie Collins
or Alger 1Ienty. Lew Walace-perhaps
good fiction. perhaps bad-but the books
chosen for the island will he Shakespeare,
Milton, Baeon's Essays. history. But"
YOU say. they have set themselves high
ideal and that is surely praiseworthy"
All. yes, If they gave evidence of trying
10 live up to it, But high standard may
act as composing draught to lull our
to sleep, and in that case is
FAR more mischievous than no standard.
for in the latter case we may suddenly
realize how we are enervating our MINIS
and stop; in the former case we dream
Always VIII strive tomorrow TO reach
that higher standard What the young
read before they are 16 is what forms the
taste Tor life and Is that which is longest
retained. How important then. to Guilt
Nate in them Il taste for the solid reading
and to see that i'm their first reading they
go TO the fountain heads of literature:
that they form their own opinions and
draw their own conclusions. always under
advice and direction. Put into their hands
Dickens "childs' History of England
rather than an historic novel. Fiction has
an important place. but fiction needs no
defense from me. The teachers will con-
linue to set a high standard for their
pupils but their efforts will be crowned
with but poor results so long as there is
no home supervision of the books drawn
rom the library. Then let us cooperate at
nome with the teacher in the school, make
our young people readers of good books,
md then in the beautiful words of David,
shall our sons be las plants grown UP IN
their youth our daughters as corner
stones, polished after similitude of IA pal
ace"