The San Francisco call., 1899-12-09
VIII. THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF 1e


Sixteen, alike for boys and girls. IS n
somewhat trying age. 1t marks a period
Of transition which may be gradual or al
rupt. but which is sure 20 partake Of .he
difficulties and embarrassments peculiar
to those lines in which the human being
consciously passes from one stage Of de-
velopment to another. For example,
great deal is expected of the young person
Of l6, and while he or she is usually cIti-
cized for corduct which older people re-
gard as childish, for still engaging in Jd-
venile sports or for enjoying juvenile
books, on the other hand the sisters and
brothers next in age. farther on the road
and beyond the milestone mark ed 20, sell
dom court the society OF 16. OF course,
there are varying degrees OF maturity In
different individuals and. broadly speak
ing, girls at 10 are year or two IN 0d
vance OF boys in spiritual and moral II
not in strictly intellectual progress. but
as a rule at 16 one has left childhood Just
behind and Is reaching forward TO man
hood or womanhood just in advance. II
is for both sexes the place where the
brook and river meet" A problem TO
their friends and teachers, young people
at this critical parting OF the ways. or.
rather, the rushing in OF the word and its
influences. are often intensely puzZling 10
themselves, confronted by temptations
too subtle for their comprehension, and IN
need Of tolerance, sympathy and the most
judiciOus and loving supervision.
Reading shapes character. A strong Snd
vital book becomes permanently potential
in the making of a man. One cannot too
carefully guard the home from the bad
book. the weak book the insincere and
meretricious book. If a boy or girl is ever
TO write well or is ever TO be distinguished
for clever letters and for terse ana charm
n rFnr- lGfG Ha Nn. a-nh N
best books. II ever conversation is 10 be
uplifted from the trodden ruts of the COM
monplace, from the dusty domain OF the
trivial, II is 10 be through the medium of
the bright and suggestive book. From the
best authors we receive ideas, we are led
into the larger fields Of science and OF
thought, and We obtain the priceless gift
OF varied and picturesque vocabulary.
SO much OF personality perVades a book
that long after It's author is forgotten his
very name unthought Of among men, the
work he left, If sincere and worthy, lives
on and carries "A message TO the receptive
reader. If this Is true OF the comparatiN G.
ly ephemeral book il is I'm larger meas
ure and Jnfailingly the attribute of Inc
great masters of literature. Shakespeare
is read by the farmers boy on the nil
side, by she Prince in the palace, by the
child and the man alike, and. ike the
Bible, ever presents new phases and fresh
ideas 10 every generation. Who to-day Is
unfamiliar with the work Of kipling?
II one is not book lover at 16 | fear
OF beings. To some persons books are no
more than chairs and tables. than furni-
Iure, or any other portable possession.
10 some again they are tools. used at
need, TO unlock the hidden treasures OF
science, or 10 verify dates in history.
There are those who care only for the
superficial book, the book which amuses
FOR the moment and is thrown aside. To
be born with a love for books is TO be the
heir OF great inheritance. Parents and
teachers sometimes exercise "A right OF
Judgment hDnkE
and eliminating and scrutinizing all vol
umes before they reach the youthful
hands. This is To treat reading as N IL
were quinine or calomel, dealing II out
in doses. weighed and measured and duly
apportioned / like better, and / thor
oughly believe in, the good old way spOk-
en- OF by Charles Lamb I'm that quaint and
delightful essay. where he tells how his
sister Bridget browsed in an old library
at her will.
A child, turned loose in library. like
colt in pasture. will select for herself
and, IL her choice fall upon a really living
book, the evil in IL will prove 10 her innO-
cuous, and the good will sink into her
soul Supervision Is best exercised over
the so-called literature which aims only
TO arrest attention by sensational stories.
tales OF improbable adventure and mis-
taken bravery. In a gloomy prison Of
New York State two young men are serv-
ing life sentence for wrecking a train.
a deed 70 which they were prompted by
the reading or bad books and papers
which the law should have suppressed.
The wildly dramatic and the tepid and
silly story, described as goodygoOdy. are
both TO be forbidden TO the youth OF l6.
and where direct prohibition seems likely
10 incite TO secret indulgence the tactful
parents will try the plan Of reading the
Objectionable story aloud in the presence
of the whole family. without remark or
comment Of any kind. This method sell
dom falls TO excite the disgust of an in
telligent boy. Girls are not so likely TO
be tempted by the reckless knight OF the
road with swords and pistols bristling al
his belt as by the love story Of Lady Pa
mela in satin robes and shimmering moon
beams dressed, but the method suggested
works To equal advantage with them.
History, mapped out in cOurses-Roman.
German, English, American; poetry. espe-
cially of the ballad and romantic variety.
ranging from Chaucer to Kipling. and the
best fiction. are good diet for Is. The
books OF Stanley Weyman. Conan Doyle
stirring and lead the reader TO severer
studies of the historic period they Illus
trate. boy reading "Cromwelis own.
a recently published novel. will ask for
more precise information about the
Roundheads and the Cavaliers. group
OF young people introduced 10 French his
tory by The Reds of the Midi viii natu-
rally desire 10 delve more deeply into the
history which preceded and followed the
French revolution. An English or Ameri-
can boy or girl poring over DR.. .Mitchell's
splendid novel. Hugh Wynne." will not
rest until the story of 76 is more widely
unfolded. and | speak advisedly in saying
that such a book concerns our cousins
over seas as closely as II does ourselves
I counsel the young folk Of 16 to esti-
mate at their true value the wealth gar.
nered and condensed in their school text
books As epitomes OF reference. con-
tanning much excellent matter in small
compass. these books are unsurpassed.
The writer of a school book has culled
material from many fields and COM
pressed IL into paragraphs. For conven-
lent approach when one wishes to consult
the author nothing in our Libraries can
compare with a good school textbook.
and young people at the student age
have such in their hands. They form a
nucleus around which other good books
may be gathered by and by.
One concluding word may he allowed.
Our boys and girls should at is be thor
oughly acquainted In its highways and
byways with the English Bible. To be
ignorant Of the Bible Is TO lose the viril-
~ and beauty CT the most ancient and
the most enduring literature in human
language No better way of knowing the
Bible can be recommended than the sim
pie way of reading II in course as part of
the daily routine. From reading to study
ing its pages Is an easy step, but the
Sat - - IL.