The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-29
V||AAN'S CLUBS Day.
Miss Miner Represents Them
Before the Teachers.
HER PAPER ON LITERATURE
Arouses Lively Discussion
Association Notes.
HER PAPER ON LITERATURE

the reading of a paper under the aus
pice sof the Woman's Federated clubs Of
Oklahoma. 1t Is the first time in the
history of the teachers organization of
the territory that recognition has been
given to outside influences; hence the
more distinctive and fiattering is the
compliment to the little woman who was
chosen from all the bright minds COM
prised in the Federated Woman's clubs
of Oklahoma to represent the most ad-
vanced thought and culture OF today.
Miss Mary Coen Miner, the author of
the following paper, is a graduate of
the Oklahoma City high school. She is
also member and vice president of the
Saus Souci club of this city and is a
distinctive product of Oklahoma educa-
ton and Oklahoma club life, as applied
to literature. Her suggestions on what
Shall We Read will prove of interest.
Her paper on this subject was as fol-
lows:
In his mastery essay on literature as
a vocation, Horace Greeley says: 1.-The
world is a seminary; man is our class
book, and the chief business of life is
education" and John Ruskin, the pro-
foundest of thinkers and finest Of writ
ers, makes this affirmative: "AIl educa-
ton must be moral first, intellectual sec
ondarily. To make your children capable
of honesty is the beginning OF education ;
make them men first and religious men
afterward, and all will be sound"
The conscience of every enlightened
narSop parcaives ut cyca no Of
such utterance. Every day Of our lives
is a school day, viewed in the compre-
hensive sense. all know from expe-
rience how difficult it is to keep in the
straight and narrow way" and if so
with our maturer years and stronger
wills, how much greater the task In the
young and very plastic.
Kindergartens, schools, colleges, uni
versities, books-all these and more con-
stitute the instrumentalities of our men
tai and moral culture, but chieftest
among them is books. All means for the
acquisition Of knowledge are but an open
door to the illimitable field of books
Emerson says: "Send your child to
the school master but its the school
boys who educate him. And their school
boy tutors usually find the inspiration
for their thought within the covers Of
yellow back book concealed in the
fence corners or in their bosoms
The bane of the modern boys life is
the wicked gabble Of immoral and mer-
cenary writer's. Above the influence of
parents, teachers or Sabbath schools in
forming their characters is the influence
of mischievous books. But it is possible
to encourage a love for the best Iftera-
ture, for that which Is pure and elevat-
ing, and we must begin with young chill
dren in order to do this. Their reading
must be guided and guarded so that a
taste for that which is best be created
in the child.
Some one has said: "a child's literary
life is a secret ma adult can ever pene-
trate." But when an enthusiastic tenn
permanent takes books az Intimate com
panions there is no reason for watching
the result with anxiety. hat is read and
thought by day enters into dreams,
works into the deepest recesses Of our
being and becomes part Of our brain
itself. IF a child talks seldom Of what
he reads, he thinks the more Secret
iveness sometimes hides a turbulent men
tai activity and shy exterior can con-
ceal strange broodings.
But an omniverous taste, which Is very
common should not b cleft without some
subtle, unobtrueive guidance. Most Of
US who have lived much with books are
influenced today more than we should
probably like to acknowledge, by remin-
iscences of our childish literary lie.
In our schools and colleges we have
professors in almost every branch Of
learning, but it does not seemed to have
dawned on the vision OF men that what
is most needed is n professor Of books.
A good book placed in the hands of a
child viii secure to anxious parents a
restful nights and peaceful happy DAYS.
Not always Sunday school books. not
always books Of Bible stories, but. with
out deviation, books of high moral pur-
pose. records Of heroic deed, Of unswerv-
ing devotion to principle; tales of travel
and adventure, within the limits of rea-
son and truth works Of imagination thai
do not too much feed the instinct for ex-
aggeration, and thus develop in the
reader disregard for truth and love
Of eXtravagant statement: for. althougb
they are much read and commended 7
still question the wholesomeness Of such
books as the tales OF Baron and Mum
chauseu.
1t is no simple task TO select the best
books for children. Who would think Of
feeding the newborn child on strong
food, however good? Equally absurd
would ii he TO place in the hands Of chill
dren such books as Shakespeare OF. Nil
ton Good books. but often the worst
books for the young, for they do not md
IN them any chord Of sympacu-. one
must have AFFINITY for books. to enjoy
them. as he must have for friends
Looking into the future from the po.at
of view Of the present. one can "a he
censor casting into the background IN
Vulnerable books unworthy the attzn :5n
Of young readers. and when shat day
comes every parent and thinker 10 the
land must exclaim with Joy
"But what shall we. who have passed
the period OF chiIdhood-what shan We
read? The BinIee Yes. Shakespeare?
Yes Plato. Socrates. and Thomas
KemQis? Yes. these and many more
equally good. It goes without saving We
shah read. not once but many times.
Bacon says: some books are % Dc
tasted, others 70 he swallowed. ard sane
few 20 be ehewed ana diEes-e5' These
are TO De chewed and digesfed. No nan
or woman who lays claim 70 culture can
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