The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-04-21
R0!XALss 81! 4! ss*":s s:;;::s
Makes the food more delicious and wholesome
GOOD ASSOCIATES.


All the wholesome proverbs that
have come down to us from distant
times relate 70 the association of men
and women in person. Evil commu-
nications corrupt good manners" We
all know that to be true, but associate
it in our mind with personals. "Birds
Of feather flock together" The idea
suggested to our minds it that of indi-
viduals grouping themselves because
of an affinity of ideas The proverbs
were made long before books began to
have any marked influence upon the
lives of men and before newspapers
were known. They need revision in
this age, or at least an extension of the
ideas relating to communication be-
tween individuals.
\ mans evil communications in
these days may be through the me-
dium of books or newspapers, not
through his companions in the flesh.
The birds of feather with whom he
tlocks may not be his friends or COM
panions, but the authors whom he
most affects. Disregarding for the
moment the moral influence of ltera-
turc, observe the effect of one kind or
another upon the language and cul-
ture Of the individual. The man whose
tastes lead him to read only good
books, by which phrase is meant books
by cultivated men, insensibly acquires
training which leads him to speak
dramatically, though he may know
nothing of the rules of grammar. On
the ether hand, the man who has been
taught the rules of grammar, but whose
associates are vulgar and uncultured,
insensibly falls into their modes of ex-
preston. 1t is evident from this ex-
ample, which may be verified by any
obscrvant man, that literary associa-
ton, as we'll as the association of indi-
viduals, has much to do with the for
nation Of manners, and that one may
be judged by the literary companions
he keeps as well rs by his boon compan-
ions. This is especially true in our
day and generation, when literature in
some of its forms has such 4farge
share in our daily life. Not merely
books, but daily papers, help to guide
the tastes and refine or degrade the
language of those who read them ha-
bitually. The evil communications
that corrupt good manners may be the
daily paper that is not carefully edited,
both as to the matter it contains and
as to the language employed aM its
construction. That paper which, fs ed
tied so as to make it fit for the home
circle, temperate in tone and correct
in it's use Of language, is an educator
of its readers Those who habitually
read it will be insensibly trained NOR
ally and intellectually. They will
avoid the evil communications that
corrupt good manners, and, on the con-
trary, pm, themselves under the influ.
ence OF the good communications that
refine and elevate the manners. Upon
the other hand, those who habitually
read sensational daily papers will have
their manners corrupted just as surely
as though they associated in person
with the ignorant or corrupt authors
who pander to their own tastes. One
hundred years ago man might be
judged by the company he kept. To
day he must be judged as we'll by the
literature he reads. That is the COM
pany of the men of the present genera
tion which is most potent in directing
their thought, forming their manners
and guiding them in the right use of
language. Birds oi Il feather flock to-
gcthcr now as in the oltlen times, but
in our day some OF the birds are rapers,
magazines and books, and mcn are to
be Judged 10y what they read as well
as by their companions. For those
who arc established in their tastes and
have formed their companionships, this
reflection may have no special infu-
encc, but for the young man anxious
to advance and improve himself it is |
one of the first Importance. He must
not only consider what kind of men he
will gather about him as friends and
companionS, bnt what kind of news
papers, mamazncs and books he will
read labtually. If he shall deter
mirc to read only the best literature |
in daily journals as we'll as in books
he will have beside him always a silent |
but efficient teacher in language as
well as in morals.-B fillmore Sun.
Only onc-third of the worlds popu-