The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-09
IN THE GOSSIP'S R N

Few of the patrons of the public library,
and a still smaller proportion of the gen.
eral public realize the good work that is
being done for the children of Indianapolis
in the children's department of that insti-
tuition. Next to the public schools, 1t Is
doubtful If there is any other medium ca
pable of exercising as widespread an in
fluence for good or i'll as the public IL
brary, and it is pleasant to know that the
aim of those In charge is to make 1t In
creasingly a means to good. It Is even
more pleasant to know that the work in
connection Herewith seems to be a labor OF
love. A few weeks ago 1 passed a criti-
cism on the loose grammatical construction
of some of the works / found on the library
charge of the department told me the other
day that fragrant examples of that nature
are being eliminated gradually. Every
effort is being made" she said, Ito make
the department as nearly perfect as pos
sible. The books you mention are among
the oldest in the library. They are of a
class for which there is a great demand.
Some of the sensationally adventurous
were taken out as soon as their merits
were carefully looked into, but as the de-
partment is only a little over a year old
il has not been possible to examine all
the old books closely. Much time has been
given to the examination of new books, to
prevent the entry of any which might be in
any way pernicious. Still others Of the old
books, to which minor objections might be
made, nave been left on the shelves until
they need %rebinding, when they will be
taken out for good"
I had a long talk with her about the
books which children read most. The range
is a wide one, and yet within certain we'll
defined lines. There is some demand. she
said, mostly from boys whose home sur
r~oundings are evidently not of the best, for
detective, Indian and cowboy stories; but
this demand is decreasing. Boys who like
adventure read Henty, George Meanwhile
Fem and Trowbridge. Everett G.. Tomlin-
sons tales of Revolutionary times are a
| close second. but Du Chaillu Is neglected
and Crake is almost unknown. This seems
passing strange, for. to The Gossip's mind,
there are no more thrilling stories Of ad-
venture than Du Chaillu's tales Of equa-
torial Africa, while Crake's "Edwy. the
Fair" "Alfgar. the Dane" and ''The Rival
Heirs are unsurpassed, not only as chron-
icles Of adventure, but as p~ortrayals OF
English life in the romantic days Of and
preceding the Norman conquest Kipling's
Jungle Books and Captains Courageous
are especial favorites with both boys and
| girls, as are Ernest Seton-Thonpson's ami
| NAL stories, two Of which. wild Animals
I Have known and The Autobiography
of a Grizzly" are rarely on the shelves.
| Howard Pyle's books. especially Men of
| Iron," n Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer"
| and "Huckleberry Finn" also fan in this
| class. Fairy tales are In great demand
| Lang. Andersen and Grimm being read Inn
partially. Another book for which there
| is q great demand n Two Little confed-
crates" by Thomas Nelson Page. William
L Alden's The Adventures OF Jinmy
| Brown Il much sought after. though the
] aumor = much Of the same Glass q 'Fpek;s