The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-01
Old Fashioned Sunday School Books.

In Captain Bluittn the new novel by Max Adcler
(Charles Heher Clark author pays his respects 10 some
dreadful books that were libraries OF the Sunday schools
which parents and grandparents attended
There tavoritc writer for children iavorte
with the parentswho inspired with praiscwotthy desire
npe them into paths OF produced certain volumes
which cassed under the general name OF Aeeoes IN
these little stories the characters children The books
we're hound in black begin with that they dismal
aud dsccuagns merely look at they lay upon the table
at home.
"Oue OF them began with graphic description OF place
called the Desert Of lin That word lu which greeted the
infant mind the first page had IN something ha
sinister and tear-inspunR S was bad enough bu SIN
could he PATTY compeheuded Hn however appeared to
have of knslp SIN and vet to be Infinitely
aud ncomprehcuSiVey dreadful Even II I'm had been
place waving and fountains and flowers and birds
would been open grave suspicious that behind these
beautiful objects rkcd some mysterious destructive
concerning which children might have apprchcnsions and
would do we'll to keep their wits about them But lin Tar
from having allurng scenery was represented as
dreary dead orbddng desert in which was no KIND OF
vegetable life but prcky things 10 catch and tear you and
animal life excepting snakes and scorpions ever alert to
bite and poison YOU.
Most Of the hoy readers they could pull through
safely with snakes alone because You at tho worst kill
snake with stick and wait for his tail to die At shutdown
but the habits aud indeed the very outlines OF tue scorpion
unknown and the assured presence of scorpions
which lay in wait for boys appeared TO make tina, viii
derncss OF Yin particular terrible Every healthy
boy felt as he would like very much stay away from
but this the kindly author assured him. he could not do for
the wilderness of lin in the alegory represented this green
old rolling earth OF and the journey across the cactus
planted scorpion haunted desert stood for the human lite
that every good and bad boy must live,
Some very bold boys felt that bad tho outlook
presented by the author they could the horrors Of Tho
journey with the boys and girls in the book these had beer
named Jim and Acok and Mary Jane hut the writer OF the
aegoy knew the child mind and he acute to supply
any such ~ diminishing the nctes OF the situation
The boys named Uric and Beam and Aarc aud Per
seus and the girls 4da and kthelberta and Ursula
names belonging children known to the LITTLE
American Sunday school scholar and conveying to his mn
the that about these very boys and girls hcmselye
there was something elhsh and urcanny
IAN through the book Uric and Hida uamped across tn
desert STRIVING in desperate and dcouraeine
to reach kind Promised Land away off somewhere
and the Sunday school child OF thoughtful mind read
read he likely reach the conclusion that the best thin
the Promised and had 20 offer wasn't worth ali that miscr
and finally give his sympathy and his approval to Alar
and Ethclbcrta who didn't try hard enough aud mssc
the Promised Land and lost somewhere in the desert