The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-03-05
WHAT PEOPLE READ. p

What Montpelier people read, to a
certain extent, is shown by the report
of the Kellogg Hubbard library. The
following is the classification of books
taken from the library during the year
reported:
Fiction, 10, 504; juvenile fiction, 8,
$780, general, 3, 1856; history, biog-
raphy and travels, 2,546; literature,
1,702; science, 500; sociology, 576
religion, 800; fine arts, $3.50; philos-
ophy, 100; useful arts 1851 phi ,ology,
10. Total, 37,76l.
Out of some 80, 900 books taken to
their homes, 20, 600 were stories, for
old and young. About three-fourths
related to nothing in particular, and
probably the same proportion of the
readers of these books could tell moth
ing in particular of what they had
read The benefit to them, except in
the matter of killing time, was nil
rather a negative benfit
To the 5000 and over readers of
general" literature, the class next
in order, what order of merit is due is
Understandable as the classification is
general, also, but to the 2, $40 readers
of history, biography and travel they
who wish the rising-or the risen
generations we'll will lift their hats
and bow their heads in very respectful
consideration Pity that 1T is only
about seven per cent of the whole, but
as very small percentage of the good
people of a city of the Scriptures was
enough to save the whole, this small
proportion of people who have found
delight in so rational and profitable
reading as history, biography and
travels may justify the existence of
the library aud the cost of mainten-
ance.
Religion, with its less than one per
cent of books taken, must strain the
mercy of the Lord but in these de-
generate days the Lord has abundant
reason for mercy on his people, and
for grieving over their waywardness.
The 600 devotees of science, and even
the 100 worshipers of the useful arts,
reinforce the plea for mercy AS to
the 100 philosophers, the $40 sociolog-
ists the respectable number of dew
otees of literature and the little band
of philoogists, the hand Of the cynic
is stayed, but in the statement of the
report that there has been "grow-
ing use of reference books there is
encouragement to hope that the library
may be approaching nearer the thresb-
hold of a useful mission.
The extent to which current fiction
overtops everything else is appalling
Tie taste for this sort of literature is
akin to the drink evil or the opium
habit among physical evils. 1t is lit
erary dissipation. The deplorable
feature of current fiction reading is
the preference shown for the light
wares of the book publishers. People
read them, gossip briefly over them a
they would over the quality of the tea
they drink the brands of ale or beer
or vintages of wine that others i'm
bibe, or, if the conceptions are hot
enough and the rhetoric fiery enough,
the stronger drinks on which some
feed their cravings
There is no ironclad prohibition of
fiction. Good tales are wholesome,
useful, instructive, as we'll as deeply
entertaining, but the best in fiction is
little read. The typical modern novel
reader could hardly be hired to read
the Waverlies. They know nothing of
the creations of the Wizard of the
North, land his compeers in eminence,
in recent or later times, whose works
survive them, whose stories are the
beacon lights of fiction. IT'S true,
tits pity, and pity tbs, It's true.