The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-10
HOH q Make
D. HONE HAPPY
Children Must be StudiOuSIy
Cared for.
BOOKS TO BE READ THEM
Becky Sharp From Fathers
and Sons Stand Point,

Most earnest parents are agreed in a de-
sire that their children shall love books
and reading. and many are very careful
what they shall place on the nursery book
shelves. This, however, seems analogous
10 the gathering Of the crude materials
from which house is to be builded. Very
few attempt to teach their children how
TO read so as to more than skim the
+ stories as rapidly as possible. The same
distressing haste fastens itself upon the
child as upon his parent, the greatest
lives in the world and the merriest little
tale written only TO win a laugh are
rushed through with amazing haste
Some Of the elder writers-that magic
charmer, Mr. Jacob Abbott, for instance
-artfully compelled attention TO detail
and had the power 10 fascinate by min
ute development. "Rollo," dear to so
many children Of his era, was surpris-
ing aid to mental accuracy, and taught
close habits of observation without even
q hint Of giving advice The most heed
less child had TO see and hear when he
walked with "Rollo" or journeyed with
Uncle George"
Today a pile of Henty books with their
contagious thrill and rush of adventure
are but as a biscuit eaten between meals
or as a bonfire made from chips and dry
leaves Two or three hours Of breathless
haste TO get TO the end and the book and
its charm are exhausted. Or d small Ii
brary of volumes on Nature Study" so
called, brings cut a longing to make her
bariums, or watch birds, or make col
collections Of specimens. which find vent
in hasty and rarely perfected efforts to
corroborate or make discoveries, and then
their fascination is over.
4 fudici0us mother reading to her chill
dren with the intent not alone to keep
them quiet and out of mischief but TO
use this potent means of teaching her
boys and girls to think and judge for
themselves, can do extraordinary things
by her method Of reading. and yet wholly
conceal that she is trying to do anything
beyond spending a happy and amusing
hour with them.
I knew a mother-to me a perfect type
who while reading in her beautifully
nodulated tone, and throwing the keenest
interest into her manner, would stop at
the approach Of a climax in the story and
ask with all the eagerness possible:
What do you think he viii do now:
What would you do if you We're in his
place? Would you have the courage to
tell the truth after you. had made such
8 mistake
The point Of view was instantly altered.
1t was no longer what would happen to
the hero which was the chief point of
interest and suspense; it was whether
he would 90 right. / have seen tears of
sympathy in a boys eyes when his fay
orite Tom or John was struggling TO con-
Quer a temptation to deceYe and failed
TO win his victory. Poor fellow" the
mothers voice would say in a grieved
tone "He will fight it out later on and
confess his fault but it will be so much
harder for him then"
The gradual result of her methods was
the formation. of a family of thinking
readers. eager for discussions of charac-
ter and motives in both history and tic-
tion-the book then in hand was not a
thing glanced at and thrown down. but
was the staple topic Of conversation, and
;
ground or around the children's table.
The critical element was largely devel-
oped in their bright minds and the various
characters in their story books were very
real TO them and served as models or eX-
amples. without the slightest suggestion
Of such application on the part of their
mother or even from any conscious men
tai process of their own. The little groups
gathered in the quiet library in winter
twilights. or listening in the stiffness Of
summer afternoons under the shadow q
q great horse chestnut in the old garden
Of the country home were always the
same absorbed small audience. The book
was chosen carefully the time was their
time stldiousIy chosen TO avoid Interrupt
ton and the roader-ab. what would
some Of the remnant Of that little gather
ing give 10 hear again that musical voice
and see the expression OF those tender
eyes. as foreboding evil for the hero, she
would close the book moment and say,
as of some living person: Children, /
am afraid he is going 10 tell lie to save
himself from punishment"
1 should inevitably be supposed to eXag-
gerate if / were TO speak as strongly as
appreciation OF anxiety. expressed with
ont any attempt 70 make personal appi-
cation. To save ones self by lying. 20
take mean advantage. 10 do a selfish NJ
cruel thing. received such demonstration
a could never have been made 10y sermons
aud bald advice. Their quick perceptions
took "a clear impression when a boy with
name ana a career which made him
seem a reality. stood before them dis
honored ard despised.
Historical facts became. under the same
method. things On which they had a part,
Bloudel singing 10 find a hidden Occur d5
Lion. WAS q favorite play; KinE Arthur
throwing Excalibur into the lake. Alfred
letting tie cakes burn az the cotter S
FIRE. were as natural and easy diversions
70 these children. AT one hour. as tag and
hide and seek would be at another. They
were not strong ou dates and chronology
but they knew and lowed or hated the men
snd women who had stood foremost IN the
world from NerNes 10 Washington. and
they had their own daring and decided
opinions. often very diverse from those n
wiser judges as % the worthiness Of thcss
whose names came echoing down To them
"throuEh the corridors Of time be-
neve they aH-are better men and women
ard more capable az sound judgement
concerning themselves ard their neigh
bors because Of this use Of books and
reading IN their very early years
The care OF books Is also very lulsor-
taut item in a child's training That 7hcy
should neither he GeSsocd anfuny Tor
thrown down En- places vhc~e yhsy coull
BE- injured should be steadily required
nnd herond this that llor-nN,.I LOO