Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-10
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I: brochure, FREE, sealed: inciose cents for :
!. postage. Treats on Exhausted Vitality, {
EDITORS NOTE M sSF e yfnss as
:: fixed fact, and it will remain 80. 1t is as =
!: Tie Peabody Medical institute has many 4
j: imtators. but no equals.-Boston Herald. i.
4 X X X X X X x x X X X
tues&sat If
is proud of it's housing in the ancient
Quincy mansion, and observes that !
1.-The skyscraper has not yet become
the sacred emblem of America, nor has i
it been proved that the vortex of the |
mob is the best place wherein to OBJ |,
serve and comment upon the growth OF /
our civilization" And he adds concern |
ing its outlook on Boston Common that
mo magazine that has the Shaw
Memorial before its windows can
be quite Indifferent to human
liberty, or be persuaded that COM
mercial supremacy is the noblest idea
of an American citizen
! Concerning books for children George
Bernard Shaw is Enthusiastically
tart. He declares that he never re-
members a time when he did not read
everything that came in his way Il
seem to have been born" he says with
"a knowledge of the Ancient Mariner
and John Gilpin.' He adds: Chill
dren's books. from the accused Swiss
Family robinson onward, l always
lloathed and despised for their dis
honesty. their hypocrisy, their sickiy
immortality, and their damnable dull
ness. My moral sense, like my literary
taste, was sound"
Many thoughtful people, conscious
of the strong formative influence of
books. have been trying of late to find
out what boys and girls are reading.
Librarians have been asked for sta
tistics, and school superintendent have
been Piled with questions. In view of
this public interest word of personal
observation may not be untimely,
writes a school teacher I'VE cannot
form any reasonable conclusion about
their reading without taking into ac-
count the ease with which books are
lobtainable. 1t is an undisputed fact
that fifty years ago young children al
most invariably read Pilgrims
Progress. The reason is not far to
seek. The child was in search of his
birthright-a story. Although chill
dren's books We're scarcely to be found,
he demanded life, real or imaginary,
which lay outside his own limited per-
sonal experience. He did not bother
the allegory, and the allegory, with
'leQual good breeding, forbore to bother
him. Today real fairy books may be
had almost for the asking, and as re-
lsult the nine-year-old child who of his
Town free will has chosen to read Pill
erim's Progress is almost curiosity.
IClosely akin to the effect OF the num-
Der of books upon the pupils choice is
the effect of the outward dress of the
volume. Boys and girls have been
taught to like attractively bound and
printed books. They like also better
to read the books about which every
body is talking. -Four or five years
ago Rudyard kiplings short stories
We're scarcely more popular among
laduits than among boys and girls.
Just now they are reading historical
romances. How far the older person
may ir wisdom interfere with the
youths Independent exercise of judg
!ment is a matter worthy of considera-
ton. 1t is questionable whether the
free Wanderings through libraries so
highly spoken of for our grandfathers
would be of equal advantage to our
Town boys and girls. Our libraries con-
tain a wide list of good books, many
weak books, and, unluckily, certain
lreally pernicious books DR.. G. Stan
ley Hall says: Every young person
Should before leaving school have eX-
perienced the charm of freely ranging
through q library of solid, substantial
books When our libraries are all
| solid and substantial we may trust
our boys and girls to range through
them. Until such time it is the gen-
Ieral view that the best results are OBJ
tanned by means of moderate amount
of supervision. In accordance with
this belief. most of our high schools
have compiled, in recent years, sup
Elementary lists of books for the home
use of the pupil, when desirable We
frequently make the mistake of ex-
lpecting too mature an interest III
books. The young student prefers life
to CONGRATULATIONS; for this reason he
seldom enjoys to the full the essays on
| life which are the delight of his elders.
We can put into the hands of our
boys and girls books that are really
literature. the great thoughts which
| they will never feel in after years that
they wasted time in reading. Let their
books. like their pictures, be of the
sort that they viii not outgrow. We
can learn. Furthermore, to be patient
with them if they reject the stories that
they are pleased to call dull and for
several years choose to read and possess
tales of adventure and knghtly doings.
Let us remember that they are living
| in the age of romance, garnering up
stores of brave deeds and loyal
| thoughts that may be an inspiration |
| through the years to come"
RumorS are current at Madison that |
work VIII be resumed on the new pulp |
mill of the Great Northern Paper Co., |
in March. The work was stopped in |