The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07
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lei Western man in New York a
S4k few years ago, 81 stopped at
Ic&T3bl Leggett's. 1 picked up an old
- volume which proved to be my
dear old second reader. 1t cost 10 cents.
and that night 1 obtained 50 worth from
the volume"
Among all shabby books picked up from
dusty outdoor boxes at old book shops.
there are none OF greater interest to the
book-loving man or woman than old school
readers. Just now. when old schoolbooks
of various kinds are in demand for the
exhibit of such relics TO be made at the
St. Louis fair. all old school readers take
on increased value. The evolution of the
American school reader-even If fragmen-
tary, as deduced from the patchwork evil
dence of battered odd volumes-should be
a matter OF general interest In one hum
dred years most curious changes have be-
fallen the art of instruction in what has
been termed THE browning grace of edu-
cation" In 1895 Lindley Murray, the noted
English grammarian, compiled at Hold
gate. near York, England. three school
readers. deliberately entitled 1.-THE Introduce
ton of the English Reader" 1.-The English
Reader and THE Sequel to the English
Reader" The latter volume C'Thomas
thumbed old brown book. with half-soled
hand-stitched leather back. evidently the
work of some village cobbler. It's brown
and yellow leaves are not illustrated; and
it's duIlness of contents as childs reader.
Is almost incredible. One hundred and
forty-eight pieces in Prose and pieces
in Poetry are classified cumbrously as
narrative pieces, didactic pieces, argu-
mentative pieces. descriptive pieces, pa
thetic pieces, dialogues. public speeches and
promiscuous pieces" One pities the help
less little English boys and girls who had
to stagger through such reading lessons as
Religion, the Foundation of Content"
"The Benefits of Christianity" 1.-THE Char
acter of Martin Luther" or such poems
as "a Night Piece on Death and THE
Vanity of Human Wishes" Elegant and
Correct" indeed, were Blair, Hume, DR..
Johnson, Dodd and Doddridge but not
necessarily entertaining educational to
young children. Murray's English readers
treated strictly of English themes. Benja-
min franklin being the only American
author admitted in those gloomy pages:
but it is refreshing there to encounter the
Earl of Chatham's resounding phrase: Il
know that the conquest of English-Amer-
lea is an impossbility. You cannot, my
lords. you cannot conquer America"
Baltimore in 1905 put forward a unique
reading bOok-"The American Heroes"-a
collection of the lives of remarkable and
eminent men who have contributed to the
discovery the settlement and the indie
pendence of America-calculated for the
use of schools" This well-scuffed yellow
leather volume-A Mltenberg Printer
presents sketches of Columbus. the Cabots.
James Carter, Walter Raleigh, John Smith.
John Robinson. George Calvert. William
Penn. Benjamin Franklin, General Charles
Lee. Israel Putnam. David Rittenhouse
and George Washington. Murrays En-
glish readers were reprinted I'm America
until 1915. even unto the ninth edition; but
their English tone and heavy contents did
not satisfy American educators. In 1923
the Rev. John Pierpont, of Boston, COM
piled 1.-THE American First Glass Book
now also rare old brown leather-back
precious particularly to New England eyes.
This volume OF clear type and good margins
contains 200 reading lessons-also classified
as "didactick. pathetick. ETC." but specially
designed TO give to the American youth
examples of the best prose and verse of
his native land and not obnoxious 10 COM
pIaint' on the ground of politics; repub-
The best authors OF England and America.
under John Pierpont's keen scent for good
literature. make a volume still notable for
its excellence. q. w. Sprowle's book.
price, SD. Selections from current publica-
TONS foreign and American. appear in this
Did school reader, but fervid American pa
triotism is the keynote of the compilation
In 1875 Boston also produced 1.-The His
torical Reader" another quaint little leath-
er-back (''Andrew Bills: His BookO ''for
the use OF schools and families, on a new
plan," the title page states. The author,
The Rev John LAuris Blakely, with naive
audacity, announced that he annexed no
authors names 10 the reading lessons, be-
cause, in many instances. he had seen fit 10
alter the phraseology of the selections
Three hundred pages OF historical readings
begin with THE Creation and end with an
Address to the Deity and twelve crude
put interesting wood cuts range from the
United States capitol TO Solomon's Temple.
The spirit OF liberty pervades the little
plump book. and human slavery is ener-
teticaIly denounced in many lessons The
High School reader OF 1872 was also pub
ished by the Rev. J. 5. Blakely. who was
principal OF a Literary Seminary" In
his book Is palpably exhibited some an
.ient Bostonian religious war. its preface
claims for the compilation. perhaps not
so much literary excellence in other
particulars. more elevated ground than
ZONE other Boston readers" To uphold
which claim less than fifty clergymen
lppear as authors OF selections presented
n the contents. Another curious old read
Is THE Political Class Book also OF