The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1910-03-25
PLEA FOR LIBRARY.
Rev. Bacon Makes Plea for Larger Library
at the Public school.

at the Public school.
| Most parents in Grenada pay some
attention to the associates of their chill
dren-to the company they keep; more,
perhaps, to what their children eat, but
are many careful about what is READ?
BY the way, what do the children and
young people of Grenada read any way,
and where do they get it?
There is neither library, a reading
room nor book store in the town, so
far as | know. There seems to be pro-
vision made here for we'll nigh all else
except the wholesome diversion of the
mind. We have-what shall we call it?
Not bucket shop, that isn't respectable
exactly: not an exchange, that is rath-
er too pretentious; for the diversion of
our finances. We have the bowling al
ley and the dance hall for the amuse-
ment of the young for the winter
months, and baseball for the summer.
But suppose one wants to give the
mind some diversion, what is to be
done?
Unfortunately the best literature is
not as cheap as the trashy sort, and
many are not able to purchase the best.
What are they to do? What are the
boys aud girls to do? They are going
to read something they ARE reading
something. The question is, shall they
read that which will make them better?
If so, where shall it be obtained?
Does it make no great difference
what they read? A single volume has
affected the whole current of a human
life. The inspiration of single book
has made preachers, poets, philoso-
pliers, authors and statesmen. On the
other hand the decentralization of sim
gle book has sometimes made infidels,
profligates and criminals.
Franklin declares that Cotton Math-
ers Essay to do Good" read when a
boy, influenced his whole life. The
Voyage of Captain Cook" made Will
liam Carey a foreign missionary.
Kempes' limitation of Christ" and
Holy Living and Dying" by Taylor,
largely determined the character of
John Wesley. l have seen it stated
that Archbishop Sharp once said,
Shakespeare and the Bible made me
Archbishop of York" On the other
hand a skeptical poem, read when
child of tender years, made Voltaire
one of the most subtle skeptics-aye,
the most blatant infdel of his country.
Jesse Pomeroy, known as the ''boy
murderer" acknowledged that he had
read many dime novels about scalping
and other bloody performances, and
that it was the influence of these books |
that put the horrid thought of murder
in his mind
Said Bishop Potter. cit is almost an
axiom that people will not be better
than the books they read" We can no
more escape the influence of what we
read than we can escape the influence
of the air we breathe" says Marden.
Then isn't it worth the while of the
citizens of Grenada to provide good,
interesting books for the
young people of the town?
Let US have large library of wisely
selected books in our public school.
Since the new annex is completed there
is room set aside for library, where
the books may be carefully taken care
of, under lock and key. Let every citi-
zen in the town, who cares for the we'll
being Of the boys and girls of Grenada,
enter enthusiastically into any move
ment that may be made to put wisely |
selected books in the library Of the
public school for the use of the children |
Of the town.