Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-09-08
UNCLE SANS
READING CIRCLE;
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

Continued From Editorial Page.l
gram of study and write an essay. as
'the faculty"
Courses in Literature
The governmental course in litera-
ture, as outlined at present, is divided
into ten parts
The Great Literary Bibles.
A Reading Course for Parents
Masterpieces of the Worlds Litera-
ture.
Miscellaneous Reading for Boys.
Miscellaneous Reading for Girls.
Thirty Books of Great Fiction.
Some of the Worlds Heroes.
American Literature.
Biography.
History.
In this manner 1t is planned to cover
practically all phases of the subject.
commencing with the books which are
generally conceded to form the bull
warks of literature-"great literary
Bibles" DR.. Claxton calls them-and
gradually working down through the
various subdivisions. 1t is the aim
OF the government to make these
courses so complete that anyone who
ConScientiously follows them will have
full knowledge of what is best in the
libraries of the world. In this manner
1t will be possible for the inhabitants
of the most out-of-the-way sections
OF the country to be as well versed in
the literature of the world as are those
more fortunate persons who have easy
access to the great libraries.
The books recommended for study
by the government may be obtained
from nearly anv book store and can
easily be sent by mail For the bene-
Mt of those who do not know where
to apply, the government will under
6nci cd
and ship them on to the student.
Uncle Sam is most patient when deal
ing with the betterment of his people
Books Selected
The books selected to form the first
section of this study of literature are
the Iliad and Odyssey of Honor,
Dante's Divine Comedy; Shakespeare's
Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Macbeth,
Othello and Goethe's Faust
Each of these books, in the opinion
of DR.. ClaXton, is the embodiment and
revelation of the ideals of a race, an
age or a civilization. They came out
of the hearts and minds of the people,
for whom their authors were only the
spokesman They are therefore sim
pie, fundamental. comprehensive. They
appeal to the hearts and grip the
minds of all people, everywhere, Young
or old, learned or ignorant, of what
ever race or creed. They are broad
minded catholic books. Their authors
saw life steadily and saw it whole
These books, he says should be
read by all who would know the
world best literature and life The
United States Bureau of Education
has, therefore, chosen them for its
first course in reading and it invites
all serious minded men and women TO
join this, it's first National Reading
Circle, the members of which will
undertake to read each of these books
a fuFiN NIrifh
years.
Masterpieces of the Worlds Litera-
ture," intended as a supplementary
course for those who have read the
literary Bibles" includes the Books
of Job, Isaiah and Deuteronomy,
Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound, Vir-
giPs Aeneid, the NibelungenIeid, Don
Quixote, several of the plays of Mol
iere and Millions Paradise Lost. The
vide range of these selections and
the different period~ covered by them
WILL in the opinion of the officials of
the Bureau of Education, broaden the
minds and freshen the outlook of ali
who read them with care and atten-
ton.
Course For Parents
In selecting the books which make
up the Reading Course for Parents
Uncle Sam has solicited the assistance
of Miss Ellen c. Lombard, secretary
of the Home Education Division of the
Bureau of Education. and an author
ity on practical works which would
naturally fall under this part of the
general course. The resultant list in
cludes many books which will be of
interest to all parents.
The volumes deal with practical
motherhood, marriage and the sex
problem, the development of children
the care of babies. domestic science
and number of bulletins issued by
the Department of Agriculture dealing
with canning, preserving and agricuI-
tural clubs.
But 1t is in the course that deals
With the worlds greatest fiction that
the most pronounced interest has been
shown. There are undoubtedly lots of
people interested in the pr0blems of
parenthood and many others who de-
sire to ground themselves in the lit
erary classics, but the appeal of these
Two courses is far from being univer-
sal. on the other hand, everyone likes
good story, well told. and the great
majority of the students already en-
rolled in Uncle Sans university have
) made anxious inquiries concerning
the sixth course. The list of thirty
volumes, just completed, will doubt
less lead to a great demand for these
works at libraries throughout the
country.
one could not we'll imagine a more
catholic selection than that made by
the government officials With the