The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-31
BOOKS FOR
 YOUR GIRL
BY MRS. McCUNE.


 S from childish books to full
 fedged novels. Everyday, happy little stories of girls and boys lose their point, and her whole heart is set on reading love stories. She looks for the "seven-day" book on the shelf of the free library, confident that II her search is rewarded she will dis cover a best seller" which she nat urally thinks must be good
 Teach her that the latest book is not necessarily the besh The passion that possesses us, in this century, for the new things, stirs in her also, and it will take all your tact and mother love to convince her that not the read ing of the latest fiction, but the books that build character and lead to whole some thought make an educated woman, whether the books are hun dreds of years old or fresh with the printers ink.
 There is really nothing wrong in your daughters longing for love story. Mothers, you should call to mind the days when you read "Chil- dren of the Abbey" in snatchy sections, when your mothers were not about. You will not acknowledge that this book did you any harm. Your daugh- ter craves for the same love element in her books as her mother did, and you and she are right. As you were led, years ago, so she, now, follows a natural and beautiful instinct. All that she needs is guidance, and this is what ysu can give her.
 Romantic stories will teach her to distinguish between the ideal love and the puppy demonstration so much en- joyed by the coarser-fibered girl at this period. Every tale proves that the prince is faithful to his princess. He perseveres in the face of difficulties and dangers, in order to win the lady of his dreams The same plot winds through each love story, though the de- tails are changed.
 As almost everything that is good in our literature takes love for it's theme, how can you attempt to keep it away from your growing girl? You may de- fend yourself by saying that she is too young to comprehend it. How can this be. so when she naturally turns, at this age, to the story of love? If you will not sanction the reading of these books, she will devour them on the sly; and the worst of this method is that, because of her immature judg- ment, she is apt at the best to pick out a mawkish, sentimental book with sug- gestions cf treachery, jealousy and evil plots, which will fill her mind with wrong ideas of what makes a womanly girl And you will have accomplished what you were trying to avoid.
 Make companion of your girl, espe- cially at this age Read the books to- gether, that you may experience the joy of exchanging opinions. It will give you one more thing in common, which means stronger hold upon her real life. If she has already begun reading trash. suggest the more read able of tho list. Once you can prove to her that you know of some good books, be sure she will be glad to ac- cept your choice.
 Following is list of books which almost any growing girl can read, though it may be limited at the discre- tion of the mother who can measure her own daughters development:
 Marjorie Daw," Aldrich; "The Choir Invisible" Allen; Molly Make Believe" Abbott; "Fraulein Schmidt
 
 and Prejudica,s Austen; "Standish of Standish," Austin; Helmet of Ma varre." Bash; Bow of Orange Ribbon, D Barr; Lorna Doone," BlackmoIe; i; Maiden of Maiden Lane," Barr; "Jane Eyre" Bronte; "Villette," Bronte; "The Crisis" Churchill; Richard Car vel" Churchill; "Thelma," Corelli; John Halifax, Gentleman" Craik; "1n the Palace of the King" Crawford i; Princess Aline," Davis; Awakening of Helena Richie" and "The Iron Wo- man," Deland; David Copperf1eld. D Dickens; Janice Meredith" Ford <; First Violin," Fothergill; "The Broad Highway" and "The Amateur Gentle man," Faronol; Trail of the Lonesome ESne" aIA Little Shep%erd of King dom Come" Fox; "The Battleground,' ' 61aaaow: "ThA Cardinals SnnffAox' '