The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-17
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAskN, Director.
WashinGton, ID. c.
HOMER IN THE HOME.

shade of Shakespeare, of Homer, or
of any of the other immortals ever
wants to know what the twentieth
century thinks of his works, he can
find out by referring to the filed re-
ports of 1900 average Americans
who are pursuing the home-reading
courses of the Bureau of Education.
There are seventeen of these courses
but fully three-fourths of the gov
ernments readers are registered for
the course in classical books. This
fact might pleasantly thrill the au
-thors of the classics, for If they keep
up with the times. they must notice
that the dust is more apt to gather
on their Immortal works than on the
novels of Robert W. Chambers and
Ethel NJ. Dell.
The immortals would doubtless be
pleased with the comments on their
art. Most OF the readers record their
impressions in terms flowery and flat
ering, and in the respectful tone pre-
scribed for one who speaks of 1.-The
classics"
Now and again, however, a more
daring mortal departs from adjectives
idea into a report. Such a one is the
young woman who thinks that the last
chapter of Homer's Had must have
been lost before it got to the printers
because the fate of Troy and that of
Priam are only vaguely explained.
1t is hard to say, what Shakespeare
would think of the reader who thinks
it interesting to compare the insanity
of Hamlet with that of Ophelia. May
be he would say carelessly, well, per-
haps I did mean Hamlet to be crazy
but I forget now. You see. I-or was
it Bacon have written many
plays.
Little Originality.
The great majority of impressions
inspired by the classics are moaoto-
r1e0 tfcTxr "a h a 0f hn d.
ers seem to be porting over antique lit
erature for the unholy joy of unbur-
dening a philistine soul in q, scathing
report. The Home Reading Division
would certainly not accept any report
written in slanderous vein. On the
other hand, it does feel that the Amer
lean public is prone to put on a fixed
attitude of mind, a sort of pious preju-
dice, when it opens a classic. This
precludes any unbiased or original
thinking.
IF people would only take up these
books as if they had never heard of
them" said Miss Ellen Lombard, d.
rector of home reading. '1f the read
err would come to Shakespeare and
Milton with an open mind, he would
begin to like them for the qualities
which appeal to him, and not spend
his time trying to see what other peo-
pie have found
Still, Miss Lombard believes that
the courses, that they read thought
fully, and are sincere i'm their conven-
tiona1 admiration. All are reading the
recommended lists because it will add
to their knowledge and enjoyment.
Those who send in reports do so be-
cause it is required if they are to re-
ceive a certificate from the bureau on
completion of the course. Many more,
outside OF the 10000 now registered as
trying for certificates, send for the
outlines and read without making re-
ports.
Some of the governments readers
are children as young as nine and ten
years of age, some are over seventy.
Some are college graduates, and many
more never reached high school, The
children's reports are especially inter
esting. They are not yet oYerawed by
the fact that 'IVanhoe" or The Mer-
chant of Venice" is on the immortal
list. and they say what they think in
emphatic terms.
They All Look for Morals.
The greatest divergences of opinion
seem to be over Alice in Wonder
land" which is on the list of books
for girls. One girl of, thirteen thinks
the book is clever, but very odd and
queer. Another learned from it that
when people are out in the open air
they have good Dreams" A girl of
around ten thinks Alice a good enough
book for young children who like
fairy tales, but that it is not inter
testing for older children; while
fourth gathers a moral from Ahce's
adventures with magic bottles and
cakes and says at teaches me not to
be curious and to think before doing
things
The boys and girls almost invaria-
bly, twist a moral out of a story and
books existence. 'Evangeline"
teaches boy of thirteen that people
ought to be all kind to one another"
girl says of Little Women: 1T
has many things in it a girl could
learn I learned to be patient with !
children, and also learned many good
morals" The often repeated opinion
about Little women is that 'it is a
good book for girls to read
George Eliot's Mill on the Floss"
got plenty. never try to get more
A girl who has just finished The |
Furnishings of a Modest House" dis
covers that when furnishing a hons |
it is not the money that is needed as
much as the common sense"
A few boys and girls frankly state |
that they do Tot like a book. Dis
like is attributed mainly to too much |
description, tho in some cases the |
story is voted altogether dry. Few of |
marlin "a the points of the story or !
describing their impressions as re-
quired. Only one boy writes Col |
Pride and Prejudice') IT like this |
book but I can't tell why because |
don't know why
Mothers Are Studious.
Noluminous reports from the par
ents' reading course indicate careful |
study. In one California community |
$50 mothers banded themselves into !
a club and have met regularly for |
four years to read and discuss in turn |
each book on the parents course. If |
the mothers remember and practice |
all that they have read Of child well
rare, their children should be excep-
tionally healthy and happy.
The course for parents, started six |
years ago, was the beginning of the |
bureau of education home reading |