Year: 1873




fishing the following article, addressed
to Rev. A. w. Young, President Teach
ers' Association, Giles county, Tenn.
ssTHE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
SIR-Last week I addressed you al
article concurring in your adoption o.
Venable's Arithmetic and Algebra
Prof. Holmes History of the United
States, Carter's Elements of History
and Maury's Biographies. Upon your
recommendation they are in oul
Schools to the pleasure of teacher:
and profit of pupils. deem the ques-
ton settled as to them, for to make
another change would benefit none but
publishers, and would be heavy tax
on schools so recently supplied. The
contest, then, is between the Readers


All teachers are familiar with the
fact that the reading hour is the most
important of the day-especially to
the smaller children, even to those too
small to read: they receive by hearing
even a deeper impression than the
readers. To those little ones, Reading
is the chief meal of the day, and we
should see to it that they are supplied
with wholesome food-not fed on
"black broth" and pumpkin pie, -
while their hungry palates are clamor-
ing for nectar and ambrosia.


The former communication stated a
truth known to all who have examin-
ed) that the generous viands once pre-
pared for this section, have been pollu-
ted by the foul touch of the Harpies-
l had almost written Harpers. ra


The line of operations has been en-
tirely changed since the Trojans slash
ed their swords against the impervi-
Gus feathers of those ill-omened birds,
and listened to the startling prophecy
that they would never found a city till
famine forced them to eat the very
tables off which they fed. They no
longer resist attacks upon their filthy
food; but by the mostskillful strategy
they allure the unwary to partake of
their mess of fixed meats. Insatiate
flockl They flap their wings, the foul
feathers fill the auttering air with notes
of discord and death, and toe say what
noble birds-how brilliant their plum
age, and how sweet their song!


The old dishes have been defled-
and the new ones are full of poison.


Look, if you please, at these new
candidates for your favor, "Willson S
Readers rs"-published by Harper 4
Bros, New York. They ask your con-
sideration on account of literary mer-
it, adoption, and the popular plea
freedom from sectio1salism. A beauti-
full platform, which surely Southern
teachers should not hesitate to adopt.
| commenced to examine these books
with the hope of enjoying feastwhere
there would be no deaths head at the
board. A few sips of the wine con-
vinced me-"There's poison in the
BOWL"


The First Reader is a continued cat
echism, and by the time q child has
asked all the questions therein contain
ed, his curiosity will be sufficiently
aroused for us to entertain a hope that
the little fellow may develop into a
modern wide awake" man, fit to walk
the Boston common.


Read the exhortation from the Third
Reader, to the study of pictures. How
plainly good pictures speak to us !
How much they show How much
they teach US, if we will study them
well They tell a whole story at once;
and they tell it in such manner that
it interests us. They tell the story, so
that we see it as we'll as read it, and
what we see we do not easily forget. "


Take the Second Reader: Entered
according to Act of Congress in the
year 1860" Turn to page 30, lesson
VIII, Crossing the Brook Look at
that picture. | wish | could draw it
for the admiration of those whom | do
not wish to buy the book. Pretty ;
isn't it? The ugliest sort of stout
white man astride the back of one of
the oppressed, to be carried across a
brook for fear of getting his feet ioeti !
Note well directions for taking the
dose: Would you like to cross a
brook that way? Or would you rather
wade across? Do you think both these
men are white? Which is black? Do
you think the white man will fall /?
Does he look afraid If the black
man should fall, the white man would
fall too, and then both would get wet.
The white man might get hurt too.
Do you think the water in the brook is
deep? Do you think it is deep enough
to drown the men if they should fall ?
Why do you think it is not very deep?
Because, if it were very deep the man
would not try to wade across. 1t is a
warm country where those men are,
We can tell by the Palm tree. (See
picture.) Palm trees do net grow in
this country"


Palm trees do not grow in this
country!" And, yet, at the very time
the book was compiled, we were told
that E PlariJms Ullunt should be the
morning song and vesper hymn from
the Atlantic coast to the Pacific wave
from Northern boundaries to South
ern shores. Motto march to that music
was treason that cried to Heaven.


Wishing to know the moral effects
of this picture teaching, the cut was
shown to sweet little girl nine. years
old. She said, Hes mighty mean rid
ing on that negro J" utc


Teach the children, Sir, that that was
the style, "suO nlore," in which South
Carolina gentlemen used to cross
brooks


Then turn to page 77, lesson XIII,
and instruct them in the modern mys-
teries of Making Pies"


Again, l would call your attention to
the picture and the attitude of the
actors.


Miss Mary has gone to the kitchen
to show Susan how to make pies. Do
YOU know which Miss Mary is? What
is She doing now? What is she hold
ing in her left hand2 What has she
in her right hand? What is she cut
ting off with the knife? She is cutting
off some of the dough which the pie
ernst is made of. Is Susan a white
woman? Do you think Susan is talk
ing now2 Does she look pleased
What do you think she is pleased
about? / think she is pleased because
Miss Mary has come down to the
kitchen to show her how to make pies.
Which has the biggest nose. Miss Mary
or Susan? Which has the thickest
l;nsP Do you see the young girl? Is
she white girl? Does she look Gny
IKE Susanf Do you suppose she
thinks her curls are pretty? What
has Susan on her head? Are her
arms as white as Miss Mary's? Is her
face as white? Are her hands black 7
Yes. but they are as clean as they
would be if they were white. What
is the little boy doing2 What kind Of
Ia;r has he +? Why does he open his
,nan,h so9 Can he see any better with