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WALKS ABOUT TOWN—NO. ITT. In our walks, we happened to glance at the County Library. It deserves nor the wave. It contains but a few old volumes. Are there not many reasons which should stimulate us to action—that should make us setter its con dition! We have given two reasons why we should have books within the reach of the young. First, it has a tendency to stop gos sipping, by furnishing themes for conversation? secondly, it prevents misconduct and the for mation of bad habits by affording more pleas ant employment. Boys who do nothing, are seldom found. If not usefully employed, they are active in doing evil. Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.” There is another reason which we hope will not pass unnoticed. There IS a class that will read. If they cannot have access to a good Library, they will read the twenty-five -cent, yellow backed novels that are afloat in our lam, producing results, not quite so directs yet no less disastrous, than the dram- -shop’ the card table and the brothel. Such reading unfits them for the arduous duties of life— They fall into a state of dreamless sleeping. They forget that “we must battle with our passions hand to hand”-that “ life is a struggles rough and rude, for the undying good.” This every day striving to live as immortal beings should live, is unknown to them. The charac ters of which they read, are represented as be ing so noble, so angelic, and in the and 30 successful, that they imagine Aladin’ s lnmp will be bestowed on them—that without any exertion of their own, they will be seated in palaces of glittering gold. They live in dream land—in an atmosphere of fiction, and the die mentally, morally, and spiritually. “ Truth is vitality, and if the mind be fed on poison, it must lose its power.” A novel-reader first becomes unwilling to make any mental effort, but very soon he is incapable. You may talk about reading novels as necessary to cultivate the imagination. [tis all nonsense. , «The imagination is refined by contemplating the true, the beautiful, the perfect and the sublime. Fiction presents to our view only distortions of these high attributes.’ There is enough real beauty and sublimity, if we would only open our eyes and look. The universe is beauty’s temple—we walk within its walls, amid its harmonies and wonders, and see them not, because we spend our time dreaming over the effusions of some sickly sentimentalist who has just sufficient genius to write a love tale. You condemn your neighbor because he permits his children to associate with the low and corrupt. Books are companions 5s) and you permit your children to keep in your own par lors associates, in the shape of books, too vile in their tendency to be tolerated in society. Take the beam out of your own eye, before you trouble the more in your neighbor's. You not only permit the youth thus to enfeeble their intellect, and corrupt their morals, but you compell them to do it, because you will not furnish them with better reading. A few weeks ago, an open-hearted, generous lad pro posed lending us two or three of his fiven or five cent tales. He had sone others, but he had lent them to Miss We thanked him for his kindness—tried to impress him with the importance of historical reading—and left his interesting literature. This is not the only case which might be mentioned. We might say much more on novel reading, its undulating effects on the heart—its ten dency to deaden the moral sensibilities—the impartial and confused views of historical e vents, which we obtain from the best (1) nov els. But we will cease for the present and wait till we walk into some parlor and describe the center table—its dust-covered Bible—its well worn navel s, c. We ' ve given some reasons why, we should encourage reading. ‘There are many others which we omit. The question now a rises how shall we obtain books. If the coun ty commissioners do their duty they will ap propriate seventy-five dollars per year to the county library. We ought also to contribute liberally to it. There are so many calls say you. We admit it and we commend your zeal for contributing for Missionary and other purposes, but we ask it not “he is worse than an infidel who provides not for his household ? r Have you asked yourself whether for have discharged your duty to your children, when you have supplied them with bread and meat? Tell me not that you have provided for your own household, when you have cared for their bodies, but have wo practer to provide for thei r immortal minds. Are there not meri this will give five dollars each? Will not some, who spend from five to ten dollars per year, for tobacco, give a portion of that sum! Can we find twenty-five who will give a dollar each! Many will give fifty cents, and others twenty-five. Ladies, who will carry the sub scription paper! If you do not give your in fluence, we will fail. With ¢ofraid, Success is sure. The young ladés, of a neighboring town, have determined that they will have a library—they have gone to work, and they will obtain it by their own exertion. You
Newspaper Details
Danville Weekly Advertiser
Danville, Indiana, US
Sat, Mar 12, 1853
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 21 Jun 2026
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