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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



papers, only a grade or two lower in 

 coarseness and vulgarity, as suits the 

 immature condition of mind to which 

 they are addressed. Prof. Sumner says 

 that "these papers poison hoys' minds 

 with views of life which are so base 

 and false as to destroy all manliness and 

 all chance of true success." But pray, 

 what are the " views of life " currently 

 set forth in our mature literature of the 

 widest circulation ? They are false, ex- 

 travagant, distorted, and misleading, to 

 the last degree. But, instead of being 

 condemned and forbidden, this litera- 

 ture is widely read and freely indorsed, 

 and, under the sordid inducements its 

 disseminators are able to offer, the tal- 

 ent of the country is at their dispo- 

 sal. How long is it since a journal, 

 whose blood-and-thunder stories had 

 pushed it into enormous circulation, 

 bought up statesmen, and litterateurs, 

 and clergymen, and presidents of col- 

 leges in dozens, who contributed their 

 perfunctory essays to be sandwiched 

 among the stupid clap- trap tales for 

 which the sheet was bought ? The 

 boys' newspapers have probably not 

 money enough yet to buy respectability 

 in this way, but with sufficient enter- 

 prise they may imitate this feature also. 

 Are we not told that newspapers must 

 suit supply to demand, that they are 

 made to sell and must be adapted to the 

 state of mind of their patrons and pub- 

 lish what people want to read ? how far 

 do the boys' newspapers deviate from 

 this primary requirement of a success- 

 ful press? Villainous caricatures in 

 family journals are mildly objected to 

 by some, but the aggrieved publishers 

 beg to know how else they are to 

 get an " enormous circulation." The 

 ideals of the boys' newspapers are 

 said to be low. What is the altitude 

 of the sporting ideals recognized by 

 popular newspapers? If the rich may 

 have their fun in horse-racing, and the 

 colleges may enjoy their rowing- 

 matches, how can the boys be much 

 censured for taking some interest in the 



prize-ring? A notorious bruiser, tired 

 of mauling his fellow-creatures, turned 

 black-leg and politician, giving alter- 

 nate attention to the gambling-den and 

 the Senate-chamber, and, when he dies, 

 the newspapers are overrun with mul- 

 tifarious discussions about him ! The 

 boys' papers will probably take up the 

 topic of Morrissey, and improve it in 

 their own way. Prof. Sumner said that 

 " this subject is of interest to the stu- 

 dents of social phenomena," and this 

 is our concern with it. But it is the 

 province of these students to consider 

 facts in their relations and mutual de- 

 pendencies. The boys' newspapers are 

 not isolated things; and they can be 

 condemned for no reasons that have 

 not a much further application. 



SEDGWICK ON THE "VESTIGES OF 

 CREATION." 



Adam Sedgwick was Professor of 

 Geology in the University of Cambridge 

 and President of the Geological Society 

 of London, and in an anniversary ad- 

 dress before that body, in 1831, he said, 

 " We have a series of proofs the most 

 emphatic and convincing that the ap- 

 proach to the present system of things 

 has been gradual, and that there has 

 been a progressive development of organic 

 structures subservient to the purposes of 

 life.'''' This is rank evolution, even for 

 to-day, though uttered forty-seven years 

 ago ! But in 1834 Dr. Sedgwick got a 

 fat and easy church sinecure, becoming 

 Prebendary of Norwich, which perhaps 

 accounts for the sour milk in the fol- 

 lowing cocoanut. In 1844 the reverend 

 geologist wrote to Macvey Napier, edi- 

 tor of the Edinburgh, Review, concern- 

 ing the " Vestiges of Creation," and 

 his letter contains the following pas- 

 sage, which is to be taken as represent- 

 ing the Norwich prebendary, rather than 

 the President of the Geological Society 

 who speaks in our previous quotation : 



" I now know the ' Vestiges ' well, and I 

 detest the book for its shallowness, for the 



