710 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



fcliow its colors, teacli tlic evils of iutcmporance and boldly proclaim 

 the liquor tralllc as i\w consuiiimalion of vice and ini(iui(y. If our 

 farmer jiirls i[uline to sewing and fancy work we WH)uld do well to 

 i»r()\ide them a magazine combining literature with decorative art. 

 There is every reason why our daughters should have the pleasure 

 of adding beauty to our homes as well as their city cousins. 



There are a great many good books, and opinions diller as to which 

 are the best; but as they are a child's preceptors we should be very 

 careful to choose only such as we know are morally pure. Let us 

 remember that the young mind is like a mirror, always reflecting 

 the thoughts held before it. 



A wise old book says: "The world is saved by the breath of school 

 children." How important then that we, the parents, do our part 

 to help make that breath sane, strong, and pure by supplementing 

 the school training with reading and instruction that will tend to 

 transform tlu' child into a noble man or woman. 



Then I wish we might take for granted that the Holy Bible is with- 

 out question in every home, the one book above all others. It belongs 

 there and we parents should see that its place is oot usurped. She 

 was a wise woman who in answer to the (piestion: "What books 

 shall my boy read?" closed the reply with these words: "Above all 

 teach him early to read and study with reverence the Holy Scrip- 

 tures, assured that if the law of God is in his heart, none of his steps 

 shall slide." 



In answer to the "cant" about prejudicing a child's mind by choos- 

 ing books and mapping out a course of reading for him, we say, why 

 not? We might ask: Does not the farmer prejudice his land in 

 favor of hay and grain? He does not leave it to chance of ragweed. 

 We see him going through his fields pulling out the cheat, or digging 

 up the plantain and dock. The prudent farmer is careful to plant 

 only pure, clean seed, and when cultivating takes pains to root out 

 and destroy all noxious weeds that if left would destroy his chance 

 of a good harvest. The ambitious farmer is ever vieing with his 

 neighbor in raising horses and cattle of the highest grade. He talks, 

 plans, and studies how best to improve the fertility of the soil and 

 bring his land to the highest possible state of cultivation. Why 

 shouldn't we plan and study how best to improve our own and our 

 childrens minds and bring them to the highest possible degree of 

 moral, intellectual and spiritual development, are they not of in- 

 finitely greater value than the farm and live stock? If we cannot 

 all afford to send our children to college or high school, we can at 

 least supply them with dictionary, encyclopedias, histories, reference 

 books, etc. Biographies of great and good men and women cannot 

 fail to encourage our young people to go and do likewise. Would 

 we have them build for themselves noble characters and lives of use- 

 fulness, we must furnish them suitable tools to work with. 



One W'ho has made a study of the farmer boy says: "Poetry and 

 standard works of fiction will do more to raise the head and shoulders 

 of the plodding farmer boy than plenty of money in his purse with- 

 out them." Many of the old books will always be new" and there 

 are many of later days that will never grow old, but hold their place 

 in the affections of each as generations come and go: Uncle Tom's 

 Cabin, Pilgrim's Progress, Ben Hur, Swiss Family Robinson, A Young 

 Macedonian, Tom Brown's School Days, The Golden Motto, Black 



