84 OiN READING. 



We believe that there are a few novels which deserve to be read. There 

 are some that stand eminent as works of genius : conveying historical 

 truth in a pleasing fo<m, without violating morality or shocking mod- 

 esty : giving vice its due punishment, and exposing its hideousness. — 

 The perusal of these at proper times, and under proper circumstances, 

 •may serve a good purpose, by cultivating some parts of the mind that 

 more rigid studies do not call into exercise, and giving a more genial 

 tone to the whole literary character. They may be profitably contem- 

 plated as works of art, as productions of genius, whose right study will 

 contribute to the cultuie of the imagination, a faculty of the soul as 

 much wordiy of education as the intellect, or pure reason. 



For the great mass of works, however, that bear the names of novel 

 or romance — and the remark holds good especially of those of most 

 modern date — the furnace would be the fittest receptacle. Many of 

 them are mere trash in a literary view, and exceedingly immoral, and 

 profane. Those which bear the marks of genius are sad monuments 

 of wasted talent. They are decoys to ruin. They have doubtless led 

 many poor souls to the gates of hell. 



But we are now chiefiy concerned with the effects, which an indul- 

 gence in novel reading produces on the intellect. These are most un- 

 liappy. Such indulgence begets a diseased state of mind, which impairs 

 the mind's energy and unfits it for vigorous exertion. It gives a forced 

 hothouse growth to the fancy and imagination, whUe the reasoning pow- 

 ers are left to wither, or live a stinted life. It forms and strengthens 

 that evil craving after excitement, to which allusion was made in our 

 first article, and which renders every thing irksome that does not min- 

 ister to its wants. It forms the habit of careless reading. The novel 

 reader reads for amusement. He seldom stops to criticise the style, to 

 weigh the sentiment, or examine the argument. He looks only for ac- 

 tion. He watches the countenance, he follows the steps of the hero; 

 and often, in this highly wrought excitement, his eye skims along page 

 after page, without a single thought, or rather without really ///r/jA'n?^-. — 

 And if in the midst of his anxious pursuit after the development and 

 catastrophe, some pages of reflection, or information, or anything of a 

 more serious nature, and worth perhaps all the rest of the volume, in- 

 tervene — he does not deign to look at these, or passes them carelessly 

 by, and looks eagerly for his hero to come again before his view, and 

 strut his hour upon the stage. 



Thus is there produced not only a distaste for more solid and use- 

 ful works, which will almost prevent (heir j)erusal ; but also a habit of 

 reading superficially — of rcaduig without thought., which is most mischiev- 



