450 PLAIN FACTS FOE OLD AND YOUNG 



Sentimental Books. — The majority of girls love 

 to read, but, unfortunately, the kind of literature of 

 which they are often fond is not of a character which 

 will elevate, refine, or in any way benefit them. Story- 

 books, romances, love tales, and religious novels con- 

 stitute the chief part of the reading-matter which 

 American young ladies greedily devour. We have 

 known young ladies still in their teens who had read 

 whole libraries of the most exciting novels. 



The taste for novel-reading is like that for liquor 

 or opium. It is never satiated. It grows with gratifi- 

 cation. A confirmed novel-reader is almost as difficult 

 to reform as a confirmed inebriate or opium-eater. 

 The influence upon the mind is most damaging and 

 pernicious. It not only destroys the love for solid, 

 useful reading, but excites the emotions, and in many 

 cases keeps the passions in a perfect fever of excite- 

 ment. The confessions of young women who were te 

 all appearance the most circumspect in every particu- 

 lar, and incapable of vile thoughts, have convinced ug 

 that this evil is more prevalent than many, even of 

 those who are quite well informed, would be willing 

 to admit. 



By reading of this kind, many are led to resort to 

 self -abuse for the gratification of passions which over- 

 stimulation has made almost uncontrollable. Some 

 have thus been induced to sin who had never been 

 injured by other influences, but discovered the fatal 

 secret themselves. Mothers cannot be too careful of 

 the character of the books which their daughters read. 

 Every book, magazine, and paper should be carefully 

 scrutinized, unless its character is already well known, 

 before it is allowed to be read. In our opinion, some 

 of the literature which passes as standard, and is often 



