INFLUENCE OF MODERN LITERATURE.
By C. M. S.
Something of the influence which a certain class of modern light literature is bound to have upon those who read it, both young and old, may be judged from the following truthful statement of G. Bernard Shaw, of London, in describing the way in which modern novel writers do their work. Mr. Shaw says:— "They write in town at night. First they poison themselves with alcohol and tobacco, drinking and smoking at their dinner; then they go into their studies, draw the blinds, turn on the light, and work. The consequence is that almost all of modern literature is drunken. The taint of tobacco, of wine, of meat-eating runs right through it." And the worst of it is that they who read it are sure to be tainted by it. The writer increases the number of his kind by the contact of his poisoned brain with that of the one who reads his work. The general trend of a great deal of modern literature is toward the light, trivial, and trashy. Modern published songs, with but few exceptions, are on a level with the light literature of the day. Silly, sentimental songs, and songs that press close to the border of vulgarity, have enormous sales, and are to be found at almost every music store, or are issued with the magazine sections of newspapers. The story that is not flavored with tobacco or wine is returned to the writer with a gentle hint that it be enlivened with a bottle of champagne, or that he permeate it with the aroma of a fragrant Havana cigar. These suggestions are made in deference to the wishes of the tobacco and liquor companies, whose advertisements appear in the journals or magazines. The thoughtful recognize that there is a letting down all along the line, and, sad to say, the least moral books are the most rapid sellers. The following colloquy, which took place in a Chicago news store, is an illustration of this fact:— "‘This is one of the literary successes of the year,’ the book-store salesman said, handing out another volume.
‘Is it suitable for young persons to read?’ asked the customer.
‘Well, no, ma’am. Our most popular books, you know, seldom are.’" There is nothing that will enable one to stem this tide of degenerate reading matter like having the mind filled with the Word of God. Cultivate a taste for the pure food which that Book contains, and the great mass of highly-seasoned, intoxicating substitutes for food will lose their ability to tempt the mental appetite. The child should be taught to love it. If his mind is filled with it, the trash of the present day will be far less likely ever to taint his brain, and crowd out his desire to learn of heavenly things.
C. M. S.