THE YOUTH'S INSTRUCTOR.
By C. Munroe
I FEEL heartily to endorse the sentiments of the "Address to those who are interested in the Youth's Instructor," found in Vol. III, No. 8, of the Review and Herald. I am glad to see something started for the benefit of our dear children; something that will be safe and salutary for them to read and study. I have seen as yet, I regret to say, no periodical designed for children and youth, such as it ought to be. True, good pieces may be found, but, after all, there is so much trash in them that the good is lost, and becomes powerless of reformation. The best of them savor of pride, vanity and worldliness. They abound with fables, fictions, conundrums, riddles, and so on. Such things, I call trash; consequently, poisonous trash, miserably adapted to feed and mature the youthful mind, or any other mind. If our dear children must have fables and puzzles to flatter their vanity, or gratify an idle curiosity, and waste precious time, let them find them in books or mouths that make no pretensions to heavenly things—no pretensions to mould the wayward minds of youth, and train them to virtue and religion here, and a life of holy and unending felicity hereafter. Thus to train and prepare our children, and youth, is a holy work, and requires holy instruments. Then, away with all trash, and give the dear, dying children the bread of life, pure and unadulterated, that they may eat and live for ever. Let parents, and all who can, take hold in good earnest, to aid in this blessed work. It is important. Let it not be delayed until it is too late. There is danger of this. In the meantime, let parents take care of their own souls also, that when called to give up their account, they may be prepared to say, "Here, Lord, are we, and the children thou hast given us." C. MUNROE.
Conway, Mass., 1852.