"THE STORY HOUR."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1347, 26 January 1912, Page 9

"THE STORY HOUR."

Tow things arc more delightful to the average child than to sit and listen whilst parent, teacher, or another "grown up" reads aloud from the enchanted pages of some favourite story book. Everyone who knows anything of children knows this, and knows, too, that even the child who is perfectly able to read for itself prefers to drink in a story with the cars rather than the eyes. Perhaps it is that the mental vision sees tlie pictures suggested by the words more easily when the physical eyes are at rest. Unfortunately, says "J'all SMI," however, "Ijeiag read to" is. a pleasure eujoved for the most part • only by tho children or folk in comfortable circumstanccs. Working-class parents, even if capable of performing the office intelligently, have generally too little leisure, or are too exhausted after the labours of the day are over, to be able to read to their children. For the children of the poor, therefore, this must remain a delight unknown, unless somo outside agency steps in to supply the reader. In one grey, cheerless district of South London, it is good to know, such an agency has been at work. At the Southwark Central Library, Walworth Road, at the very centre of one of the most poverty-stricken districts of t.ho Metropolis, there has been instituted a "Story Hour," held evory Wednesday evening during the winter months, and free to every child who cares to attend. Two readings are given. From Bto 0.30 the reading is always a fairy tale, and children of all ages may attend. The second reading, commencing at heven o'clock and continuing till 7.110 or after, is for lioys over twelve, and is generally from a popular tale of adventure or a school story, re-ad serially from week to week.' Tho popularity of this "Story Hour" is beyond all question. The readings aro not advertised, save by announcements at the library, but the reading-room is often filled to its utmost capacity. Last winter the altondancea totalled over 5000. It is a sight to do tho heart good, on a cold winter evening, to see tho crowd of youivgsters, poorly clad, silent and attentive to the reading of some old favourite tale of childhood. No attempt is made at direct instruction. Tho aim and object of tho readings is to provide for these little ones a delight which more fortunate brothers and sisters in happier circumstances have provided for them ut home. Yet, undoubtedly, instruction of the highest typo is imparted by tho creation of a taste for ail that is best in children's literature. Jfany of those who attend the "Story Hour" probably never opened a book of their own inclination before tho readings gave them a glimpse of fairyland, but now they take out library tickets and borrow books for homo reading. Incidentally, .those-who read to the children have gained much insight into the kind of books which appeal to the slum child oncc his or lior taste for reading has been awakened. Generally it is supposed that a boy scorns fairy tales after he renches the ago of ten, but at the Soutlnvark. Library lads of twelve or fourteen listen with as keen an interest as those of seven or eight to tho reading of a tale by Grimm or Andersen. It may be noted, too, that the children of all ages like the fairy tales to be of tho good old-fashioned sort, with giants and fairies and strange enchantments. _ • Of tlic books read to the older children it is found that those with a distinctly modern setting are most popular. For the scene of an adventure story t'ley prefer—in the order named—Smith Africa, the South Seas, Australia, North or South America. Any powder "in the jam t.hey are keen to detect and resent, yet descriptions of mechanical appliances or experiments, details of how to do things—from cutting up a whalo to cleaning a gun or breaking in a horse— will be followed with close attention. For the rest, the hoys demand that tho stories read to them should contain plenty of "movement"—scenes of plucky action, occasional "blugginess," and a spice of humour. The humour, however, must be obvious and of tho rough-and-tumble kind. Of any love-making they are openly scornful.