In 1913, a newspaper article encouraged families with young people to publish a home magazine, inspired by Our Magazine in The Golden Road.
Contents
Preamble
Make Children Write to Keep Them Bright
Notes
Bibliography
Image Credit
Preamble
In her sixth novel, The Golden Road (1913), L.M. Montgomery continued the story begun in The Story Girl, in which adult narrator Beverley King looks back on an idyllic summer spent on a Prince Edward Island farm with his brother and their extended family members while his father’s away on business. In the opening chapter of The Golden Road, Beverley suggests that the group of young people start a monthly periodical—soon called Our Magazine—as a way to pass the time through the winter. While some of his cousins express reluctance at first, they soon come on board with enthusiasm and determination, even though many of them seem ill-suited for the departments they are charged with running. Consequently, the rest of the book includes several excerpts from this magazine.
Barely a month after the publication of this novel, Cleveland’s daily newspaper the Plain Dealer published an article that made reference to these events in The Golden Road. In doing so, the article recommended that large families follow the characters’ example and create their own periodical. Although some of the details about the book are inaccurate—and although the article forgets to mention that Montgomery’s book was a work of fiction—what matters is that this article, subsequently reprinted at least twice, sees the characters’ efforts at writing as valuable models for real young people to follow.
Make Children Write to Keep Them Bright
“Make Children Write to Keep Them Bright,” Plain Dealer (Cleveland), 20 September 1913, 7. Also, with minor variations and as “‘Make Children Write to Keep Them Bright,’” in Minneapolis Journal, 23 September 1913, 15. Also, with minor variations and as “‘Make Children Write to Keep Them Bright,’” in Detroit Free Press, 25 October 1913, 13.
If you (a) have a large family of growing boys and girls; if you (b) are one of a large family of growing boys and girls; if you (c) know anybody who has a large family of growing boys and girls; or if you (d) know anybody who is one of a large family of growing boys and girls——
Here is a suggestion. It is guaranteed to make long autumn and winter evenings pass (a) quickly, (b) with pleasure, and (c) with profit.
Start a Home Magazine.
The King family did it, and L.M. Montgomery tells all about it in “The Golden Road.” The members of the King family were bored; frankly, they didn’t know what to do with themselves. And then the Story Girl had a brilliant idea. The others scoffed at it at first, at least, the more skeptical did. “I don’t think it will be much of a newspaper if it isn’t printed,” said Dan, scornfully, but after they got down to work in earnest all doubts quickly disappeared.
Dan, who was inclined to be careless in such matters as slamming doors and tracking mud on carpets, was put at the head of the etiquet [sic] department. Peter Craig, who was much too matter of fact, edited the fiction department. Cecily, the most timid of them all, wrote every month on adventure, and Felicity, a questionable cook, had charge of household hints. Felix, sober and morose, did funny paragraphs.
The plan worked and the Home Magazine flourished despite its circulation of one. It was lots of fun and (note to parents) instructive. Can a young man write for ten months about etiquet and still persist in slamming doors?
Notes
“I don’t think it will be much of a newspaper if it isn’t printed.” GR, 4.
Cecily, the most timid of them all, wrote every month on adventure. Beverley urges Cecily to be fashion editor (GR, 7).
Felicity, a questionable cook. Felicity is in fact highly skilled as a cook, and when Beverley assigns her the household column, he assures her that “nobody can do that as well as you” (GR, 7).
Bibliography
Montgomery, L.M. The Golden Road. Boston: L.C. Page and Company, 1913.
Image Credit
Detail from the frontispiece image appearing in the original edition of L.M. Montgomery’s The Golden Road, published by L.C. Page and Company in 1913. The following caption appears below the image: “Sara Stanley wore a smart new travelling suit and a blue felt hat with a white feather.”
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