READ ALOUD MOVIE/BOOK REFERENCE

I was watching the classic movie I Remember Mama and was struck by the scene where the so-called "idle roomer," (Mr. Hyde) became blessing in disguise. He introduced the immigrant family to great literature by reading aloud each evening, and gave them his books when he left. Mama realized his gift was greater than the rent he owed. I looked up the book, Mama's Bank Account, and have quoted a passage here:

One night he (Mr. Hyde) began to read Dickens to us. Soon it became an accepted fact that after our homework was done, Mr. Hyde would bring down one of his books and read aloud. And strange new worlds were opened to us.

"They are like sagas," Mama said. "Wonderful."

After David Copperfield and The Old Curiosity Shop, Mr. Hyde gave us Shakespeare. He had a fine deep voice and sounded as we imagined a great actor would sound.

Even when the warm weather came we children didn't beg to go out in the evenings to play one-foot-off-the-gutter. I think Mama was glad; she never liked us running the streets.

Best of all, Nels went less and less to the street corner to hang around with the neighborhood boys. The night they got into trouble for breaking into Mr. Dillon's store Nels was home with us. He'd wanted to hear the last chapter of Dombey and Son.

...from Mama's Bank Account, by Kathryn Forbes

A WORD FROM GROUCHO

And for those of you who doubt the value of watching TV, I will let Groucho answer:

"I must say that I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book."

...Groucho Marx

--- Mary Robinson

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