சிறுவர்க்கான செந்தமிழ்
9
left out all kinds of Indian myths in this books and brought in mainly actual historical incidents and a few supernatural events related in the reliable works in English.
In rooting up blind belief and credulity from the mind of the young pupils, it is not my desire that they should be taught to disbelieve completely all occurrences of a wonderful and supernatural character. On the other hand, it is my earnest wish that they should be instructed so as to acquaint themselves early not only with what occur ordinarily within nature and human nature but also with those that occur rarely at fitful intervals within, near and beyond them, provided they belong to the class of cases proved by careful, intelligent and disinterested witnesses. Here too the students must be on their guard, lest they should fall into the error of extending theit belief from one proved supernatural and superhuman case to many an unproved one. This careful cultivation of mind, while it is plastic, will tend to make it susceptible of receiving into it only those ideas that are true, real and wholesome, and free from deceptions and will conduct it ultimately to and region where truth alone shine. For, greater than truth there is nothing to be attained by the human soul.
Finally, it is my sacred duty to emphasize the importance of diligently cultivating a pure Tamil style both in speaking and writing, for that alone could urge the student to stretch his vision over the vast domain of the very valuable old Tamil literature in search of new words and expressions which lie abundantly there and which will readily serve him to express his precious new ideas in Tamil without seeking the aid of any foreign tongue. The more one exercises his mind in expressing himself clearly in his own mother tongue, the more will his powers of concentration and expression increase, and the better can he serve his country, language and religion. Further, that each and every word of pure Tamil bears on its face the mark of elegant use to which it was put for more than six thousand years by the very intelligent and highly civilized forefathers of the Tamil people, that these words, instead of becoming worn out and unfit for further use like the words of the dead languages, have, on the contrary, gained immense vitality and fresh life as times went on, every patriotic son of Tamil must impress on his mind indelibly. No filial son of Tamil can discard this priceless heritage
