Penny Magazine

No. 001 - THE PENNY MAGAZINE - Mar. 31, 1832

A POSTSCRIPT TO OUR FIRST READERS.

It is said that amongst the Mahomedans the following curious custom is observed:—They never destroy any fragment of paper, however small, which chance may place in their way. For this custom, which may appear in its practice to be ridiculous, a remarkable reason is assigned:—" It is the duty," say the Mahomedan teachers, "of every true believer to throw away no opportunity of communicating to his fellow-creatures a knowledge of the God and of his Prophet. The few words which express the short and comprehensive article of our faith may be written on any the smallest fragment of paper: let not true believers lose this opportunity which Allah himself presents to them! neglect nor destroy not that fragment. Let the word of the Prophet be written Upon it, and the winds of Heaven will, under the direction of Providence, convey it into the hand of some one whose memory needs to be refreshed from the fountain of Truth, or whose mind's eye hath not seen the light of Heaven."

In the desire, and certainly in the power of enlightening their fellow-creatures, the Christian need fear no comparison with the Mahomedan world; but, in the mode of accomplishing, this object, the custom alluded to affords a lesson for study, and an example for imitation.

By a Society which has undertaken the task of contributing, as far as lies in its power, to the diffusion of useful knowledge, no means should be neglected by which instructive amusement can be afforded. Timid (although well-meaning) persons might perhaps be inclined to censure such a society, should it set the example of applying the powers of the press to the production of a Penny Periodical Magazine. They might object that the instrument which is intended for good might be used for evil; that publications in form so cheap as to be accessible to the lowest class of readers, would soon fall into the hands of the lowest class of writers. We doubt this, although we know it is the opinion of many excellent persons; we have good and substantial reasons to assign for our doubts, but into those reasons we shall not enter, the time for them is past. The evil (if it be an evil) is already in being. The demand of the public has already called into existence penny periodical publications, of which eight or ten have established a regular sale. It will be cheering intelligence to those who would have dissuaded from this undertaking, that the most noxious of them have been hitherto the least successful. The channel, then, is open. Through its course must flow much of the information conveyed to the minds of a large and increasing class of readers. We are called upon to pour into it, as far as we are able, clear waters from the pure and healthy springs of knowledge. That duty we will not neglect; in the attempt to fulfil it we think that we ought not to fail.

The success of our undertaking will be the measure of its utility.

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