The Portland daily press., 1868-10-28
Terms $500 per aasmun,, t,s adrance.
GFor the Press.l
Ehilhrenla RanL.
FOOLISH Zoe,

FOOLISH Zoe,
MIsCHIEvoUs JOHN,
BoAsTNG HEcrOR. Roberts Brothers: Bos-
ton. 1868
The LITTLE GYPSY. From the French of Elie
SALVAGE. Roberts Brothers. 1868.
LITTLE WOMEN. BY l.. NJ. Alcott. Roberts
Brothers. 1863.
AS the Christmas season approaches and
anxious parents and friends are beginning TO
Ss"reh ior the means of appeasing the usual
o"SAS'nas longings of the young hearts around
t"'in' our book stores are the first to respond
10 the forthcoming demand and to fill Their
sheNes Win wares to suit all their customers.
The amount OF absolute genius involved in the
preparation of juvenile books is enormons and
the taste which adOrns them increases everv
year. And, realy,the rapid development of
forces so noticeable in this century-in which
not only mechanical devices outstrip the ut
most efforts of the past, but living organisms
catch the contagion, and even our horses race
faster than their progenitors-seems to extend
to the human intellect and to make the merest
chlidren ihto acute reasoners and spontaneous
critics. They examine the rival merits of their
toys, and analyze the details of their books,
with decision only equalled by the candor
with which their final opinion is pronounced
Grown people also demand better books for
children than were dreamed of in the old
times. The result OF this pressure is to pro-
duce an infnite variety of pretty books, IN
which entertaining stories, cunnipgly devised
moral lessons and beautiful illustrations come
clothed in the purple and gold of modern bind
Ings which laugh to scorn the paper covers OF
the pasC
From this one firm of Roberts Brothers come
the whole accession to our juvenile Libraries
we have enumerated above. The little three
year-ods just beginng to talk, can understand
how naughty it was in Johnny 10 kick the cat;
can see in the picture how much prettier the
peacock was than Zoe in her mammals shawl;
perhaps, even at that early age can catch .
glimpse at Hector's discontinue when the
Goat exposes his boasting to the other children.
Possibly, too, the moral may penetrate health
July into their young minds which are often
at work on deeper problems than they can put
into words
The Little Gypsy has quaint old-world fla
vor about it which adds interest and romance
to the career of its heroine. 1t will have es-
pecial zest to those who have begun to know
sJmething OF French and suggests an excel
ient way to impress on the young student the
meaning OF the foreign words which the inter-
est Of the story leads him to ind out for him
self. There is an air OF positive reality about
it, due to its dramatic skill and the vividness
with which the different characters are paint
ed.
Little Women" is for an older class of read
ers, ard comes into the category of larger and
more elaborate books. Most of US already
know Miss Alcott as writer, and will feel
sure that all which comes from her pen will
possess interest. Her domestic picture
of the mother and her four girls is well drawn
and has its more or less complete counterpart
in many New England home. 1t is especial
y adapted to the times from its frequent en-
ployment of the still fresh influences of the
war and thesympathies there evoked.
Since we cannot ourselves be children again
to enjoy at first hand all the marvellous
treasures contained within the covers Of child
ren's books, 1t is pleasant to be able to taste
something Of satisfaction in helping to make
known in what directions these treasures lie.
M. ). MS.