The Portland daily press., 1875-10-23
ChiIhren'a Books.

According to German nursery legend
one which Schumann has illustrated in bis
charming tone-pictures Of child-llfe-some
time before Christmas Day, Knight Ruprecht
goes through the land. He is the worthy
squire of jovial St. Nicholas, and it is his work
to interview parents and guardians, to learn
where pretty gift is in order, and what bad
little boy needs rod. Then he goes back to
his master and helps him to make ready the
presents that are to gladden. or sadden tho
children according to their deserts. In our
country perhaps there are no bad little boys, or
it may be that the kindly Christmas season
forbds too strict proportion Of gifts to merits
but at any rate, bonbons aud story books, dolls
and sleds, are the order of the day. Soma
weeks before Christmas, Knight Ruprecht, in
the form of Messrs. Roberts, or Scribner s
Armstrong, or Osgood & Co., or any other Of
the great publishers, sends large packages Of
story books to editors of newspapers, and says,
"Read these stories and then tell all about the
books in your paper, so that the fathers aud
mothers of the little children will know what
to give them for Christmas" For now-a-days
ST. Nicholas is apt to look like ones papa, and
it can't be expected after working so many
years that the jolly old saint can climb down the
chimneys of four-story houses-and he doesn't
like hot air furnaces as well as open weod
fires.
Messrs. Roberts Of New York have pub
lished, and Messrs Lorng Short s. Harmon
have for sale, two charming books for chill
dren. One is "Nins Little Goslinss' by Miss
Susan Coolidge. 1t is made up of nne short
stories, one for each gosling. The first one.
however, will do good to Mother Goose herself.
if she is inclined to bring up her pet goslings
in too literary and aesthetic a fashion. All the
readers OF "What Katy Did, will remember
bright little Johnny-and this story, "Curly
Locks, tells how Johnny went to visit very
intellectual lady who read Emerson to her,
and gave her doll dressed TO represent .
SCIENTIST and the healthy relish with which
Johnny returns to her prosalc games of tag and
her ordinary but delightful dolls is good
lesson for mothers and bright story for chill
dren. The rest Of the nine stories are founded
on others of Mother Goose's Melodies and are
very pretty; although it may be that Miss
Coolidge would have done quite as well, or
better, to trust to her own inventive power,
rather than to fit new dresses to the old, ever
young, Mother Goose. The illustrations are
very graceful and spirited.
The other book for children is equally de-
lightful. Its very name, "Jolly Good Times"
and its author, well known by her nom de
plume, "P. Thome," give assurance of charm
ing things. 1t is the story of Teddy and
Milie, their friends, their kittens, and their
good times. Some stories of old Indian days
will add to the boys pleasure in reading the
book; and are not sufficiently narrowing to
make bedtime time of trial to their timid
little sisters. The book is sweet, funny and
refned-and we are tempted to offer a chrome
to any of our subscribers who can read the
description of pussycat's funeral unmoved
either to tears or laughter, or both.