Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-02
THAT FIRST READER.


see book. 1t is First Reader. A
First Reader is book for very young
children.
And being book for very young
children, containing in a condensed form
the milk of literature, who would have
imagined that it ever could have by any
possibility become the means of bringing
the greatest confusion and vexation to a
grown-up? But it did. /, Samuella
Golden, am that grown-up. And / am
the author, or nearly the author (under
the ablest supervision, / frankly con-
fess), of that First Reader.
The way it came about was this.
have always been passionately fond of
children. When but decidedly small
specimen of humanity myself adored all
the smaller specimens with whom l
CHANGED to meet. At the tender age of
six, there being then no baby at my own
home, deliberately entered the home of
our washer-woman one day, knowing her
to be absent at the time. and stole her
ive-months-old Patsey from the cradle
in which he was peacefully sleeping, and
in snite of his kicks and yells, when he
awoke to the situation, | managed to
carry him safely TO our housc-fortunate
not far distant-and place him in the
arms of my very much astonished mother.
And when he was reclaimed and carried
away again by his rightful owner, / sat
me down on the floor with bang, and
opened my mouth to its utmost width,
and lifted up my voice to its utmost
height, and refused most emphatically to
be comforted.
This love of little ones did not dimin-
ish in the least as grew in stature and
in years. On the contrary it seemed to
increase, and it became as natural for me
to talk baby talk to and make baby
rhymes for every wee darling that came
in my way as it was for me to breathe.
And for the older youngsters had always
story ready-some simple thing about
simple things, but, by virtue of creation,
my own. And having contrived to be an
unobserved listener to several of these
stories, and having also learned from Sue,
his little niece, that / made up out of
my own head' the jingles with which
she often sought to entertain him, Mr..
Erickson, our school-master-and very
clever fellow, too-said to me one after
noon, miss Golden, have undertaken
task in which think-nay, / am sure
that you can, if you will, be of great as
sistance to me-
"And pray what may that task be-"
asked /, wonderingly.
1.-The preparation of First Reader"
ne replied. Il do not expect the pecuniary
results to be princely, though no doubt
you would realize enough to compensate
you for whatever time you might expend;
but the practice would be excellent for
you. and perhaps open the way for better
paying literary work"
Literary work, !" repeated l. "Why,
never even dreamed of such thing"
did you not2o he said, with smile
well, you are not the first person who
has remained in ignorance of his or her
particular talent until friend discovered
It. But are you willing to give me
helping hand with the bookg"
'sMost willingly said I. 'Tell me
plainly what am to do, or to try to do,
and | will begin this very evening""
And did begin that very evening.
and. extremely glad was to do so. For
| had already, although April had scarcely
yet in, trimmed my usual amount of spring
hats and bonnets. which-our community
not following strictly. for good and suf-
ieient reasons, the DEGREES of fashion
also included most of the summer ones.
shereby cutting off that source of income
Tor four or five months And it had
oeen highly necessary that another source
should be discovered Immediately. From
which statement you will naturally infer
hat the Golden family was golden only
IN name. 1t was. Otherwise, of course
| mean in money sense, it was nickelly,
and not that to as great an extent as
desirable.
Father-well, any kind of steady bust.
ness seemed to disagree with father: con-
sequently he contributed to our support
only by fits and starts Daniel, our eldest
boy, worked faithfully as an assistant
5ook-keeper in publishing house in
New York city, and sent nearly hal. his
salary to mother the first Of every month.