New-York tribune., 1889-12-24
ARE FAIRY TALES WHOLESOAEi
Eranciscn ExaInlner.

From The san Francisco
In these days preceding the holiday season, when
parents are going up and down in the land seekins
presents for the little ones, very natural suoect io
afternoon was Literature for Children The adle'
OF the club very properly wished 10 set oonselsus
OF opinion as TO whether not II would be best TO
take home for the Christmas stockings tales OF lary
land, with the giants and o6Tes, heroic JACKS, mus
glass slippers aud funny women with queer hats mak
ing broonstick Journeys to nterstear space TO the
discontinue of even Jules vernes lively imagination,
0r more 20 basis Of fact and fewer flights Of fancy
several interesting papers were read some taking
the part Of Mother Goose and the fairies and the
Others decrying the practice OF filling the minds Of the
children with rosetnted visions of dancing spntes.
lightning changes at the touch OF wand, PIGS that
go to market without being driven or squea pleadlngl
.wee, wee, wee" when Inadvertently pinched under
gate and all the other topsy turvy drapats personae
stouty held that all this merely led the Young
in a wrong path which, though bordeled with flowers
to nowhere in particular and has to be retracted be
fore the feet are planted full on the beaten road 70
falsty of IL ALL and deplored the shock TO the chhs
right instincts when il is discovered that the stores
with which its mind have been stored are gatherot
from the misty regions of untruth Even old santa
Claus was raped over the knuckles by those who
would spare the yoanglngs the wakefu unceraa
on the roof and heeting glimpse Of merry
bearded. rednosed. well-fed. Kris Krlngle bending
beneath groanng pack of oil things dear to enid
hoods heart.
But Others to the rescue the pleasant dreams
Of their childhood. They recalled their happy gam
bols with Only Thumb and their delight over n.
slaughter Of the giant who ventred on the insufficient
beanstak They talked at length OF Cinderella and
the COW who made the phenomenal lunar vault: Of In
strange little man who had the little gun and Whose
bullets were made of lead, lead, lead: Of the Other
singular individuals whose ways and experiences de-
velOped slnuostes than fall TO the lot OF any
body except superv isor or legislator I'm this wok,
aday world. They defended Santa Claus and averTed
that the happy recolecons Of his chimney sweeping
procllvties worth ages of pernsal OF prosaie
papers was general discussion of the question of the
day. Unquestonably the event OF most lniere', IN
Julia Ward Howe in this discussion The venerable
authOress and lecturer, who was guest OF the 'uD
came out strong in favor OF Mother Goose "a ana az ia's
land, though advocating the ntersperslng OF TINS fi
fiction with streaks Of lean, but wholesome fact sne
held that the influence Of fiction on Childhood was 70
stimulate the Imagination ana 10 get the cIu Vut VI
and above a mere communng with material things
The tingles and rhymes and rich lmagnlngs, she ssd
had The same influence in childhood as poetry, music
and art in maturer life and played pleasant, ee
waiting and harmless part in the education OF uc
TO give point TO her remarks and as an argument
IN favor OF fairies side Of the controversy, Mrs
Howe told story She recalled an experience OF tne
child Of Horace Mann, president OF Antoch Coliese
who married sister Of Elizabeth req
body, the introducer in america Of ,,,,,ls is
10 the theory that the childish mind shol1 ~ ss
fed only with the pap Of truth lie az oSea e'
Carefully guarding his child ag9in.t me sson hC3fs All
stories which given and told 10 the children ~
his ncghbors. he provided good solid reads , ~, oss
morals and obureatiOns in every tale lut 9se ,
night when Miss Peabody was visiting MS amss; ass
MIR. Mann and his wife had occasion 20 go ssn gu. s'
hammered guest AS Mr.. Mann was about leaving
Miss Peabody asked -,
" Nav | sing the child a Mother Goose melodyi
T know Won don't generally allow IL, but really
cannot think of any other way TO amuse her.
All, amuse her as you like" replied Mr. Nsah
good naturedly. ~
As soon as he had gone Miss Peabody TOOK |"
little one on her knee and soon burst out WIZ
ITcy-diddle diddle. the cat and the bdde
The cow Jumped the moon;
The little dog laughed 10 see such sport
And flp Sh
The child fairly shriekcd with delight. she CO..
for the cat and the fiddle and over again. ~
merry meaningless jingle was just what her Nv ~,
heart yearned for. and Mother Goose opened 10 ~
mind endless vistas Of a new delight surs.
she said she had not given the subject suio,,ss.
study TO deliver set discourse upon IT, sle " rts
trated her remarks with several simple stotles ot
the foregoing and at the conclusion or the discus "a
large majority Of the ladies favored the gooa "a "a
stories of the giants and the fays. OF santa Slans '
Cinderella and the bewitcltng folklore '1ihs"'
oil