The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-23
Reading for Children.


Everybody is very sure that it is great
deal of matter just what sort of books grown
people have to read. They must possess
just the right literary quality, they must
be true to life, amusing, inspiring. But
how many people remembers how vastly
more important it is that books for the
children be well selected. be well written.
In the older days children were, appar-
entity, never thought OF. Chaucer would as
soon have thought of writing poems for
fools. Even Shakespeare shuns the sub
ject save when he scornfully admits that
man is, in the first stage, 1.-The infant,
mewling and puking in his mothers
arms"
Thackeray's acquaintance among chill
dren were but pocket editions of their
elders, and Tiny Tim and Little Nell were
scarcely the rollicking fesh-and-blood
young people of whom and to whom the
great iterati OF to-day are writing.
1t is good news for the children that
Robert Louis Stevenson has left them a
complete manuscript volume of Letters
ling's stories Of the charmingly impossible
wolf-boy are to go on and on.
Just now, for the children's vacation
reading, 1t is. worth while to take a
thought. 1t will be found that the most
pleasure and instruction can be gained by
using little system. Choose an epoch, or
a nation in which the child is interested.
or which he ought to learn about, and
make that the keynote OF the summer S
reading.
1t is not necessary to follow one theme
to WEAKNESS, but it is doubtless easier for
the young reader, since he must build and
live in an imaginary world suggested by
his books. to provide reasonable material
within certain limits. For instance, if the
child tn learn 2hOnt Franco LET him
have French stories to read as we'll as
French history to study. He will be sure
TO take up his temporary abode in France,
to think of it in his idle moments, tosques-
ton his elders about it, and SO TO assimilate
a great deal OF knowledge almost uncon-
sciously.
The history of Scotland will 60 down
as easily as sugar-coated pill if
the child's interest is stimulated by an
accompaniment OF the delightful literature
of that country and by little bits of anec-
dote and information which show what the
real life OF people is-the sort of thing
which seems to be excluded from all the
books of history that ever were studied"
Let the children's summer reading be
well considered and generously provided,
regardless OF whether or not the grown
people get hold of all the "erotic, neurotic
and tommy-rotic" novels of the day.
The Child Spy.
They called him Stenne, little Stenne
He was a child of Paris, thin and pale,
who looked 10 years old and was II.
His mother was dead. His father was
an old soldier of marines and a guard of a
square in the Temple quarter. The babies,
the nurses, all the frequenters of the park,
knew old Stenne and adored him. They
knew that under that fierce mustache
- r. l.
tender, almost maternal, and to see that
smile it was only necessary to say, "How
is your little boy getting along?'
Old Stenne loved that boy. He was sc
happy after school hours when the child
came for him and the two walked
through all the paths together, pausing
at each bench to respond to the pleasant
salutation of the occupants. With the
siege everything was unhappily changed
The square was closed and used for storing
explosives. Poor old Stenne, forced to an
eternal vigilance. lived in the midst of dis.
order and destruction, alone, without his
pipe, and seeing his boy only at home and
late at night. Besides he had to look down
at his mustache when he spoke of the
Prussians.
Little Stenne saw nothing amiss with the
new state of affairs.
A siege 1t was so amusing for boys Nc
more school. Vacation all the time and
plenty OF excitement.
The child followed the battalions when
they went out to the ramparts choosing
those which had the best music For the
rest he watched the drills and
sometimes joined the crowds that gathered
each morning for the public distribution
of food. Most amusing of all was the
famous game of galoche, which the soldiers
made fashionable during the siege. When
little Stenne was not at the ramparts mol
the bakers he was sure to be watching the
game. Of course he did not play. He
never had money enough for that, and il
was Joy enough to see the others at it. One
player in PARTICULAR excited the child s ad
miration, because he played nothing less
than fve-franc pieces.
One day when little Stenne returned tc
him piece of money which had rolled un.
der his feet this big boy said TO him in q
low voice: ''That makes you envious
doesn't it? Well, if you like, 1 will show
you where to find them"
And when the game was over he took
little Stenne aside, and proposed that they
go and carry papers to the Prussians
at first Stenne refused Indignantly. He
stayed away from the place for three days
Three terrible days, when he neither ate
nor slept
The last night he dreamed of silver dol.
lars, and the temptation was too much.
The fourth day he sought ont the big boy
and allowed himself to be led away.
They started out in the frosty morning,
bags over their shoulders, and the news.
papers hidden under their blouses.
When they came to the gate the older