The courier., 1901-12-28

I'D people. The realization OF this
truth is confined to the adults who
read again the books they know by
read Alice in Wonderland with mature
vision that l knew that ii was full of
jokes and ironical revelations of the
pretensions of society. The fairy story
enchained the little girls fancy. and
the humOr, satire, and odd conceit. as
we'll as the exquisitely- drawn figure of
Alice fascinates the woman. The pose
of the author of Little Women alto
gether escapes the attention of a child.
Miss Alcott had some new ideas about
the education of children at a time
universally approved institutions.
Throughout this story intended for
children she introduces her personal
views in regard to their training. but
the child of ten pays no attention to
the lecture part of the story. 1t is
just as well. Our literary digestion
ignores what we do not need At ten
years of age we transfuse into our
selves the veriest nonsense. but the
period is light-hearted, incOnsequent.
irresponsible. 1t is only the precO-
cious, unnatural. short-lived children
that take life hard and understand
sermons intended for grown-up peo-
pie. Real children snub the serious in
whatever form authors or teachers at
tempt to administer it.
Miss Alcott belongs to a family of
teachers and expOsitOrs. 1t is impos-
sible for her to keep her little hints
for plain living and high thinking out
of her books, even though those books
are for children. But so long as the
sermons reach only the ears they are
intended for, it does not decrease the
value of the story for the thousands
her stories and clamOr increasingly for
more.
Miss AlcOtt's boys and girls live out
doors all the time they can spare from
neither better nor worse than the or
dinary greedy, selfish little animals
who conquer their faults when taught
by good example and the loving. wise
admonitions of those who are in au-
thority over them. The imperfect hu-
man boy is a better sort of a hero than
the perfect Lord Fauntleroy kind. The
boy who reads about Lord Fauntleroy
invariably shifts. He knows in spite
Of what he reads, that no boy like
that ever lived and went to school and
got home without a more or less dam
aged sash, nose and eyes. Miss Al
colts boy whom the other boys nick
name "Stuffy," is much more like the
boys We know and love. When "Stuffy''
relinquishes his best piece of candy TO
a little girl it is a lesson in generosity
to the greedy little boy who is reading
about him. "Stuffy" was not a crea-
ture to fair and good for human ma
lures daily food. and when he makes
sacrifice the example is near enough
the boy who reads about it to influence
him.
This long story is cut up into num-
Der Of short stories, another reason
why children like it so well. Their at
tention is diverted first to one charac-
ter and then to another. The pages
open almost anywhere on to a new
story complete in itself. Teachers and
parents who have tried to keep the at
tention Of children fixed upon one per-
son or thing for an unnatural period
will recognize the desirability of such
a feature in a children's book.
Miss Alcott is a natural story teller.
Without this talent one might as well
never take up the pen. no matter how