The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07
Chapter on Old School Readers
The Collection Makes Informal About
these Books of imey

Boston, 1881, by William Sullivan, counsel
Tor at law. intended to instruct the higher
classes in schools, in all States in the
Union. in the origin, nature and use of po-
litical power. The political reader is nota-
bic for an alphabetical index; the first
of it's kind among all these old school read
ers.
Graded school readers began to appear in
the thirties and soon became numerous
and excellent-to go on forever more, in
public and private schools. The
Sanders series were issued in New
York in the forties, and Sanders's
Fourth Reader "CRachel Ann Marsh's
Book'O marks a distinct advance in
lightness of touch over Boston's earlier and
more serious compilations. The American
child began to have somewhat liveiier time
over his reading book. Piety and patriotism
were as prominent, but wild Horses" THE
Old Indian" Field Flowers" Niagara
Falls and 1.-The Ocean" were mingled with
poems on Remembrance" and Immortal
ity." Mrs. Sgourney. Miss Sedgwick, Jane
Taylor Mrs. Hemans, Mrs. Ellis, Lady Nor
gan, Mrs. Gilman and other elegant female
authors" are honored in the Sanders readers.
The lighter vein goes on with its good work
in the Tower & Walker series-Boston, 1875
"PracUcal Reader DelnS IOllOWeu Dy lHe
North American First Class Reader''-evi-
IDENTIFY about the last of the precious old
brown leather back schoolbooks. Many
much-loved old favorites are here: Ralph
Hoyt's "Old Man on the Messy Stone" 1.-The
Pebble and the Acorn" Gray's 'Elegyy'-
1.-THE Deserted Village" Jeanne Deans and
the Duke of Argyle" Marco Bozzaris's
"Lochinvar" and the milkmaid, who poised
a full pail on her head"
Among the earlier cloth-back readers is
found Salem Towns series. of Portland,
Me-. 1s47 Patriotism fairly boils through
the pages of Towns Fourth Reader and
American authors have the field almost en-
tirely-2ss selections, prose and poetry, be-
ginning with Bancroft and including Irv-
ing Everett, Writ. Willis. Longfellow.
Beecher, Charming, Cooper, Patrick Henry,
Peabody Tuckerman, Bryant, Prentice.
Miss Davidson and others. Pilgrims, Indi-
ans, migrants panthers, bison and gray
eagles mingled with the American school
boys dreams of fifty-odd years ago.
To the school children of the present day,
GoOdrchs, McGuffey's and Wilson's excel
lent school readers would appear as ancient
history. but the old-time boys and girls have
not forgotten them, as frequent newspaper
queries attest. Almost daily somewhere in
newspaperland comes call for some long
treasured lost poem. to be found only in
these old school readers. Most wonderful.
wonderful yet are the six old Goodrich
readers of 1857. edited by Noble Butler. a.
NJ, and published by Morton & Griswold,
Louisville. Prefaces grew shorter as school
book makers grew wiser, and the Goodrich
readers had almost no message, no fore
word" except the rare, still unalphabetical
table of contents. Few finer lay sermons
on school life have been uttered than these
concise lines of explanatory phrase: These
books are written to please to attract, TO
excite the mind of the pupil; to rouse and
develop his faculties: TO inculcate moral prin-
ciples; to establish sense of virtue. feeling of
kindly charity, a reverence for religion, a
nice regard for the rights. feelings and char
acters of others; a love of the works of
ture and a reverent affection for
their beneficent author" No modern
scheme of school ideas has produced
any better school readers than these
same old Goodrich books. Like the
God Almightys gentleman of Will
liam Hazltt. they could be presented at
any court and stand the test. Numerous
engravings adorn the Goodrich reading
books. and they contain many old much
priced reading lessons-"Popping Corn"
.Inchcape Rock" wind in a Frolic," 1.-The
Frost Looked Forth Village Black
smith," "Old Armchair" "Old Oaken
Bucket Battle of Blenheim'' CIT Was a
Famous Victory'D, THE Better Land
C'Not Therel Not There. My Childl'O,
spare the Birds "Casab:anca,'' Uncle
Dick" 1.-The Gentle Boy General Mari
on's Dinner" Nowhere, indeed, could such
an engaging inventory end. OF similar
value. somewhat less comprehensive. were
the old McGuffey's readers. published as
early as 1876 and as late as 1857 in Cincin-
natl Much-detested definitions appeared
in the Goodrich and McGuffey readers, and
long lines of boys and girls had 10 be kept
in after school to grOan and agonize over
these apparently senseless devices of the
book-makers. From the McGuffey readers
branched out in 1853 a separate graded SER
les of excellent books. called The Indiana
Series" designed 10 combine simplicity with
sense. elegance with simplicity and piety
with both. The Indiana Third Reader
has great eagle on its brown paper back.
and The old Eagle Tree still vividly
abides IN the Hoosier memory, together
with George and the Hatchet," THE Lit
tie Philosopher" How Big Was Alexan-
der, Pa?'' "All Hollow, Hollow, Hollow
Where is My Hat: 1t Is Taken Away?'
and MY Shoestrings All in a Knot"
Childish recollections seem most tenacious,
and from the old, much-worn Indiana
Fourth are recalled The Speech of Lo-
gan The Town Pump" The Lost
Child "Moss-Covered Bucket" "He Never
Smiled Again" 1T Shows" and THE Spi-
der and the Fly
Two most unique and charming school
readers OF the olden time are 1.-THE Ladies'
Reader" of New York, 1859. and the HE
mans Young Ladies' Reader" 1S47, pub
lished I'm Cincinnati, with special regard TO
the cultivation of the female mind and
heart" EMMA CARLETON.
New Albany. Feb. 5.