The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-22
THAT AWFUL GIFT BOOK.


The good nature of parents is as:ound-
| ing. It drifts smoothly onward from
amiabinty into imbecility when they
stand helplessly inactive. smiling down
upon their progeny wading out into a
gIittering sea or 'children's books" that
have not the least thing in common with
literature, unless II be their eioth-bound
backs.
A realization Of the length OF litera-
ture and the flight of time should make
every parent among Us enter a speedy
protest against that irrelevant thing
the gift book: a silent protest, if need
be, but a courageous one. that Will
sweep before it all the books that have
surged in upon US "A hundred thousand
strong but strong in numbers only.
The indeterminate and the indiscrim-
mate present. "A bold face and a gilt
binding at Christmas time TO lure the
kindly weak who would present to the
unsuspecting child (your child and mine
mark YOU such limsy stun as "WflIies
Prayer Saves Father" and "How John
ME Bought His Mother a Sewing Ma
chine. These are, manifestly, among
the weakest, and they are. eouaIed only
who saw them on Friday bargain
counter. They are marked 10 cents
EACH" and their titles were a matter OF
Indifference; if she had not seen books
first she might have got a miIl-end OF
embroidery for her husbands aunt. But
the gift is brought us in a moment of
gratitude for some small favor done her;
gratitude unattended would have been
so much more acceptable, If she had
only known it. for her gift Is but a
! trifie worse, from a literary viewpoint
/ than that OF a family friend whose ac-
companying note makes clear that she
Is sending "The Six Little Onions"-the
first volume now, with the other five TO
( follow on successive anniversaries The
tragedy deepens with the possibility OF
time to come when, having bestowed
the entire crop of onions. this deluded
| friend Will, in the interest of esthetics
consider the advantages of the flower
garden over the vegetable and begin
on THE Johnny Jump-Up Books"
Thoughtful parents ask but little. in
fact. but total abstinence from the book
habit They would that these good peo-
pie. the donors, confine themselves to
wOolly lambs and wheels that work If
a book it must be. they would suggest
that the generous impulse in the direc-
ton of Great grandfather Goose"
and Cinderella Down to Date" be
checked in favor Of the tried and true
Mother Goose and the only original
Cinderella 1t does not follow that be-
cause Mary's lamb became a classic
pet your child and mine should be com
PEELED to bear with the patient agonies
Of somebody's calf" These familiar
I ffarr4r
the frayed-out ends of some well-won
popularity; a publishers holiday outfit,
savoring of merchandise Ike the boxed
suspender that never fits and the tin
! plate pickle caster.
| We face also the partial edition evil.
A pathetic few of Poe's tales and half
Of Longfellow's bound uniformly in
CHASTITY and unservieeable white! An
/ Isolated Adam Bebe." holding up a
pitiable Little DoTit!" Grim sentinels
/ contending for the space We meant TO
reserve for complete editions.
Then, too, think of mincing Shake
speare and chopping up the Bible that
they may be taken by the young, They
but bring to mind the indigestion con-
sequent upon most of the normal food
stuffs served as sublimated hashes.
| There is scarcely@to be found a volume
Of Bible tale retold that has not
/ drifted in the fear of God unfolded -
or volume of the great dramatist "un-
/ done" for children unless we except
| some of Lambs tales) that has not
/ proved to be 1.-THE master misinter-
! preted;" as in the case of Shylock. where
| the child reader is hidden 10 rejoice n
the punishment heaped upon that poor
old Jew for living according to his light
The book that is written down to the
childish intellect is a useless output
I the receptive mind win listen to the
/ best that has been put on printed page
Parents only ask, In the name OF the
/ coming generation. the nucleus of a IL
brary, the foundation, of an education,
at the hands of the insistent book fiend.
or. better still. permission to confscate
the gift book without offense.