The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-17

Cecil Hartley, in his introduction to the
1850 edition Of "Sandford and Merton"
declares that "of all the writings for early
youth which have come before the world
since the appearance of Robinson CRU
soc not one other has afforded so much
amusement, conveyed so much valuable
irstruction-in the humble arts of life, in
science and morals-not one other has
had so elevating an influence over the
mind. as the history of sanford and
Merton " The comparison of SANFORD
and Merton to Robinson Cruesors" is
Just because, although the two works are
In subject, treatment and general charac-
ter as far apart as possible, yet they
possess in common this one quality-they
can be read with equal profit and equal
interest by the young and the old. the
parent and the child. In fact, while the
child may read Sanford and Merton"
with interest and profit the parent can
read 1t With an equal interest and be more
greatly benefited by 1t, for in 1t he Will
see, in graphic form, set forth the duties
and mistakes of parenthood- AS matter
of fact Thomas Day, under the guise Of
child's story, wrote In SANFORD and
fashionable education which prevailed In
his day. He determined TO stem the tor
rent which threatened to sap, overwhelm
and destroy all the nobler energies of
mans nature and with this object pub
lished Sanford and Merton" The eff
fects of the publication of that work were
immediate and they have been lasting.
If some of the evils complained of by
Day still exist SANFORD and Merton"
exists, too, as corrective and its work
is not yet finished. The book worked a
revolution in fashionable education and
at the present hour it's influence Is as life
inspiring physically and mentally, as SAL
utary as at the time Of its first publica-
ton. 1t is one of the little sarcasms of
life and fate that Thomas Day, who SO
strenuously preached kindness to animals,
was killed by being thrown from a horse.
which he had secured as a foal and
brought up himself by system from
which everything but kindness was elimi-
mated; and that his widow. who with him
had been such a stanch advocate of cheer
fitness under adverse circumstances,
upon receiving the news of his death went
to bed, drew the curtains and never arose
or saw the light of day again. dying two
years after.
A GENTLEMAN named Merton. be-
~ longing to one of the western
Il \ counties of England, had large
estate in Jamaica on which he had passed
the greater portion of his maturer life.
He also had an only child, boy, and In
order that this boy might be properly
brought I'D and educated he determined
to spend some years IN England upon an
estate which he had there in his native
country This son, Thomas Merton. was
naturally well-disposed, good-natured
child, but had been spoiled before he was
6 years old by too much indulgence. In
Jamaica Mrs. Merton had taken charge
of Tommy entirely and ordered the course
to be pursued with her darling. Master
Tommy had several blacks to attend him,
who were ordered never to contradict him.
When he walked abroad two negroes at
tended him. one carrying an umbrella to
shield him from the sun and the other was
to carry him In his arms whenever the
child was tired. He was always dressed
in silks and laced cloths and had a fine
gilded palanquin, carried upon the shout
ders of sturdy blacks, In which he made
visits to his playfellows. Tommy's father
set him to learn to read, but when he
complained to his mother that learning to
read made his head ache that barbarous
cruelty was stopped at once. If he cried
for sweets his mother let him have them
until the boy made himself sick. and
when there was company to dinner Mas
ter Tommy had to have a seat at the
table and be served first-he was such a
sweet and spirited child.
In short the good lady succeeded, like
many a fond mother has before and
since, In Transforming a naturally intelli-
gent and well-disposed child into an OBJ
noxious little monster, who was null
sance to everybody but his doting
mamma and babe fair to grow up, as
spoiled children are almost sure to do,
into one of those specimens of complex
worthlessness too well known to need
description, and of whom every one knows
at least one or two whose evolution into
an annoyance to mankind was due en-
tirely to just such bringing up as
Master Merton was receiving.
Mr.. Merton, therefore, resolved to stay
some years upon his English estate and
to take a hand himself in the rearing of
his son and heir When Tommy was
brought to live in England he could
neither read, write nor cipher; he could
use none of his limbs with ease nor bear
any degree of fatigue; yet was very
proud. fretful and impatient. Near to
Mr.. Merton's seat lived a plain farmer
named Sanford, who had. like Mr.. Mer-
ton, an only son. But Harry Sanford
was quite a different sort of chap from
Tommy Merton. He had always been &C.
customed to run about the fields, to follow
the farm laborers when they were plow-
ing and to drive the sheep to pasture.
He was active. strong. hardy and fresh
colered, but he was neither so fair nor
SO delicately shaped as Master Merton.
Harry had an honest, good-natured coun-
tenance which made everybody love him.
was never out of humor and took the
greatest pleasure in obliging everybody.
To all sorts Of animals Harry is very
kind. and when walking in the woods
or fields would fill his pockets with acorns
for the pigs or green boughs for the
sheep. who were so fond of him that
they would follow him wherever he went.
And he was so honest that If he could
have gained plumcake by lying he
would not have done so-which. for boy
of his age, 1t must be admitted, was a
supreme test The two boys, SO differ
ent in their conditions in life, SO different
in all that appeared to the observer in
character. were, in fact. very much alike
nv nature and the difference in them