The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-10

d. mental Indigestion
And over against the
plea for fewer books, /
would write this other admonition: let
those books be written in good Eng
iish; let them be printed and bound
worthy, and teach the child TO handle
them with respectful care.
I know Of no better O with which
to begin the child's library than
Charles Fosters STORY of the Bible.
Although simplified in language. the
spirit Of the Scripture narrative is most
carefully preserved, and all the Incl
dents of the Bible story, from eneSiS
to Revelation, are told III an interest
Ing and continuous form.
In h realm of childish fiction there
is no book more reverent in tone than
Robinson Crusoe"; and while the
for children, they enjoy the story, and
are quick to appreciate the sincerity OF
good old Doctor Primrose and the
small follies Of his family. / know that
the p~resent-day tendency is to smile
at the very obvious moral truths in
Miss Edgeworth's tales, but they are
good straightforward English with a
good straightforward intent, and young
children listen to Waste Not, Want
Not" or the Barring Out" with real
appreciation.
The fairy stories which have stood
the test of time have almost always
some good wholesome teaching. Cin-
derella's patient toll brought the Prince
with the slipper. Little Red Riding
Hood sound a note Of warning against
judging people by their caps. Beauty
and the Beast teaches that an ugly
form may hide a heart of gold.
Close to the Fairy Tales comes the
l7A-- ::~ ~ = - &c
little brother in feathers or fur, and
teaching it's lessons of kindly care for
all Gods creatures. Chiidren's litera-
ture is very rich in this sort Of story.
SEASIDE and Wayside," Seed Babies
Tommy, Annie and the Three Hearts,
1.-The Story Mother Nature Told Her
Children" DOG Town. ''~Four-Footed
Americans" John Burroughs delight
full essays, r. Gilbert Pearson's Bird
Book" Henry Van Dykes "Out OF
Door Papers" Longs WILDERNESS
Ways" and dozens of others belong tc
this class, and are very worthy.
I would not read to a little child
the more narrowing nature stories, or
indeed, sad or exciting stories Of any
kind. / will not soon forget the read.
ing Of "Raggy Lug" to my little daugh.
ter and the sob Of woe with which she
interrupted me "Oh. mother, stop OF
I'll be crying in q minute
- ,IlituISn 40 U IOtS CACililS vi
morbid stories unless they are fed up
on them until the taste is Vitiated
Neither do they like quick movemen
in q story, and / hav but small pa
thence With the idea that a story lift
'Ivanhoe" is more suitable for chill
dren when reduced to pemrnican
Surely the charm of "~Ivanhoe'' is no
in the plot but in SCOTS magical wa.
Of telling the story; and when ",
change it We are giving the child dr.,
bones for savory meat.
To teach refined childish courtesy
there is nothing better than Alice II
Wonderland"-Alice who was Away
polite even when the animals wer
most rudely disagreeable. And clos
to Alice let us put "Rebecca of Sum,
Brook Farm Tommy Ann and Lit
tie jamie of Allen Harker's Paul an,
FramInetta."
While children have bounddless i'm
aginatiOn and a wonderful fondnes
for the "once-upon-a-time" sort o
story, they are also very fond of tn
really true Patriotism and goo
citizenship may be taught throug
such booLs as Scudder's "Georg
W%ashington,'' Great Americans 70
Little Americans "Stories of the OF
Dominion" Hawthorne'S Grand
fathers Char" and so many more tina
/ could not take time or space to emu
merate them. But right here I wan
TO sound q note of warning agains
the sensational so-called historical,
boys books, in which a youth Of six
teen docs daring scout duty. or ralile
retreating armies and leads them t
glorious victory. Such books teac
little history, and give false ideas q
life.
l fear that in the hurry OF to-da
we do not read poetry to our childre
as our parents read 1t to us fort
wears ago; and it is a great loss to TIL
child, for little people who care &c