New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-20
Second I1lstalmc1rt
Education

The adventure of the seal and the
novels of Mayne Reid together strength
ened my instructive interest in natural
history. / was too young TO understand
much of Mayne Reid. excepting the vent
ure part and the natural history part
these enthralled me. But. of course. my
reading was not wholly confined 10 nat
ural history. There was very little effort
made TO compel me 10 read books, my
father and mother having the good sense
not to try to get me 10 read anything
did not like. unless it was in the way OF
study ! was given the chance to read
books that they thought | ought TO read.
but If i did not like them ! was then gwen
some other good book that ! did like.
There were certain books that were taboo.
For instance, l was not allowed TO read
dime novels. ! obtained some surrep-
ttiously and read them. but / do not
think that the enjoyment compensated Tor
the feeling of guilt ] was also forbidden
TO read the only one of Ouida's books
which wished to read-"Under Two
Flags" ! did read it, nevertheless, with
greedy and fierce hope of coming on
something unhealthy; but, as matter
of fact. all the parts that might have
seemed unhealthy to an older person
made no impression on me whatever. |
simply enjoyed in a rather confused way
the general adventures
/ think there ought to be children
books. | think that the child Will Ike
grown-up books also, and l do not be-
lieve a chld's book is really good unless
erown-ups get something out of it. For
instance there is a book / did not have
when / was a child. because II was not
written 1t is Laura f. Richards's 'Nur-
sery Rhymes" My own children loved
them dearly, and their mother and
loved them almost equally; the delight
fully light hearted Man from New
Mexico Who Lost His Grandmother out
in the Snow" the adventures Of 1.-THE
owl, the Eel and the Warming Pam" and
the extraordinary genealogy OF the KAN
CARGO whose father was whale with a
feather in his tail. who lived In the
Greenland Sea-" while "his mother was
a shark. who kept very dark In the Gulf
Of Caribee.'
AS a small boy / had "Our Young
Folks" which then firmly believed 10
be the very best magazine in the world
a belief. | may add. which / have kept
10 this day unchanged. for | seriously
doubt If any magazine for old or young
has ever surpassed ii. Both my wife and
have the bound volumes of "Our
Young Folks" which we preserved from
our youth. / have tried to read again
the Mayne Reid books which so dearly
loved as a boy, only to find. alas. that
II is impossible But really believe that
enjoy going over "Our Young Folks"
now nearly as much as ever. Cast Away
I'm the Cold" "Grandfather's Struggle for
ters" and dozen others like them were
first class. good. healthy stories. inter-
esting i'm the first place, and In the next
Mace teaching manliness, decency and
good conduct. At the cost of being
deemed effeminate / will add that
greatly liked the girls stories, Pussy
Willow, and "A Summer in Leslie Gold
thwaite's Life" just as l worshipped
Little Men" and Little Women" and
IAN Old Fashioned Girl
This enjoyment of the gentler side OF
life did not prevent my revealing in such
tales of adventure as Ballantynes stories
or Marryats "Midshipman Easy" ] sup
pose everybody has kinks I'm him and
even as a child there were books which |
ought TO have liked and did not. For in
STANCE. | never cared at all for the first
part of Robinson Crrsoe' land although