Evening star., 1927-05-24
rhia column is being used to quiet

Thia column Is being used to quiet
children.
A Takoma Park mother writes that
when her two little ones become hi
larious, she can stop them by saying.
"Who wants to hear about Jack
SprattP"
This is an important use for This
and That. and we recommend It's
further trial. Assorted reflections
have been east. from time to time,
upon the animal stories which grace
the Sunday half column. 40 we take
considerable satisfaction In presenting
the other side of 1t. now and then.
The uuieting influence of reading,
of course, is well known. reaching its
elimination in putting readers to
sleep. This column, for instance, has
had considerable 3oporitc influence on
readers in public vehicles. but II. c..
Wells has been seen to similarly in
duCe slumbers.
Indeed. many an Industrious person
who fondly imagines that the world is
sitting up o nights to read what he
has written would be put out of
countenance to see his beloved brain
child come back to him wrapped
around the family wash
We had rather have our work read
by one good mother in a home, and
listened to by little children, than to
receive the plaudits of the so-called
'intelligentsia" for our "cleverness, y"
which too often is only i'll breeding
and smart-aleckism.
y II X X
This is the sort of letter we like to
receive:
Dear Sir: hope you may not feel
oloo I Ln,k
average of once week / have an
impulse to write to you Chiefly after
reading a Jack Spratt article) and
only lack of leisure prevents. / really
meant to take time after the mention
of Master Skylark' first appeared, but
somehow it eluded me. and not until
/ read This and That tonight did the
matter return.
II read and enjoyed Master Sky
lark month by month just as it ap-
peared in st. Nicholas. When our
family removed to Washington from
Virginia in 1911, there were. more or
less neatly stacked in the closet of my
room, Is complete years of st. Mich
olas. from 1890 to 1905, any one of
whose contents / knew by heart by
glance at the frontispiece. 1t broke
my heart to part with a single year,
but it had to be, and I finally compro-
missed with my mother by bringing
those containing the st. Nicholas
League and an odd file or two con.
tanning some particular serial. OF
these. Master Skylark' was one. And
it had been less than two weeks before
your mention Of the story was made
that ! had gone to the attic here and
painstakingly unearthed the volumes
containing Master Skylark' (and hap
PLY they We're all thereO and had read
it to my small daughter and son, who
had just grown very enthusiastic over
Macbeth told for children. They
loved it as much as / did. But this
l have noted with great satisfaction
not unmiXed with wonder--both chill
dren react more noticeably to the
books which were my particular JOY
than to others. / wonder if perhaps
unconsciously put more life into
them?
Another story I saved and have
long since served to the second genera
ton is also illustrated by Birch-but
L have never liked the illustrations,
somehow. That was Toinette's Phil
ip.' think Pere Joseph's white mice
were the choice bit in that for Jane,
and Philips naughtiness in frighten-
ing his cousin with them the high spot
for Edwin. Both children are ardent