Evening star., 1938-09-25

was an edition prior to that and was
searching for it under that same title
when he came across The Little
Scholar Learning to Talk" which was
published in 1885. A collector can
best appreciate his joy.
1000 Children's Books
In Collection.
Believing that the national library
is library of record and that there
is no branch OF learning too modest
to be represented there. when Mr..
Parma was appointed curator of the
rare book division some II years ago
he began the work of assembling the
rare incunabulae which he found in
the library, so that it would be easy
OF access to scholars, writer's, COL
lectors and students for research and
practical use. He found scattered
through the library most interest
ing lot of children's books which had
never been satalogued or even as
sembled. Two copies of every book
published in the United States are
deposited in the Library of Congress
but Mr.. Parma says juveniles were
not considered Of sufficient Importance
to justify the expense of classifica-
ton and cataloguing, consequently
they lay on the shelves gathering
dust. some o them for more than a
century. Feeling the Importance as
social history he said some time ago
he decided the library should have
a children's book collection-and now
he points with pride to something
like 1000 volumes, some of them (toy
books, 3x21a inches, printed evidently
on scarps OF paper and quantity bound
in bright wall paper of the period.
BY the way the curator handles these
they were Elzevers, Ewes or a rare
Grolier edition.
The Rollo books, which occupy
whole section, were among the most
popular juveniles of tfse early 10th
century and are still favorites with
the children Of today. Jacob Abbott
was teacher who went to the min
itry, and was also a most prolific
writer of histories and books of travel
by the way his book on Austria,
maybe in collaboration with his brother
Johns of interest in the light of
recent events. 1t appears that a
useful as illustrations asked Abbott to
write some stories around them. Many
of these little pictures suitable for
child life are found in his earliest
books. He was the first American
author who took a character and car
ried 1t through a series of volumes
In the foreword of these early books
was "A Notice to Parents" in which
they were instructed as to how to read
the little books in order that the
child might get the best results as to
the use and pronunciation of words,
and the elecutionary effect was not
to be overlooked. Foot notes are at
tached to some OF the stories illus
tratnig how the best dramatic effect
can be obtained. For instance, in the
story about feeding the chickens, which
is in the rare edition of the Little
Scholar" there is a picture Of little
girl who is cautioned not to leave the
gate open, and the author instructs
the reader that he must say, Little
Girl" In the tone one would use
if he really expected an answer. At
all times the reader is instructed to
substitute the name of the little listen
er for that of the boy or girl hero
To teach the use of language is the
great object of the first books and
the plot is only an after thought.
Letter From Abbott's
Granddaughter.
Mr.. Parma had recently received a
letter from a granddaughter OF Jacob
Abbott, Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
Mrs. Fordyca Coburn, dated September
is, 1898, Rollo Farm, Wilton, N. H.,
in which she says: Gentlemen: It
has lust been called To NV attenfion