Part 5 (1/2)

When I study the evolution of the story from the crude recitals offered to our children within the last hundred years, I feel that, though our progress may be slow, it is real and sure One has only to take so of last century to realize the difference of appeal Everything offered then was either an appeal to fear or to priggishness, and one wonders how it is that our grandparents and their parents every recovered from the effects of such stories as were offered to the impression was ht kind of story

I offer a few exa address offered to children by a certain Mr

Janeway about the year 1828:

”Dare you do anything which your parents forbid you, and neglect to do what they command? Dare you to run up and down on the Lord's Day, or do you keep in to read your book, and learn what your good parents command?”

Such an address would have almost teuardians and less close relations ht have been equally, if not more, severe

From ”The Curious Girl,” published about 1809:

”Oh! papa, I hope you will have no reason to be dissatisfied with me, for I love my studies very much, and I am never so happy at my play as when I have been assiduous at e it is, papa, you should believe it possible for me to act so like a child, now that I am twelve years old!”

Here is a specimen taken from a Chap Book about 1835:

Edward refuses hot bread at breakfast His hostess asks whether he likes it

”Yes, I am extremely fond of it”

”Why did you refuse it?”

”Because I know thatit Aetway off? I would not touch the cake, were I sure nobody would see me I myself should know it, and that would be sufficient

”nobly replied!” exclaimed Mrs C ”Act always thus, and you h the whole world should refuse the praise that is due, you must enjoy the approbation of your conscience, which is beyond anything else”

Here is a quotation of the same kind from Mrs Sherwood:

Tender-souled little creatures, desolated by a sense of sin, if they did but eat a spoonful of cupboard jam without Mamma's express permissionWould a modern Lucy, jealous of her sister Ey for her guilt: 'I know it is wicked in me to be sorry that Emily is happy, but I feel that I cannot help it'? And would a modern lad you have confessed Now I shall tell you why you feel this wicked sorrow'?--proceeding to an account of the depravity of human nature so unredeeence that one can scarcely iic than a fit of juvenile hysteria

Description of a good boy:

A good boy is dutiful to his Father and Mother, obedient to his ent in learning his book and takes a pleasure in i that is worthy of praise He rises early in the , makes himself clean and decent, and says his prayers He loves to hear good advice, is thankful to those who give it and always follows it He never swears[17] or calls names or uses ill words to companions He is never peevish and fretful, always cheerful and good-teerated and coarse fun_ In the chapter on the positive side of this subject I shall speak more in detail of the educational value of robust and virile representation of fun and of sheer nonsense, but as a preparation to these stateainst the eleed in our school stories, partly, because of the lack of huination) and partly, because the strain of the abnormal has the same effect as the too frequent use of the azine_, Decee writes:

”A taste for buffoonery is anceIt becoenerates into coarseness It per sweet or pathetic to exist, and there is a certain self-satisfaction and superiority in ard with enthusiasher or softer tone”

Although these words ritten nearly half a century ago, they are so specially applicable today that they seem quite ”up-to-date”

Indeed, I think they will hold equally good fifty years hence