Journeys Through Bookland Volume X Part 1

Journeys Through Bookland.

Vol. 10.

by Charles Herbert Sylvester.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Everyone who a.s.sociates with children becomes deeply interested in them.

Their helplessness during their early years appeals warmly to sympathy; their acute desire to learn and their responsiveness to suggestion make teaching a delight; their loyalty and devotion warm the heart and inspire the wish to do the things that count for most. Everything combines to increase a sense of responsibility and to make the elders active in bringing to bear those influences that make for character, power and success.

Every worthy teacher in every school gives more than her salary commands and puts heart power into every act. By example and precept the lessons are taught and growth follows in response to cultivation. But the schools are handicapped by lack of time for much personal care, by lack of facilities for the best of instruction and by the multiplicity of things that must be done. Under the best conditions a teacher has but a small part of a child's time and then instruction must be given usually to cla.s.ses and not to individuals. Outside of school for a considerable time each day the child falls under the influence of playmates who may or may not be helpful, but the greater part of every twenty-four hours belongs to the home.

Parents, guardians, brothers and sisters, servants, consciously or unconsciously, wisely or unwisely, are teaching all the time. It is from this great complex of influences that every child builds his character and lays the foundation of whatever success he afterwards achieves.

Undoubtedly the home is the greatest single influence and that is strongest during the early years. Before a boy is seven the elements of his character begin to form; by the time he is fourteen his future usually can be predicted, and after he is twenty, few real changes are brought about in the character of the man. The schools can do little more than plant the seeds of culture; in the family must the young plants be watered, nourished and trained. Then will the growth be symmetrical and beautiful.

When the school and the home work together, when parents and teacher are in hearty sympathy, the great work is easily accomplished. But this harmony in interest is difficult to secure. In the first place it is not possible frequently for parents and teachers to become acquainted; usually is it impossible for them to know one another intimately. Here there are two forces, each ignorant of the other, but both trying for a common end. Again, parents in many, many instances are not acquainted with the schools nor with the methods of instruction which are followed therein. What is done by one may be undone by the other. If there could be a common ground of meeting, much labor would be saved and greater harmony of effort established.

When fathers and mothers are willing to take time enough from their other duties to show that sympathetic interest in juvenile tasks which is the greatest stimulus to intelligent effort, when they wish to know what work each child is doing and where in each text book his lessons are, when the multiplication table and the story of Cinderella are of as much importance as the price of meat or the profit on a yard of silk, then will the parents and the teachers come together in whatever field appears mutually acceptable.

Everybody reads, and reading is now the greatest single influence upon humanity. The day of the orator has pa.s.sed, the day of print has long been upon us. No adult remains long uninfluenced by what he reads persistently, and every child receives more impressions from his reading than from all other sources put together.

Someone has shown forcibly by a graphic diagram the ideas we are most anxious to establish. In this diagram of _Forces in Education_, the circle represents the sum total of all those influences which tend to make the mind and character of the growing child. That half of the circle to the right of the heavy line represents the forces of the school; the half to the left, the forces that come into play outside the teacher's domain. In school are the various studies taught; reading, writing, language, nature, geography, history, arithmetic. Other things such as morals, manners, hygiene, etc., come in for their share of force in the division "Miscellaneous." Out of school the child's work influences him; his playmates affect him more; the example and instruction of his parents form his habits, thought and character to a still greater extent; but more than any one, as much as the three combined, does his home reading shape his destiny.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

That this last statement is no exaggeration is proved by the testimony of many a wise and thoughtful man, by the observation of teachers everywhere. When a child has learned to read, he possesses the instrument of highest culture, but at the same time the instrument of greater danger. Bad books or bad methods of reading good books lead the reader's mind astray or stimulate a destructive imagination that affects character forever; but good books and right methods of reading make the soul sensitive to right and wrong, improve the mind, inspire to higher ideals and lead to loftier effort.

Here is the one fertile field wherein teacher, parent and every other person interested in the welfare of children and youth may meet and work together in the n.o.blest cause G.o.d ever gave us the grace to see.

"I have a notion," said Benjamin Harrison, "that children are about the only people we can do anything for. When we get to be men and women we are either spoiled or improved. The work is done." One of the best things we can do is to create a taste for good reading and cultivate a habit of reading in the right manner. It is an easy and a delightful task.

How many parents do it? Let them live with their children in the realm the little ones love. Let them read the fairy tales, the myths, the stories, the history that childhood appreciates, not in a spirit of criticism or in the role of a dictator but as a child of a little larger growth, a man or woman with a youthful mind.

How many teachers a.s.sist? By so teaching that reading becomes an inspiration in itself; that only mastery contents; that beauty, high sentiment, lofty ideals may be found and followed; by making the reading recitation the one delightful hour of the day.

If any mature person at home can spend each week a few hours in reading and talking with the children about what has been read he will be surprised to find how lightly the time pa.s.ses and how quickly his own cares and anxieties are dissipated. He will find greater delight than he has ever known in the society of his equals; and the younger ones, whose minds glow with helpful curiosity and absorbing interest will be kept to that extent from the street and its attractions, while at the same time they are learning those things that count for most in life's great battle.

Let no one feel in the least uncertain of his power to interest and delight. Let him have no hesitation in joining in with the children, in meeting them on their level and in sharing thought and feeling with them. By being a child himself he most easily makes of himself a wise and inspiring leader.

CHAPTER II

JOURNEYS THROUGH BOOKLAND--ITS CONTENTS AND PLAN

_Journeys Through Bookland_ is what the t.i.tle signifies, a series of excursions into the field of the world's greatest literature.

Accordingly, the base of the work is laid in those great cla.s.sics that, since first they found expression in words, have been the education and inspiration of man. But these excursions are taken hand-in-hand with a leader, whose province it is to explain, to interpret, to guide and to direct. Suiting his labors to the age and acquirement of the readers he helps them all, from the child halting in his early attempts to interpret the printed page to the high school or college student who wishes to master the innermost secrets of literature. In no small sense is this leaders.h.i.+p a labor of love, for it follows an experience of twenty years of personal instruction in the public schools and among the teachers of the country.

_Journeys Through Bookland_ must be considered as a unit; for one plan, one purpose, controls from the first page of the first volume to the last page of the tenth. The literary selections were not chosen haphazard nor were they graded and arranged after any ordinary plan. In this respect they differ in character and arrangement from the selections in any other work now upon the market.

Moreover, the notes, interpretations, original articles and multifarious helps are an integral part and are inseparable. In this respect, again, is the work original and unique.

Further, the pictures, of which there are many hundreds, were drawn or painted expressly for _Journeys Through Bookland_ and are as much a part of the general scheme as any other help to appreciation. Again, the type page, the decorations, the paper, binding and endsheets, all combine to give an artistic setting to literary masterpieces and a stimulating atmosphere for literary study.

The masterpieces which make the field of the _Journeys_ naturally fall into three cla.s.ses. First, there is the literature of culture, those things which you and I and everybody must know if we expect to be considered educated or to be able to read with intelligence and appreciation the current writings of the day. To this cla.s.s belong all those nursery rhymes, lyrics, cla.s.sic myths, legends and so on to which allusion is constantly made and which are themselves the legal tender of polite and cultured conversation. Next, there are those selections whose power lies in the profound influence they exert upon the unfolding character of boy or girl. As a child readeth so is he. Masterpieces of this type abound in the books and it is by means of them that the author hopes and expects to exert his greatest influence upon his unknown friends among the children. The third group consists of the masterpieces which lend interest to school work and make it pleasanter, easier and more profitable. It is what some may call the practical side of literature. It is what, at first, appeals most strongly to those who have read little, but which ultimately appears of less value than the influence of cultural and character-building literature.

Any treatment of _Journeys_ that is worthy of the name must consider the masterpieces themselves in their three great functions, as well as the devices by which the selections are made effective.

_1. The Masterpieces_

The table of contents at the beginning of each volume shows a wide selection of the best things that have ever been written for children--not always the new things, but always the best things for the purpose. The masterpieces are the tried and true ones that have long been popular with children and have formed a large part of the literary education of the race.

There are a host of complete masterpieces and many selections from other works which are too long to print here or which are otherwise unavailable. It has often happened that something written for older heads and for serious purposes has in it some of the most charming and helpful things for the young. For instance, _Gulliver's Travels_ is a political satire, and as such it is long since dead. Yet parts of it make the most fascinating reading for children. Moreover, Swift and many other great writers defiled their pages with matter which ought to be unprintable. To bring together the good things from such writers, to reprint them with all the graces of style they originally possessed, and yet so carefully to edit them that there can be no suggestion of offense, has been the constant aim of the writer.

The books contain, too, many beautiful selections translated from foreign languages and made fresh, attractive and inspiring. Many of the old fables and folk stories have been rewritten, but others which have existed long in good form have been left untouched. In the great masterpieces no liberties have been taken with the text without making known the fact, and in every case the most reliable edition has been followed. It is hoped that children will have nothing to "unlearn" from the reading of these books.

There are not a few old things in the set that are really new, because they have heretofore been inaccessible to children except in musty books not likely to be met.

This is no haphazard collection made hastily, and largely at the suggestion of others. Everything in the books has been read and reread by the writer. True, he has availed himself of the help of others, and to many his obligations are deep and lasting; but in the end the responsibility for selection and for the quant.i.ty and quality of the helps is wholly his.

_2. Arrangement and Grading_

The contents of the books have been graded from the nursery rhymes in the first volume to the rather difficult selections in the ninth volume.

In the arrangement, however, not all the simplest reading is in the first volume. It might be better understood if we say that one volume overlaps another, so that, for instance, the latter part of the first volume is more difficult than the first part of the second volume. When a child is able to read in the third volume he will find something to interest him in all the volumes.

What has been said, however, does not wholly explain the system of arrangement. Fiction, poetry, essays, biography, nature-study, science and history are all fairly represented in the selections, but no book is given over exclusively to any subject. Rather is it so arranged that the child who reads by course will traverse nearly every subject in every volume, and to him the different subjects will be presented logically in the order in which his growing mind demands them. We might say that as he reads from volume to volume, he travels in an ever widening and rising spiral. The fiction of the first volume consists of fables, fairy tales and folk stories; the poetry of nursery rhymes and children's verses; the biography of anecdotal sketches of Field and Stevenson; and history is suggested in the quaintly written _Story of Joseph_. On a subsequent turn of the spiral are found fiction from Scott and Swift; poetry from Homer, Vergil, Hay, Gilbert and Tennyson; hero stories from Malory; history from Was.h.i.+ngton Irving.

If, however, some inquiring young person should wish to read all there is on history, biography or any other subject, the full index in the tenth volume will show him where everything of the nature he wishes is to be found.

Another valuable feature of arrangement is the frequent bringing together of selections that bear some relation to one another. A simple cycle of this sort may be seen where in the eighth volume the account of Lord Nelson's great naval victory is followed by _Casabianca_; a better one where in the fifth volume there is an account of King Arthur, followed by tales of the Round Table Knights from Malory, and _Geraint and Enid_ and _The Pa.s.sing of Arthur_ from Tennyson. By this plan one selection serves as the setting for another, and a child often can see how the real things of life prove the inspiration for great writers.

Again, in the fourth volume is _The Pine Tree s.h.i.+llings_, a New England story or tradition for girls; this is followed immediately by _The Sunken Treasure_, a vivid story for boys; next comes _The Hutchinson Mob_, a semi-historical sketch, followed in turn by _The Boston Ma.s.sacre_, which is pure history. The cycle is completed by _The Landing of the Pilgrims_ and _Sheridan's Ride_, two historical poems.

_Graphic Cla.s.sification of Masterpieces_ on page 14 will show more clearly what is meant by the overlapping of subjects. In the column at the left are given the names of the subjects under which the selections have been cla.s.sified, running from _Fables_ to _Drama_, and _Studies_, the last name including all the varied helps given by the author. Across the top of the table the Roman numerals, I to X, indicate the numbers of the ten volumes. The shading in the squares shows the relative quant.i.ty of material. In using the _Cla.s.sification_, "read across to learn in which volume the subjects are treated; read down to find what each volume contains." Thus: The first volume contains (reading down), a great many fables, many fairy stories and much folk lore, a few myths and old stories, a little biography, some biblical or religious material, selections that may be cla.s.sified under the heads of nature, humor and poetry; but there is no account of legendary heroes, no travel and adventure, no history, nothing of a patriotic nature and no drama.

On the other hand (reading across), there are many fables in the first volume, a few in the second but none thereafter; a few myths and some cla.s.sic literature are found in the first three volumes, more in the fourth and fifth, but the number and quant.i.ty decrease in the sixth and do not appear thereafter; nature work is to be found in all the volumes but is strongest in the seventh; drama appears in the eighth and the ninth. Biography has a place in all volumes, but is strongest in the seventh; while the Studies, appearing in all volumes, reach their highest point in the tenth.

_3. The Studies and Helps_

As has been said, the chief factors in making _Journeys Through Bookland_ unique and of greatest value are the many helps that are given the readers, young and old. These helps are varied in character and are widely distributed through the volumes. They must be considered one at a time by the person who would a.s.sist others to use them to the best purpose. These helps consist of what are technically known as studies, notes, introductory notes, biographies, p.r.o.nouncing vocabularies, pictures, tables of contents and index. The following comments will make clear the purpose of each.

GRAPHIC CLa.s.sIFICATION OF MASTERPIECES -------------------------------------------------------------------- a.n.a.lysis I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ ++++ ---- Fables ++++ ---- V ++++ ---- o ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ l Fairy Stories ++++ ++++ ---- u Folk Lore ++++ ++++ ---- m ++++ ++++ ---- e ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ Stories Old ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ---- ---- X and New ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ---- ---- i ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ s Myths and ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ Cla.s.sic ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ a Literature ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ G Legendary ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ u Heroes ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ i ---- ++++ ++++ ++++ d ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ e ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ---- Biography ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ---- f ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ ---- o ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ r Travel and ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ---- Adventure ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ---- P ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ---- a ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ r ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ e History ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ n ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ t ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ s, Biblical, ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Moral, ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- T Religious ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- e ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ a ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ c Patriotism ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ h ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ++++ e ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ r ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ---- ---- s Nature ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ---- ---- a ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ n ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- d Humor ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- S ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ t ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- u Poetry ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- d ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- e ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ n ---- ---- t Drama ---- ---- s ---- ---- ----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ Studies ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ++++ --------------------------------------------------------------------