In glancing over the books discussed in that early paper of mine, it
is curious to see how the very titles of some of the most prominent
have now disappeared from sight. Where are the Little Prudy books (p. xii)
which once headed the list? Where are the stories of Oliver Optic?
Where is Jacob Abbott's John Gay; or Work for Boys? Even Paul and
Virginia have vanished, taking with them the philosophic Rasselas and
even the pretty story of Undine. Nothing of that list of thirty titles
is now well remembered except Cooper's Leatherstocking and Jane
Andrews's Seven Little Sisters Who Live on the Round Ball That Floats
in the Air, a book which has been translated into the languages of
remote nations of the globe, I myself having seen the Chinese and
Japanese versions. Thus irregular is the award of time and we must
accept it. Meanwhile this new book is organized on a better plan than
any dreamed of at that former period, the books being arranged not
merely by classes alone, but according to the age of the proposed
readers and stretching in regular order from two years old until
fourteen. The whole number of books being very large, there is no
overdue limitation, and this forms the simple but magical method of
reaching every variety of childish mind.
Thus excellent have been the changes: yet it is curious to (p.
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