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"Those only who are endowed with a true greatness of soul and genius, can divest themselves of the little images of ridicule and admire nature in her simplicity andnakedness." Among the old-time children's books, were many editions of "The Children in the Wood." In the Half-Penny Series issued by J. G. Rusher, Banbury, about 1810, were "Children in the Wood," Historical Ballad (Norfolk); "Children in the Wood," restored by Honestus; "Children in the Wood," illustrated by William Harvey, a pupil of Thomas Bewick, in 1828. Some of these early illustrations are given in "Banbury Chap-Books," by Edwin Pearson, p. 37, Reader, 1890. In America, in 1825, "Babes in the Wood" was published by N. B. Holmes, New York, 36 pp., with plates. The story was included in "The Child's Own Book," London, about 1850, reprinted in the "Young Folks' Library," Hall & Locke, Boston, 1901.

The modern classic edition to present to children to-day is the illustrated "The Babes in the Wood," in Randolph Caldecott's Picture-Book No. 1. The story is here told by the artist in eight colored illustrations which present the leading episodes of the tale just as in the old time the wood-engravings did; and in twenty-two black and white. sketches that make very realistic this nursery tragedy.

A beautiful piece of sculpture, "The Babes in the Wood," may be seen in the Metropolitan Museum, New York City. In the purity of marble this shows the innocent children and the fairy touch, the kindly robins covering them with a pall of leaves.

Lesson

Teacher This morning we shall have a story which you will want to know because everybody knows about it. You would not like to hear people refer to it and not know what it was. But it is a sad story. Perhaps many of you do know of it. It is called "The Babes in the Wood" or "The Children in the Wood." While we are talking about it let us try to see how many pleasant things there are in the tale in spite of its being sad. We will study the story from "Randolph Caldecott's Picture-Book," and I know you will like that. We can see how beautiful are the pictures in spite of their being sad. (Teacher has a copy of "Babes in the Wood." The single story, by Randolph Caldecott, F. Warne.)

This is a very old story. It was written long ago, several hundred years ago. (Reads entire story, making the sad part as inconspicuous as possible. At the close of the story:) Let us look at the pictures now. Isn't this outside cover one beautiful? What part of the story does it tell about?

Pupil I suppose the two Children were sitting in the wood after the bad men left them and didn't come back. The Children look so frightened. Perhaps they heard a noise. But it was only a beautiful big Rabbit who looks so friendly. The Robins tried to be friendly. One sang to them. Another one above the Children looks as if she were taking care of them.

T. Yes, which was the mother bird, do you think? P. The bird above them was, because she looks smaller and her breast is not so gay.

T. What else is pleasing about this picture?

P. The beautiful leaves on the tree. They look like oak-leaves.

P. The bright red stockings the Babes wore and the

bright red of the little boy's suit, and the red feather of his cap.

P. There were pretty yellow flowers in the wood. T. In the old story the little girl's name was Jane and the little boy's Cassander. The next picture shows us how sick the Parents were. Who are the men in the picture? P. The Doctor and the Minister.

T. What do you notice about the Children?

P. They were playing beside the bed with their toys. They are happy, do not know anything is the matter. T. We'll look at all the pictures and you may tell what part of the story they tell you.

P. (Page 3) The Family are having breakfast. The Children are having a gay time.

T. Were they a poor Family?

P. No, they had a Servant and the Children had playthings and pretty clothes.

P. (Page 4) The Family were out in the Garden. The Children gathered flowers and took them to their Parents. They were a nice Family, they were kind to one another.

P. (Page 5) The Father wrote his will.

T. Yes, he gave a good deal of money to his children to be kept for them until they were grown. If they died their Uncle was to get the money. What does the second colored picture show? The line below it is some part of the story.

P. (Reads) Now, BROTHER, SAID THE DYING MAN, LOOK TO MY CHILDREN DEARE.

P. The Uncle came to see them. T. Do the Children look so happy? P. No. I suppose Cassander got a new blue ball from his Uncle. But the Children look worried. T. What is pretty in this picture?

P. The Uncle's blue suit and the green bed-curtains. P. (Page 7) The Uncle talks to the Children. I think he talks solemnly and tells them their Parents are very sick.

P. (Page 8) The Mother talks to the Uncle. Her hand shows she is talking.

P. (Page 9) The Children are at the foot of the bed. They feel frightened.

T. The next large picture, Page 10, tells about:

P. (Reads) WITH LIPPES AS COLD AS ANY STONE, THEY

KIST THE CHILDREN SMALL.

T. The Parents say good-bye to the Children. Caldecott makes this picture less sad because he has put so much color into it. Who are the people?

P. The Nurse has a blue suit. The Uncle has a beautiful blue suit. I suppose the Lady in yellow is his Wife. P. (Page 11) The Nurse takes the Children away. P. (Page 12) The Uncle promises to care for the Children.

Cassander. Now we come to one of the prettiest pictures. T. (Page 13) At the funeral the Uncle takes care of Read its title, please.

P. (Reads) THEIR PARENTS BEING DEAD & GONE, THE CHILDREN HOME HE TAKES.

T. What is pleasing in this picture?

P.

The beautiful green yard and the trees that arched over the road leading from the house.

P. The black velvet cloaks and clothes of the Uncle and Children. P.

Jane's doll and the little Boy's pin-wheel. P. The pretty house and the two dogs.

T. (Page 15) When the Uncle gets home he plays. with the Children. Then (Page 16) he plans to get their money. (Page 17) He bargains with two ruffians and (Page 18) he sends the Children off with them. Does his Wife know where they are going?

P. No. She thinks they are going to a friend in London. T. Will you read the title of our next large picture?

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T. The Children look very happy, but the Men look thoughtful. The Babes enjoyed a horse-back ride and the Men rode fast.

P. (Page 20) The Children chatted pleasantly to the Men.

T. (Page 21) When one ruffian wanted to kill Cassander the other ruffian fought him. (Page 22) They fought, and the next large picture shows how one man was killed and thrown into the pond. Of course the Children were frightened. (Page 24) We see the softer-hearted ruffian talking kindly to the Children and leading them away. (Page 25) He jumps on his horse and tells them to stay where they are until he comes back. Does he intend to come back?

P. No.

T. And then (Page 26) we see the Babes creep into a tree-trunk, and sit there for the night. There are no words under our next large picture (Page 27), but they are on the opposite page:

THESE PRETTY BABES, WITH HAND IN HAND,
WENT WANDERING UP AND DOWNE;

How can you tell they are in the wood?

P. You can see so many large ferns.

T. What do you notice about the Children that is pleasant?

P. The little Boy always takes care of his Sister. He does the best he can and he looks so brave.

T. Yes, what does he do for her here? (Page 28)

P. He picks berries for her to eat.

P. On Page 29 he puts his arm around her and tells her not to cry. But he looks scared himself. It must be night, for you can see the owl and the bat.

T. And then in our last large picture the title reads:

IN ONE ANOTHER'S ARMS THEY DYED. The beautiful part about this is that the Robins are covering them with leaves. (Page 31.) On the opposite page we see how all the animals are their friends. The Rabbits, the Geese, the Crane, and the Robins keep guard so that the wolves do not come near. I wish Caldecott had made the two dogs we saw, in the road, following the Children as they left home, find them now and help to guard them too, don't you? What is the most pleasing thing in this story?

P. The way the little Boy took care of Jane.

P. The friendly Robins. All the animals were friendly, but the Robins seemed just cheerful friends and were kind to them.

T. I have here a book with some pictures of old woodcuts that were engraved for this story. They were put in some children's books long ago. These books were called Banbury Chap-Books and these are the pictures. (Shows p. 37, of "Banbury Chap-Books," Edwin Pearson, Reader, London, 1890.) I have here a picture, too, of a beautiful piece of marble which I once saw in the Metropolitan Museum of New York City. The sculptor made the Babes very beautiful, didn't he? If you should come across this sculpture in an art museum you would know its story now, wouldn't you?

My Valentine

The rose is red, the violet's blue,
Carnation's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my Love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine;
The lot was cast, and then I drew,
And fortune said it should be you.
(Given in "Nursery Rhymes of England," Halliwell, p. 192.)
("Honey" is sometimes substituted for "carnation.")

St. Valentine's Day is a festival day observed by poets and lovers from time immemorial. The observance is more than 1600 years old, when the Christian Valentine was beaten by clubs and beheaded, at the time of the great heathen festival of love and purification.

Valentines were either of chance or choice, the first person seen by a man or woman on St. Valentine's morning, and such as were drawn by lot. Lady Valentines were honored, not by anonymous verses, but by substantial gifts. The Duke of York gave Miss Stewart, his Valentine, a jewel of 800 pounds in value; and in 1667 Lord Mandeville, being her Valentine, gave her a ring worth 300 pounds. A gentleman, drawn as a Valentine, would have been considered shabby not to accept the honor and responsibility. "This morning, called up by Mr. Hill, who my Wife thought had come to be her Valentine, she it seems having drawn him, but it proved not."

In the 17th century St. Francis de Sales severely forbade the custom of Valentines. To abolish it he changed it into giving billets with the names of certain saints for them to honor and imitate.

In 1667 the fashion first grew of using the modern epistolary valentine. Pepys, in his "Diary" says, "I do first observe the fashion of drawing of mottoes as well as names; so that Pierce, who drew my Wife's, did draw also a motto 'most courteous and most fair'; which as it may be used or an anagram made upon each name, might be very pretty."

The selection given above was one of the most usual forms for a valentine.

Three Jovial Welshmen*

(Given, with some changes, in "Mother Goose," Wheeler, and in "The Children's First Book of Poetry," E. K. Baker. A very interesting song, derived from this rhyme, is given in "Games and Songs of American Children," W. W. Newell, Harper's, p. 97.)

*Music and words on page 26.

Outlines for a Poster, after Caldecott

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Suggestions for Coloring Color the sky blue, ground light green, path light brown, trees dark brown; faces of thieves flesh color, hats brown with red feather, suit of thief with children light brown, collar and cuffs white; suit of other thief red; children light hair, white suit and dress trimmed with red, stockings red, shoes black,.hat brown with red feather.

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