however keenly suspicious. But if you wish to teach
gentleness and kindness as well, let them be shown in your story by some
noisy boy who can climb trees, or some active, merry, hoydenish girl who
can run like Atalanta; and don't imply a falsehood by attributing them
always to the quiet children.

Mr. Abbott's books have spoiled our children's books, and have done
their best to spoil our children, too. There is no fresh, manly life in
his stories; anything of the kind is sourly frowned down. Rollo, while
strolling along, picturesquely, perhaps, but stupidly, sees A Noisy Boy,
and is warned by his insufferable father to keep out of that boy's way.
That Noisy Boy infallibly turns out vicious. Is that sound doctrine?
Will that teach a child to admire courage and activity? If he is ever
able to appreciate the swing and vigor of Macaulay's Lays, it will not
be because you trained him on such lyrics as

"In the winter, when 'tis mild,
We may run, but not be wild;
But in summer, we must walk,
And improve our time by talk" (!)

but because that Noisy Boy found him out,--and, quarrelling with him,
(your boy, marvellous to relate! having provoked the quarrel by some
mean trick, in spite of his seraphic training,) gave him a black
eye,--and afterwards, turning out to be the best-hearted Noisy Boy in
the world, taught him to climb trees and hunt for birds' nests,--and
stopped him when he was going to kill the little birds, (for your
pattern boy--poor child! how could he help it?--was as cruel as he was
timid,)--and imparted to him the sublime mysteries of base-ball and tag
and hockey,--and taught him to swim and row, and to fight bigger boys
and leave smaller boys in peace, instructions which he was at first
inclined to reverse,--and put him in the way to be an honest, fearless
man, when he was in danger of becoming a white-faced and white-livered
spooney. And that Noisy Boy himself, perversely declining to verify Mr.
Abbott's decorous prophecies, has not turned out badly, after all, but
has Reverend before his name and reverence in his heart, and has his
theology sound because his lungs are so. No doubt, Tom Jones often turns
out badly, but Master Blifil always does,--a fact which Mr. Abbott would
do well to note and perpend.

What! Because Rollo is virtuous, shall there be no more mud-cakes and
ale? Marry, but there shall! Don't keep a boy out of his share of free
movement and free air, and don't keep a girl