GREAT MYSTERIES
AND LITTLE PLAGUES.
BY JOHN NEAL.
BOSTON:
ROBERTS BROTHERS.
1870.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by
ROBERTS BROTHERS,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Dist. of
Massachusetts.
STEREOTYPED BY REGAN & LEADBEATER,
55 Water Street.
CHILDREN—WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?
"I'll give oo a kith if oo want one!"
PREFACE.
I hate prefaces; and the older I grow, the more I hate them, and themore unwilling I am to transgress—in that way—with my eyes open.
But something must be said, I suppose, if only by way of anadvertisement, or warning.
When I had finished what one of my daughters persists in calling my"Naughty-Biography," and the other, "Personalities"—while my hair hasgrown visibly thinner, I will not say under what kind of domesticremonstrance from another quarter, and a very amiable, though wittysomebody writes it "Maundering Recollections"—I had an idea that, ifI went further, I might be found "painting the lily, gilding refinedgold," etc., etc., and so I pulled up—for the present.
But this little book was already under way. I had promised it, and suchpromises I always keep—and for the best of reasons: I cannot afford tobreak them.
When I turned out the original of "Children—What are they good for?"some forty years ago, or thereabouts, I had never met with, nor heardof, anything in that way. Children were overlooked. Their droppings wereunheeded—out of the nursery. But now, and in fact very soon after mylittle essay appeared in the "Atlantic Souvenir," if I do not mistake,the papers and magazines, both abroad and at home, were continuallybrightened up with diamond-sparks and with Down-easterly or "Orientpearls, at random strung," which seemed to have been picked up inplay-grounds, or adrift, or along the highway; and itemizers were seendodging round among the little folks, wherever they were congregated, orfollowing them as the Chinese follow a stranger, if they see him makewry faces.
For amusement only, and to keep myself out of mischief—I hope I havesucceeded—just after the fire, not having much to do beyond twirling mythumbs, and trying to whistle "I cares for nobody, and nobody cares forme," I began collecting such as fell in my way.
My first idea was to call them "Kindling-Stuff," or
"Oven-Wood," as characteristic, if not of them, at least of thecompiler; but finding the collection grew upon me, and myself growingserious, I adopted "Pickings and Stealings," which, on the whole, Ithink still more characteristic, beside being both suggestive anddescriptive.
"Goody Gracious, a Fairy Story," I wrote for the purpose of showing—andproving—that fairy stories need not be crowded with extravagantimpossibilities, to engage the attention of our little folks; and thatif they are so contrived as to seem true, or at least possible, theyneed not be unwholesome. Am I wrong?
And furthermore saith not, as Jacob Barker used to write, at the bottomof his letters,
"Your respected friend,"
J. N.