Forms of gods and heroes more distinctly seen, and with eyes of nearer
love then than now!--our true uncle, Sir Roger de Coverley, and ye,
fair realms of Nature's history, whose pictures we tormented all grown
persons to illustrate with more knowledge, still more,--how we bless
the chance that gave to us your great realities, which life has daily
helped us, helps us still, to interpret, instead of thin and baseless
fictions that would all this time have hampered us, though with only
cobwebs!
Children need some childish talk, some childish play, some childish
books. But they also need, and need more, difficulties to overcome,
and a sense of the vast mysteries which the progress of their
intelligence shall aid them to unravel. This sense is naturally their
delight, as it is their religion, and it must not be dulled by
premature explanations or subterfuges of any kind. There has been too
much of this lately.
Miss Edgeworth is an excellent writer for children. She is a child
herself, as she writes, nursed anew by her own genius. It is not by
imitating, but by reproducing childhood, that the writer becomes its
companion. Then, indeed, we have something especially good, for,
"Like wine, well-kept and long,
Heady, nor harsh, nor strong,
With each succeeding year is quaffed,
A richer, purer, mellower draught.
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