Evenings at Home; Or, The Juvenile Budget Opened
Transcriber's Note:
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
A. C. CHAPMAN, Del J. A. ADAMS Sc CANUTE’S REPROOF.
BY DR. AIKIN AND MRS. BARBAULD.
Revised Edition.
FROM THE FIFTEENTH LONDON EDITION.
ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS AFTER HARVEY AND CHAPMAN, BY ADAMS.
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
82 CLIFF STREET.
In presenting to the American public this new and beautiful edition of a work that has been established as a favourite for nearly half a century, the publishers do not think it needful to enlarge upon its merits, or to point out the attractions which have secured for it a popularity so universal and long continued. Fifteen editions in England, and probably an equal or greater number in this country, have already borne testimony in that behalf, much stronger than any praises which they can bestow. Yet they may be permitted briefly to suggest a comparison between this charming specimen of the good old school, and most of the illustrated works that have recently been brought out in such profusion, professedly for the entertainment and instruction of youth; works, in the majority of which there is exhibited so little of that peculiar talent required for imparting instruction with entertainment, and so little judgment in the choice of subjects, as well as in the manner of dealing with them. The great defect of these books—at least the greater portion of them—is the total want of pure and unaffected simplicity; the principal characteristic of well-trained youth, and therefore indispensable in everything designed for youthful readers. Multitudes of authors have written, of late years, for childhood; but small, indeed, is the number of those who, like Mrs. Barbauld and Dr. Aikin, possess the faculty of adaptation to the tastes and intellects of children; and in the effort to make books suited to those tastes and intellects, they succeed only in producing things too puerile for grown-up people, and so tainted with the affectation of simplicity that the natural feelings of the child can give to them no sympathy. And it would be a subject for rejoicing if this were the worst or only fault with which some of them are chargeable.
John Aikin
Mrs. Barbauld
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PREFACE BY THE AMERICAN PUBLISHERS.
PREFACE TO THE FIFTEENTH LONDON EDITION.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION
THE YOUNG MOUSE.—A Fable.
THE WASP AND BEE.—A Fable.
THE GOOSE AND HORSE.—A Fable.
THE FLYING-FISH.
THE LITTLE DOG.—A Fable.
TRAVELLERS’ WONDERS.
THE DISCONTENTED SQUIRREL.
ON THE MARTEN.
MOUSE, LAPDOG, AND MONKEY.—A Fable.
ANIMALS AND THEIR COUNTRIES.
THE MASK OF NATURE.
THE FARMYARD JOURNAL.
JOURNAL.
THE PRICE OF PLEASURE.
THE RAT WITH A BELL.—A Fable.
THE DOG BALKED OF HIS DINNER.—A Tale.
THE KID.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT.
ORDER AND DISORDER.—A Fairy Tale.
LIVE DOLLS.
THE HOG AND OTHER ANIMALS.
THE BULLIES.
THE TRAVELLED ANT.
THE COLONISTS.
THE DOG AND HIS RELATIONS.
THE HISTORY AND ADVENTURES OF A CAT.
CANUTE’S REPROOF TO HIS COURTIERS.
ON THE OAK.—A Dialogue.
ALFRED.—A Drama.
ON THE PINE AND FIR TRIBE.—A Dialogue.
ON DIFFERENT STATIONS IN LIFE.—A Dialogue.
THE ROOKERY.
THE SHIP.
THINGS BY THEIR RIGHT NAMES.
THE TRANSMIGRATIONS OF INDUR.
THE SWALLOW AND TORTOISE.
THE GRASS-TRIBE.
A TEA LECTURE.
THE KIDNAPPERS.
ON MANUFACTURES.
A LESSON IN THE ART OF DISTINGUISHING.
THE PHENIX AND DOVE.
THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER.
THE TWO ROBBERS.
THE COUNCIL OF QUADRUPEDS.
TIT FOR TAT.—A Tale.
ON WINE AND SPIRITS.
THE BOY WITHOUT A GENIUS.
HALF A CROWN’S WORTH.
THE LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.
ON MAN.
WALKING THE STREETS.—A Parable.
THE COMPOUND-FLOWERED PLANTS.
ON PRESENCE OF MIND.
PHAETON JUNIOR: or, The Gig Demolished.
WHY AN APPLE FALLS.
NATURE AND EDUCATION.—A Fable.
AVERSION SUBDUED.—A Drama.
THE LITTLE PHILOSOPHER.
WHAT ANIMALS ARE MADE FOR.
TRUE HEROISM.
FLYING AND SWIMMING.
THE FEMALE CHOICE.—A Tale.
EYES AND NO EYES; OR, THE ART OF SEEING.
WHY THE EARTH MOVES ROUND THE SUN.
THE UMBELLIFEROUS PLANTS.
HUMBLE LIFE; OR, THE COTTAGERS.
THE BIRTHDAY GIFT.
ON EARTHS AND STONES
SHOW AND USE; OR, THE TWO PRESENTS.
THE CRUCIFORM-FLOWERED PLANTS.
THE NATIVE VILLAGE.—A Drama.
PERSEVERANCE AGAINST FORTUNE.—A Story.
THE GOLDFINCH AND LINNET.
THE PRICE OF A VICTORY.
GOOD COMPANY.
THE WANDERER’S RETURN.
DIFFERENCE AND AGREEMENT OR, SUNDAY MORNING.
THE LANDLORD’S VISIT.—A Drama.
ON EMBLEMS.
LEDYARD’S PRAISE OF WOMEN.
GENEROUS REVENGE.
THE POWER OF HABIT.
THE COST OF A WAR.
GREAT MEN.
THE FOUR SISTERS.
THE GAIN OF A LOSS.
WISE MEN.
A FRIEND IN NEED.
EARTH AND HER CHILDREN.
A SECRET CHARACTER UNVEILED.
A GLOBE-LECTURE.
ENVY AND EMULATION.
PROVIDENCE; OR, THE SHIPWRECK.
EPILOGUE.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
