7. Flattery as a vice is made to seem unworthy, and its victim ridiculous in the two selections following:
- The Fox and the Crow, Volume I, page 64.
- The Spider and the Fly, III, 19.
B. Our character is largely made up of our feelings and emotions. Reason takes us in hand and tells us right from wrong, but we must feel before we can act. To cultivate right feeling, laudable emotions; to make one wish to do and hence will to do is perhaps the greatest function of real literature, that is the literature of beauty and of inspiration. Our collection is rich in this direction and to find material for lessons is an easy task. Yet not everyone has the time to find, classify and use everything; hence the following lists.
Before giving them, however, a word of caution is necessary. Remember that these selections are not all suitable for children of every age. Some that will delight the little children and stimulate them to enthusiastic efforts to do right, will not appeal to older ones. Moreover, the natural bent of a child’s mind, the associations he has formed, his home surroundings, and his present character will all need to be considered before making choice of the subject matter. As for the manner of presentation, enough will be found in the studies in Journeys Through Bookland and in other parts of this volume safely to guide the young and inexperienced.
1. The influences of home and family are the greatest that come into the lives of most children. Love of home, of parents, of brothers and sisters, of children, are the perfectly natural things of existence. Yet often the ties are weak; not infrequently are they broken. Children drift away from the restraining and helpful influence of their parents, and families disintegrate. The results are bad. By properly teaching such selections as the following, much may be done to correct the evil and to intensify the highest, holiest emotions of mankind:
- The Rock-a-by Lady, Volume I, page 94.
- Little Birdie, I, 142.
- Sleep, Baby, Sleep, I, 204.
- Old Gaelic Lullaby, I, 203.
- Lady Button-Eyes, I, 366.
- The First Snowfall, II, 403.
- Rain on the Roof, IV, 7.
- Pictures of Memory, IV, 127.
- Bernardo del Carpio, IV, 270.
- Rab and his Friends, VI, 99.
- Childhood, VI, 124.
- Home, Sweet Home, VI, 221.
- Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead, VI, 231.
- A Christmas Carol, VI, 244.
- To My Infant Son, VI, 478.
- The Old Oaken Bucket, VII, 11.
- My Old Kentucky Home, VII, 179.
- The Forsaken Merman, VII, 180.
- Tom and Maggie Tulliver, VII, 186.
- The Family of Michael Arout, VII, 314.
- On Receipt of My Mother’s Picture, VII, 331.
- Extract from Snowbound, VII, 388.
- The Cotter’s Saturday Night, VIII, 319.
- Dream Children, VIII, 335.
2. Honesty and truthfulness are cardinal virtues; they are the foundation of every strong character. Teach these selections and note their effect:
- The Shepherd Boy and the Wolves, Volume I, page 92.
- The Falcon and the Partridge, II, 6.
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin, III, 384.
- The Cubes of Truth, VII, 406.
3. Friendliness, kindness, consideration of others, charity and love are a group of strong characteristics which are admirably shown in the following: