QUEEN VICTORIA'S CHILD LIBRARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 406, 15 January 1909, Page 3

QUEEN VICTORIA'S CHILD LIBRARY.

: "'''< : ■';•■' ■ \ h l AVe ; haVfe:';had:S a:..SwpnderfuL- ;°NgYpmb.er: : : girl..now;' ( Msiting;'Lon-., ; : '- ; ;"•'.^^-'%6ntti^■of'iflgsj;.■vWa!had^one : inVodttb'er,-and , " :/;v'-- : '\v:'BeTOral>-mist.s:''-this : ;inonthj--b'ut\Hli^Ms-.,a11;-' '-:.''■'. To-day-it; niightirbe ( spring: .a • f , ,'■■- ::'.-bright ::blue('skyif with;,white ■ 'clouds .; sailing ! . :''>'. ' across, Vas'iunlikelthe 'November'of the'poets . (:--"-(:(as:;c(^(be.-( ,: iagainV'thistimoj.to.-tbe-Lo'rd Show,- (; : Gallery ; ;;:(; ; and -. Palace,, Palace:is(' aptly' (described 'by c.:' : ' , 'Ba^deler'';; ; 'as : .':anj' unassuming ■ brick .'■ '■■(■ .'edifice."-; Most;bf: it is. let .in-suites, -like -."■ Hampton.' Court,;;tb: ''aristocratic pensioners. ; •':' of the Crown:" if Princess lives ,iri [ -; one (wing:: / It.(w!);s:,bu'ilt(for(';;' William' :'and( .';: Mary;' (and'the''.'last: .sovereign;• to live'.there i--'i. r.'was George ll.,j,(There's /information (for .■-(,,:(' ybu!),"lts;,chief(interest-X6v'.is>th'e::cbll«ction' .';':' ':: of toys( 'and books) .belonging (to; Queen:Vici, , In-glass . ;. I. •.'/'cases ,inTone• room'-;are ; ;booksof hers—books : oi; : : V!,whicb:she' ; had'ab( r a;'' child, and. ;girl—the' •'■". quainte'st:old-fashioned.bo : oks;/little old story--books—the kind written {to. "instruct"as well y : :''. i as:amuse>"; old three-volume novels, the titles . ..'.-'■'; indicating that '.tliey.(belong( to a class emin-' ehtly/:smted;.to-young'laSes!.:,.Thero were -■ '(; ( : ■■'■; various, b6pks^a : |liis^or^'of England■ :,';. '■ in; tenor: twelve (votumeSj '■. the -(very.; same ~'V ,:;' (Mother says) from which she was instructed '/:"!'■■;'' iri:youthj;'lVorksi;iuiGennan and French are ,:: i |''... there', too, ■'. and;'several books' given' by "her s ■ '; ; f i: to -her mother, b'jy'eri at tHe higH-flowri and very .';'■. early; kVictorian ;■ inscriptions—"To dearest . - s.■i'Mamina,,;from''her (affectionate r and' dutiful '■■■'i'.' : - - -daughter Victbria.''.:."These evidently; .we're .'.;.-■' written;when the 1 Queen was) very young, for ;•: :; ' lines'iwerb,carefully;ruled to'keep the writing - .. straight;-! 'Most interesting of all is, her: first ■-■'.I accountrbook,' presented '. by.her mother with '■;.-;her-first;;regufarVallowdnce. of, £7 ; a month '■''%/•■■ when the child was only eight. -V/If is opefr at. . ";■!.-■'-, the:-, 'To( (Victoria, ; : fromi,; her '(;( .;affectionate mother,'upon the .(occasion ;_ of •' ■'■'.'.';■■ -.your'firstregular-allbwance; .•'..'.; wishing . ;; ■■; .-to- remind youvof : the ((opportunity ; wnich. money afford?;'ius."lof( ; alleviating 'the. coridi- -;-,; ' ■ tion-;of: others, consistently with the. perfor- : 'mance of (those:duties( which we owe to our■V '(: 6elves.!';';('(;l : , can't!:,remember.; all—there '.'•■-> i'■■■■■: was'a 'good-deal ;more4-but it' gives ybu an ' ;;. idea 'of -the(wayHthe princess,-was brought. -.- -■. up,; and what'; was 'expected of her kt eight. ; '■'years!!: Poor child.; Oh the Opposite-page '.'('•'"'. -is.her first '/month's'expenditure, set out.in ':■■' the most business-jlike way, in a small/ clear, ''-,' : ;' and perfectly-formed writing; simply ;astound- ',:.: .'. ing for. her. ;rathor pathetic: testi- :'■ . m'ony to the .thoroughness.of her--education.' ' : - : : iy. 'In.'.the next. . room'■..are her toys, the (".simplest little; toys pbs3iblo, a doll's house, .(;;.- very- plainly, furnished,' a; little-wax doll in a - :v,;" cradle,.-some treeii'.ah'd: wooden', houses : froni ■■ '(■ ■■'~' .a'i'.-Noah's carriage, : ': : miniature stages (with -figures',-who, evidently: -.'-,'■': worked by clock-work and: acted a - play, - and ■ .' : ( r/ . a'(--miniature' ;\weaying-lobm : . (instruction ' (( blerided'witli .pleasure, you'see!) - Altogether it;, was; ono.''bf (.the'.most .interesting things; ;. ■ ■.(' (U,; -we have - seenv.;. ; :.;r( \- ;.;', ;■; v - ;'-■' .::'. ( (::.(' ; 'Mr. I'rthur'.E-ackham says ugly, toys should (■'•'■'■ be; banished from".hursorylaud.-.- Clearly he ' . has.: hot'yet (studied the art, of being , a -'.((;'■> father (says 'an.'Eiiglish.paper). .Por there are few 'children ihafi will (not- more".readily' -'-. - bestow'their affection, oh a golliwog: th'ah;a v fairydoll, or-hug'(nCoran'd Ache monstros-'-ity-rather than a model animal;; One does not '' V' attempt to explain why this' is,- but so it is. :'-.:■' If is the repellent "coal-black .Jakes," the beady-eyed .'hideous' monkeys, ..the, .rough '-' •(■' ''■'■ - bears, tho : battered old, stumps of onceifair 'dolls',.-'the travesties of cats 'and .nightmares, of (dogs,that are dear ;.tb the hearts.of little men ;and maidens; and' one "'' has only to take il 'child into & toy shop and, ;-'■'-. . give.it.free, choice'(to(see which it likes the , ■'- -"■'" better,:a: grotesque *toy, or, a so-called thing I ■'" ■'- '■': of(beautv. ■ Put the question-to nurses, and "they will soon (dispel anyidea that, you'can ; ( make children: prefer the,beautiful to the ;"■■■;('' :-'ugly.(;((;(>;;;(','(!;(;;-,;' :;(('. : (. ; .;-,(v. : ;',..:-. .'■(.We'motorists know, the'absurdity of, the ( twentyAmile -speed limits-let alone (•; ' any ten-mile; limit—which now prevails, but ;'.-' there-are thousands :bf inhabitants in the -■•■('"■ British Isles who, would bo horrified if they were told what actual;speeds are absolutely '■'-..'-. : safe.; on,- tho( very' best.; 1 cars of ' to-day.— , .-."-':.'■(-'"A'utomotor; Journal."' -' ' .For Children's ((Hacking.,Cough : ; at:,. night foods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is. 6d. and 2a. -/'.,6 d.'. ;'••:.; .;(.;';:. ~.,('. ..■';,( CSI-