THE FIRST BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1144, 3 June 1911, Page 10

THE FIRST BOOK.

In Paper Case, Hard by this place, Dead a poor Dormouse Hoc, And soon or late, Summoned by Fate, Each Prince, each Monarch dies. '; Ye Sons of Verso, While I rehearse, Attend instructive rhyme; N'o sins had Dor To answer for; Repent of yours in time. How many of tho children of tho pro sent day arc acquainted with this short poem? asks Emily Shore in an English paper. It, must have been well known to their great-great-grandfathers,, for it is from tho pen of ono of tho scholars in that fascinating littlo school of Mistress Margery Meamvell, commonly caled Old Goody Two-Shoes, and was first made known to tho world of literature somewhere about tho year 17C0. Since that,time there have'been several editions-, of tho history of Littlo Goody Two-Shoes, but all omit this charming poem, as well as many quaint episodes in tho life of the little schoolmistress. The reasons for these omissions are in many cases plain enough, but one cannot- tell why the verses upon, the Dormouse should'not be in any modern version. "No sins had Dor"— 'what a delightful abbreviation I—and who exactly aro the Sons of Verso P Poem and story alike aro, of course, exceedingly moral, as, indeed, was all childrcn'.s literaturo until a very recent period. Goody Two-Shoes appears to liavo been one of the first—if not tho very first—of books written for,, children. What an incalculable number have appeared since its time I And how they have altered in every respect'l Considering that it is only a hunijred and ntty years since the publication of this littlo volume, it is wonderful what changes have taken place. -V. This third edition of "Old Goody TwoShoes," printed.in the year J7G6, and variously attributed to fjiles Jones and to Oliver Goldsmith, is preserved'today in the reading-room of tho British Museum.. It is..about 2J by 2~inches in size, and contains many tiny prints, about half an inch square; and it i 8 dedicated "To all Young Gentlemen and Ladieg who are good or intend to bo Good." And yet the whole book does not appear to he intended for vcrv young gentlemen "and ladies, good or otherwise. ■Near-the.b.eginnihg is a-disserta-,itio]i,;on.>ilifliisiiUo'of.!.tlir! :Clituch.'nntl on the character of him who was "perpetual churchwarden" in" the village where little Margery Meamvell was born. "And judge, 0 ye Christians, what state the Church must be in when supported by a man without- religion or virtue." Then we have tho account of little Margery's father being turned out of doors becauso ho cannot pay his rent, and (lying misirably, in a place where Dr. James's powder was not to ho had I The latter interesting statement is, omitted in the modern, editions. -One wonders whether Dr. -James, of revered memory, paid for .tho insertion of this small advertisement. After the death of her- husband, Margery's' mother "sighs away her soul," and Margery is left on the charity of friends. Tho means whereby she obtains her littlo school is related in the modern editions, but much of tho description of the school is omitted, notably one part about a very naughty girl, Polly Sullen, who refuses to pray for her enemies j whilst Margery, for her part, declares that she and the other children will no longer contiuuo to keep company with such a naughty, proud, perverse girl as Polly. However, the quarrel is smoothed over, and the children are set to compose lessons for the conduct of life, such as "Honey catches more flic 3 than vinegar,"- "Patience is a plaister for all sores," etc.

Mistress Two-Shoos is frequently somewhat dictatorial. There is an account of how she impertinently—we think—rebukes an case-loving gentleman, advising him to go to bed and get up when tho larks did, and to eat and drink only what ho earned. Then wo have the" narration of how Margery found herself locked into tho church at night, alter attending Lady Ducklington's funeral, and rang tho hell in the steeple, when tho villagers, imagining it to bo Lady Ducklington's ghost, were too frightened to appear. Margery, at lirst much alarmed, consoles herself with the rellcetion that .she has always been very constant at prayers, and lias endeavoured to do good, and not harm, and, thinks she, "1 am sure any little boy or girl who is good and love's God Almighty may as safely lie in a church or churchyard as anywhere else, if they take caro not to get cold." This last proviso ia a very sensible one.