man. Designed for the use of schools, or for children before they go to
school."

[Illustration: _Title-page from "The Child's new Play-Thing"_]

Coverless and faded, hard usage is written in unmistakable characters
upon this play-thing of a whole family. Upon a fly-leaf are the
autographs of "Ebenezer Ware and Sarah Ware, Their Book," and upon
another page these two names with the addition of the signatures of
"Ichabod Ware and Cyrus Ware 1787." One parent may have used it when it
was fresh from the press of Draper & Edwards in Boston; then, through
enforced economy, handed it down to the next generation, who doubtless
scorned the dedication so eminently proper in seventeen hundred and
fifty, so thoroughly out of place thirty-seven years later. There it
stands in large black type:

To his ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE GEORGE This Little
Play-thing is most humbly dedicated
By
His ROYAL HIGHNESS'S
Devoted Servant

Of especial interest are the alphabets in "Roman, Italian, and English
Names" on the third page, while page four contains the dear old alphabet
in rhyme, fortunately not altogether forgotten in this prosaic age. We
recognize it as soon as we see it.

"A Apple-Pye
B bit it
C cut it,"