Did you ever tell a story of this kind and watch its effect upon
children? Did you ever note that fatal moment when it BEGAN to BEGIN
to dawn upon the intelligence of the dullest member of your flock that
your narrative was a "whited sepulchre," and that he was being
instructed within an inch of his life?

"Treat me at least with honesty, my good woman!" he cries in his
spirit. "Read me lessons if you will, but do not make a pretense of
amusing me at the same moment!"

This obvious attitude of criticism is very disagreeable to you, but
never mind, it will be a salutary lesson. Did you think, O clumsy
visitor in childhood land, that simply because you called your stuffed
dolls "Prince" and "Princess" you could conduct them straight through
the mineral kingdom, and allow them to converse with all the metals
with impunity? Nest time make your scientific fact an integral part of
the story, and do not try to introduce too much knowledge in one dose.
All children love Nature and sympathize with her (or if they do not,
"then despair of them, O Philanthropy!"), and all stories that bring
them nearer to the dear mother's heart bring them at the same time
nearer to God; therefore lead them gently to a loving observation of

"The hills
Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun; the vales
Stretching in pensive quietness between;
The venerable woods; rivers that move
In majesty, and the complaining brooks
That make the meadows green."