From Canal Boy to President
The present series of volumes has been undertaken with the view of supplying the want of a class of books for children, of a vigorous, manly tone, combined with a plain and concise mode of narration. The writings of Charles Dickens have been selected as the basis of the scheme, on account of the well-known excellence of his portrayal of children, and the interests connected with children--qualities which have given his volumes their strongest hold on the hearts of parents. These delineations having thus received the approval of readers of mature age, it seemed a worthy effort to make the young also participants in the enjoyment of these classic fictions, to introduce the children of real life to these beautiful children of the imagination. With this view, the career of Little Nell and her Grandfather, Oliver, Little Paul, Florence Dombey, Smike, and the Child-Wife, have been detached from the large mass of matter with which they were originally connected, and presented, in the author's own language, to a new class of readers, to whom the little volumes will we doubt not, be as attractive as the larger originals have so long proved to the general public. We have brought down these famous stories from the library to the nursery--the parlor table to the child's hands--having a precedent
The clock in the hall tingled a chime, sweet almost playful music
for the elves of midnight and a challenge to baser intruders. Jane
must have dozed when she suddenly became conscious of something--
Was it a noise? She listened, alert and all but quivering in
anticipation. There never had been any question of actual danger
surrounding the weird happenings, but now that she faced the mystery
something very like panic seized her.
Yes--again! That was surely something metallic!
"Quick, Judy!" she roused the sleeping girl on the bed. "Follow me.
There it is--beginning."
"Where! What!" Judith sat up and snatched her robe.
"I'm going to the attic. I am sure it is up there!" and Jane flew
out quietly, in fact noiselessly, into the dimly lighted hall.
A queer rumbling sound came from somewhere. Jane could not locate it
for it seemed shut in, walled up! It was mechanical yet muffled!
Judith reached Jane as she stood listening.
"Where is it?" she whispered.
The present series of volumes has been undertaken with the view of supplying the want of a class of books for children, of a vigorous, manly tone, combined with a plain and concise mode of narration. The writings of Charles Dickens have been selected as the basis of the scheme, on account of the well-known excellence of his portrayal of children, and the interests connected with children--qualities which have given his volumes their strongest hold on the hearts of parents. These delineations having thus received the approval of readers of mature age, it seemed a worthy effort to make the young also participants in the enjoyment of these classic fictions, to introduce the children of real life to these beautiful children of the imagination. With this view, the career of Little Nell and her Grandfather, Oliver, Little Paul, Florence Dombey, Smike, and the Child-Wife, have been detached from the large mass of matter with which they were originally connected, and presented, in the author's own language, to a new class of readers, to whom the little volumes will we doubt not, be as attractive as the larger originals have so long proved to the general public. We have brought down these famous stories from the library to the nursery--the parlor table to the child's hands--having a precedent