cover

LEFT TO THEMSELVES

BEING

THE ORDEAL OF PHILIP AND GERALD

BY

EDWARD IRENÆUS STEVENSON

Author of “The Golden Moon,” “White Cockades,” “Janus,” etc.


NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON
CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & STOWE
1891


Copyright, 1891, by

HUNT & EATON,

New York.


TO

H. Harkness Flagler

THIS VIGNETTE OF THE BEGINNING OF AN EARLYAND LASTING FRIENDSHIP

IS INSCRIBED


ΑΘ. τοιγὰρ κατὰ χθόν’ οὖσ’ ἐπικτήσει φίλους.—Æschylus.


[5]

PREFACE.

A preface to a little book of this sort is an anomaly.Consequently it should be understood the sooner thatthese fore-words are not intended for any boys or girls thattake up Left to Themselves. It is solely for the benefit ofthe adult reader led by curiosity or carefulness to open thebook. The young reader will use his old privilege and skip it.

It was lately observed, with a good deal of truth, that childhoodand youth in their relations to literature are moderndiscoveries. To compare reading for the boys or girls of to-daywith that purveyed even twenty-five years ago, in quantityand quality, is a trite superfluity.

But it has begun to look as if catering to this discoveryof what young minds relish and of what they absorb has goneincautiously far. There exists a good measure of forgetfulnessthat children, after all is said, are little men and littlewomen, with hearts and heads, as well as merely imaginationsto be tickled. Undoubtedly these last must be stirred in thestory. But there is always a large element of the youngreading public to whom character in fiction, and a definite ideaof human nature through fiction, and the impression of downrightpersonality through fiction, are the main interests—perhapsunconsciously—and work a charm and influence good orbad in a very high degree. A child does not always live in andcare for the eternal story, story, story, incident, incident, incident,of literature written for him. There are plenty of philosophersnot yet arrived at tail-coats or long frocks. They sit inthe corners of the library or school-room. They think out andfeel the personality in narrative deeply. This element, apartfrom incident, in a story means far more to impress and hold[6]and mold than what happens. Indeed, in the model storyfor young readers—one often says it, but often does not succeedin illustrating it—the clear embodiment of characteris of the first importance, however stirring or however artisticallytreated or beneficial the incidental side. Jack feelsmore than he says from the personal contact, feels more, maybe, than he knows; and Jill is surely apt to be as sensitiveas Jack.

Has there not little by little come to be a little too muchof kindly writing down to childhood and to youth? of writingdown to it until we are in danger of losing its level and gettingbelow it? Is not thoughtless youth more thoughtful thanour credit extends to it? Certainly a nice sense of the balancebetween sugar and pill seems needed j

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