His poems too always kindle afresh that spark of child-life which still lies smouldering in the hearts of us all, no matter how poor and sorrowful our beginnings. As we read, how the old memories come back to us! Old hopes, rosy with the expectation of the indefinite and unknowable. Old misgivings and fears; old rompings and holidays and precious idle hours. We know them all, and we know how true they are. We remember in our own case the very hour and day, and how it all happened and why, and what came of it,—joys and sorrows as real as our keenest experiences since. 

 This is a heritage plentiful and noble,—and this heritage is Field's. 

 In the last paragraphs of that tender prose poem of "Bill—the Lokil Editor"—one of the Profitable Tales—Bill—"alluz fond uv children 'nd birds 'nd flowers"—Bill, who was like the old sycamore that the lightning had struck,—with the vines spread all around and over it, covering its scars and splintered branches—occurs this passage: 

 "——That's Bill perhaps as he stands up f'r jedgment—a miserable, tremblin', 'nd unworthy thing, perhaps, but twined about, all over, with singin' and pleadin' little children—and that is pleasin' in God's sight, I know." 

 If Field had nothing else to bring he could say truthfully as he faced his Master: 

 "I followed in your footsteps. I loved the children and the children loved me." 

 F. HOPKINSON SMITH. 

 

 The Tales in this Book 

 

 HUMIN NATUR' ON THE HAN'BUL 'ND ST. JO. THE MOTHER IN PARADISE MR. AND MRS. BLOSSOM DEATH AND THE SOLDIER THE 'JININ' FARMS THE ANGEL AND THE FLOWERS THE CHILD'S LETTER THE SINGER MOTHER THE TWO WIVES THE WOOING OF MISS WOPPIT THE TALISMAN GEORGE'S BIRTHDAY SWEET-ONE-DARLING AND THE DREAM-FAIRIES SWEET-ONE-DARLING AND THE MOON-GARDEN SAMUEL COWLES AND HIS HORSE ROYAL THE WEREWOLF A MARVELLOUS INVENTION THE STORY OF XANTHIPPE BAKED BEANS AND CULTURE MLLE. PRUD'HOMME'S BOOK THE DEMAND FOR CONDENSED MUSIC LEARNING AND LITERATURE  "DIE WALKÜRE" UND DER BOOMERANGELUNGEN THE WORKS OF SAPPHO 

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