Eyes and No Eyes, and Other Stories — Jane Taylor
Eyes and No Eyes and Other Stories, by Various Authors, a Project Gutenberg eBook. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Eyes and No Eyes, and Other Stories Editor : M. V. O'Shea Author : John Aikin Mrs. Barbauld Mrs. Marcet Jane Taylor Release date : November 22, 2020 [eBook #63850] Most recently updated: October 18, 2024 Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63850 Credits : Produced by Tom Cosmas from files made available at The Internet Archive. *** START OF V. O'SHEA PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION IN THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO ATLANTA DALLAS SAN FRANCISCO LONDON Copyright, 1900, By D. C. Heath & Co. Printed in U. S. A. 3F0 Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, in "Over the Teacups," says of the story "Eyes and No Eyes":— "I have never seen anything of the kind half so good. I advise you, if you are a child anywhere under forty-five, and do not yet wear glasses, to send at once for "Evenings at Home," and read that story. For myself I am always grateful to the writer of it for calling my attention to common things." PREFACE Whatever will stimulate the observing tendencies of the young cannot but be of value to them. "Eyes and No Eyes" does this in a delightful way. The story is so natural that the child is wrapped up in it, and so it makes a deep impress upon him. Much less could be accomplished by simply telling him to observe, or lecturing upon the value of keeping one's eyes open. But when the reader sees how much more William gets out of his walk than Robert, and what marvellous things exist everywhere if one is on the lookout for them, he is himself incited to examine with greater care the many more or less ordinary things he has neglected heretofore. William and Robert become very real individuals to the child, and there is no doubt which of them he will choose to emulate. The author relies upon the force of concrete example to determine the conduct of children, and this is certainly sound in theory and endorsed by experience. The story is told in a very agreeable style, which is at once attractive and affords a good model for imitation. The dialogue gives an opportunity to present information without its seeming dry and didactic. "The Three Giants" cannot be too highly commended. I find children are greatly interested in it, and they get a valuable lesson which they could not gain quite so well in any other form. The story has that literary touch which marks it as of permanent value. The story of "A Curious Instrument" will offer the child a good chance to try his imaginative wings, so to speak, and will also afford him a useful lesson. It cannot but be desirable for the young to begin early to think upon the wonderful construction of the human body, although they must not be carried into the detailed anatomy too far. The child must rather be led to see how marvellously efficient the various organs of his body are, and what they accomplish to promote his welfare. The object here indicated is attained very well in this story; the child's curiosity is greatly stimulated to find out what the wonderful instrument can be, and this leads him to appreciate the uses to which it may be put. In this way he gains useful knowledge while being pleasantly entertained. "Travellers' Wonders" will excite hardly less curiosity in the reader than "A Curious Instrument." He marvels that any people can do as they are said to in the story; and when he discovers that they dwell all about him, it is a revelation to him. He usually does not think upon these familiar topics; he takes them all as matters of course. But it is a good thing for him to view them in another light once in a while; and there could hardly be any more effective means of getting him to do this than is illustrated in this selection. Formal lessons do not get the hold upon the child that a dramatic story of this sort does,—one that sets him to solving a puzzle. There is really no exercise that so stimulates the mind of the young as something of the puzzle character; and when the outcome of the puzzle is profitable, it makes a valuable method of teaching. M. V. O'SHEA University of Wisconsin CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE V EYES AND NO EYES; or, The Art of Seeing 1 From Aiken and Barbauld's "Evenings at Home" THE THREE GIANTS 22 By Mrs. Marcet TRAVELLERS' WONDERS 50 From Aiken and Barbauld's "Evenings at Home" A CURIOUS INSTRUMENT 59 By Jane Taylor NOTE 64 ILLUSTRATIONS Broom Heath Frontispiece View and Plan of Roman Camp 8 It was a Large Water-rat 10 The Three Giants at Work 21 Aquafluens 34 Ventosus 41 The Coming of Vaporifer 46 Vaporifer at Work 48 A Curious Instrument 58 AND TWENTY-SIX SMALLER ONES IN THE TEXT EYES AND NO EYES OR, THE ART OF SEEING " Well , Robert, where have you been walking this afternoon?" said Mr. Andrews, to one of his pupils at the close of a holiday. Robert. "I have been, sir, to Broom Heath, and so around by the windmill upon Camp Mount, and home through the meadows by the riverside." Mr. A. "Well, that's a pleasant round." Robert. "I thought it very dull, sir; I scarcely met with a single person. I had rather by half have gone along the turnpike road." Mr. A. "Why, if seeing men and horses is your object, you would indeed be better entertained upon the high road. But did you see William?" Robert. "We set out together, but he lagged behind in the lane, so I walked on and left him." Mr. A. "That was a pity. He would have been company for you." Robert. "Oh, he is so tedious, always stopping to look at this thing and that. I had rather walk alone. I dare say he is not home yet." Mr. A. "Here he comes. Well, William, where have you been?" William. "Oh, sir, the pleasantest walk! I went all over Br