(Page 137.) THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON. This painting is in the Art Gallery of the Mechanics' Association, Boston. A. H. BICKNELL. TH PREFACE HIS series of books is designed to meet in particular two educa. tional needs: first, reading books containing better literature than the average Reader contains; second, books adapted to the modern graded school. The ordinary series of Readers consists of five or six books, — the first three being composed of made matter, put together upon the theory that children can read only selections containing certain words. The remaining two or three books are composed partly of original matter and partly of short, disconnected selections from standard authors, many of these selections not being suited to children of any age, and none of them being graded with reference to adaptation of language or thought. In the present series, its authors have aimed to include nothing but good literature, the greater part being selected from standard writers; and in so far as possible the selections are given entire as they came from the writers' hands. In each book, beginning with the Fourth, are to be found some selections of considerable length, both in prose and poetry, complete as they were first published. In those instances in which it has been found necessary to abbreviate articles, the authors have attempted to give complete chapters or such other selections as constitute in themselves literary wholes, and also to induce the pupils to read the entire books from which the selections are taken. This suggestion is deemed very important. The tendency of the day is to scrappy reading. It is fostered by newspapers, periodicals, and compendia of literature; and it is hoped that these Readers will help to combat this unfortunate tendency, and lead to the reading of good books. |