Page:The Children's Robinson Crusoe, Or, The Remarkable Adventures of an Englishman.pdf/9

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Regent R.L. Hubtand 11-3 - 1924 ADDRESS TO PARENTS.

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It will very naturally be asked, why another is added

to the numerous stories, already in circulation, founded on De Foe's interesting fiction, and purporting to be

abridgments of it, for the use of children, or variations of the story, intended to render it more instructive. To this, it may be replied, that the abridgments lose much

of the spirit and graphic manner of the original, while they retain certain parts, that are ill adapted to the perusal of children of the present day. The stories which vary materially from the original tale, may have a merit of their own ; but they have not the distinguishing features of

De Foe's narrative, while they far exceed his in the exhibition of the marvellous and improbable. To those who love and respect theminds of children as they ought

to be loved and respected, the impropriety of so exciting them must be apparent. These objections to the various new “ Robinson Cru soes" in circulation, determine some parents to put the original work into the hands of their children ; and re

membering only the delight with which they pored over

its pages in their own childhood, they forget how much was skipped over as unintelligible in those juvenile read ings, and are not aware of its want of adaptation to the state of education at the present day. The great merit of De Foe's work is its natural ness ; it seems to be exactly what it purports to be,