My dear Miss Beale I can’t resist telling you, apropos to your article about Mrs Dorothy Kilner’s books, that somehow they did gain a curious hold of children’s minds. In ‘Lecture graduées a translation of Tommy Piper appears, with Mr Makegood as Monsieur Réforme! A reproduction of the old book (how well the ‘cuts’ are given) was mine some 60 years ago. My young nephews and nieces constantly were borrowing it when the ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge Thanks for your interesting letter, it will give pleasure to Mrs. Emery, Miss Kilner's great-niece.

That is very curious about the Lectures. It is strange that we found these books so fascinating when we were children; is it because the story of the development of the soul is the most interesting thing even to little children, and these books, spite of all their erroneous methods, dealt with nothing else? Besides, we ... continue reading

Dear Miss Beale Indeed your letter was all right, I am sorry you had an alarm about it. I believe one failure in these days in training is that the very late dinners prevent the long family evenings of reading, work and music sometimes dull, but often educational. As to books, minute studies of character either weary children or make them self conscious. What their elders like they care little for. ... continue reading