The Parents' Review

A Monthly Magazine of Home-Training and Culture

The "P.R." Letter Bag.

[The Editor is not responsible for the opinions of Correspondents.]

DEAR EDITOR,--Our children's Sundays, after some years of disjoint, settled down to a lovely day, because we all finally got into our head thoroughly that it was the pillow of our week--servants, children, father, mother--so now we have no hard or fast line, but God, rest, and a good time too.
Truly yours,
D. D.

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DEAR EDITOR,--My big girls are enjoying their literature so much this term. They have begun to form such nice libraries of their own, and each term they add the books set, so that by-and-by they ought to have quite a little collection.
Truly yours,
M. H. J.

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DEAR MADAM,--I should be very glad if you or some readers of the Parents' Review could recommend me some good story books suitable to read out to a little boy five years of age. He is very intelligent and advanced for his age, and loves listening to really sensible books. His great joy is Kipling's Jungle Book, and after that Alice in Wonderland, which will give an idea of what he is able to understand. I like to read him really good stories that will unconsciously form his taste in literature, besides giving him matter worth thinking of. I should like some tales of old heroes, good stories of nature and animals, and travels, or something that would interest him in other countries. At present he has the liveliest interest in everything, so I am very anxious to get the best mental food for him. I should also like to know of a good collection of poems that he could learn by heart, and also a really nice book of songs. Most of the children's song books are either very silly, or full of the weakest sentiment. I want something really stirring and wholesome, with sensible words and good music. I like children's things to have plenty of good humour, but not to degenerate into mere silliness.

I remain, yours very truly,
FOSTER-MOTHER.

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To the Editor of "Parents' Review."
Will you kindly allow the following letter to be inserted in the Review?--

TO THE READERS OF THE "PARENTS' REVIEW."
DEAR READERS,--We read and welcome the Parents' Review month by month, and know it has brought help and happiness into many homes. One constantly meets and hears of people who know nothing of the work of the Union, who live in distant homes away from possible lectures and conferences, and who delight in the red magazine which brings them in touch with the best educational thought of the day. We are most grateful to the editor and the able contributors to this Review, but in the busy rush of life have any of us stopped to think how all this has come about? Money is needed to launch every society, every training college, every journal. How were ours started? Our founder launched the Union and the House of Education without any outside help, but for starting the magazine she had to call in the aid of a few friends and well-wishers. There is, therefore, another small band of people of whose existence some of us were hardly aware, to whom our deep gratitude is due--they are the shareholders in the Parents Review Company, those friends who thirteen years ago subscribed money to start the magazine.
Circumstances have gradually arisen which make it impossible to continue the existence of this Company. In order therefore to prevent its being sold to any ordinary publishers, and the consequent loss of much that we value in tone, etc., the Committee of the P.N.E.U., which includes Mr. F. Steinthal (one of the directors of the Parents' Review Company), have decided that it would be to the best interests of the P.N.E.U. that The Union, which already publishes and distributed the Parents' Review, should also own it. A fund is therefore being opened to buy up the shares of the Company (representing £1,435) and present the magazine to the Society.

Several of the shareholders have generously handed over their shares to this fund. Others have not yet been approached, and others are not in a position to do this. To refund these latter, about £400 will be required, and I feel sure that this sum will be easily collected among the 2000 odd readers of the Review and members of the P.N.E.U.
Will every grateful reader send a contribution, however small, to
     Mrs. Stirling,
     The Lodge,
     Ladbroke Road,
     London, W.

who has kindly offered to act as treasurer to the fund.
I subjoin the list of contributions already received, and firmly believe I have not appealed in vain.
Yours faithfully,
H. FRANKLIN,
50, Porchester Terrace, W.
Hon. Organizing Sec. P.N.E.U.
P.S.--I will gladly answer any questions with regard to the original expenditure of the money should anyone care to write to me on the subject.

LIST OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FUND.
Miss Mason . . . . . . 300 (£1 shares)
Mr. F. Youle . . . . . . 300 (£1 shares)
F. Steinthal, Esq. . . . . . . 105 (£1 shares)
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon How . . . 25 (£1 shares)
Mrs. Alfred Booth . . . . . . 20 (£1 shares)
T. G. Rooper, Esq., H.M.I. . . . 10 (£1 shares)
Miss F. C. A. Williams . . . 10 (£1 shares)
Executors of Miss B. A. Clough . . . 10 (£1 shares)
Rev. Thos. W. Sharpe . . . 10 (£1 shares)
Executors of Ed. Balme, Esq. . . . 10 (£1 shares)
Earl of Aberdeen . . . 10 (£1 shares)
E. P. Arnold Foster, Esq. . . . 5 (£1 shares)
Mrs. Priestman . . . . . . 5 (£1 shares)
Executors of Mrs. Morse . . . 5 (£1 shares)
Mrs. Winkworth . . . . . . £50 (donation)
Lady Montagu . . . . . . £10 (donation)
Mr and Mrs. Perrin . . . . . . £ 5 (donation)
Mrs. Whitaker Thompson . . . £ 1 (donation)
Mrs. Stirling . . . . . . £ 1 (donation)
Mrs. Howard Glover . . . . . . £ 5 (first donation)
Miss Helen Webb, M. B. (Lond.) (P.N.E.U. lecture fees) . . . £ 5 (first donation)

Typed by happi, Mar 2020; Proofread by LNL, Apr 2020