hat when Benjamin Bache of Philadelphia issued "Easy
Lessons," he added this note: "Some alterations were thought necessary to
be made in this ... American edition, to make it agree with the original
design of rendering instruction easy and useful.... The climate and the
familiar objects of this country suggested these alterations." Except for
the substitution of such words as "Wheat" for "Corn," the intentions of
the editor seem hardly to have had result, except by way of
advertisement; and are of interest merely because they represent one step
further in the direction of Americanizing the story-book literature.

All Mrs. Barbauld's books were considered excellent for young children.
As a "Dissenter," she gained in the esteem of the people of the northern
states, and her books were imported as well as reprinted here. Perhaps
she was best known to our grandparents as the joint author, with Dr.
Aikin, of "Evenings at Home," and of "Hymns in Prose and Verse." Both
were read extensively for fifty years. The "Hymns" had an enormous
circulation, and were often full of fine rhythm and undeserving of the
entire neglect into which they have fallen. Of course, as the fashion
changed in the "approved" type of story, Mrs. Barbauld suffered
criticism. "Mrs. and Miss Edgeworth in their 'Practical Education'
insisted that evil lurked behind the phrase in 'Easy Lessons,' 'Charles
wants his dinner' because of the implication 'that Charles must have
whatever he desires,' and to say 'the sun has gone to bed,' is to incur
the odium of telling the child a falsehood."[128-A]

But the manner in which these critics of Mrs. Barbauld thought they had
improved upon her method of story-telling is a tale belonging to another
chapter. When Miss Edgeworth's wave of popularity reached this country
Mrs. Barbauld's ideas still flourished as very acceptable to parents.

A contemporary and rival writer for the English nursery was Mrs. Sarah
Trimmer. Her works for little children were also credited with much
information they did not give. After the publication of Mrs. Barbauld's
"Easy Lessons" (which was the result of her own teaching of an adopted
child), Mrs. Trimmer's friends urged her to make a like use of the
lessons given to her family of six, and accordingly she published in
seventeen hundred and seventy-eight an "Easy Introduction into the
Knowledge of Nature," and followed it some years after its initial
success by "Fabulous Histories," afterwar