“Having from long experience found that children and youth imbibe ideas most easily, when placed in the form of question and answer, and not finding any historical work of that kind, of sufficient length to interest the mind, I have compiled these Sketches for the use of Schools, endeavoring to intermix moral with historical instruction, and to obviate those objections which arise in the minds of youth against the justice of God, when they read the wars of the Israelites.—I have attempted also to give them a general notion of the government of God, and of the truth of the Scripture, by a partial account of the fulfilment of prophecy. I am sensible that all this has been done by many able writers; but as their works are too expensive to be put into the hands of children, and of greater magnitude than they have time or patience to study, I have compiled this abridgment for their benefit. This history may also be useful in private families; which are not able to purchase the larger works from which it is selected.” HARTFORD May 9 MY DEAR FRIEND In undertaking the instruction of my children in History, I am often reminded of the source from whence I drew my early historic knowledge I do not find any where a compend as satisfactory to me as are my recollections of your History all compends are generally so dry & devoid of interest that children are disgusted by them & Rollin & others are too minute and voluminous—yours as I recollect was a happy medium between the two—I write to know whether I could procure two copies from you for the use of my family—They can be sent to Hartford to the care of T. C. Perkins Esq. with a note of the price which I will cheerfully forward As I live longer & see my children growing up around me I am often reminded of my early obligations to you & take pleasure in having this opportunity to express my sense of what I have gained from your early care—May God bless you my dear friend & grant you in his good time a joyful reunion with those friends of past years whose memory is precious alike to us all Yours affectionately H. B. STOWE In addition to these histories the pupils were taught to make elaborate historical charts of which one of six feet in length is now in the Litchfield Historical Society. It was made by Miss Lewis, and is neatly and carefully drawn in ink and decorated with water-color. It begins with the creation and ends with George III. See Plate XX. Another historical chart was made by Eliza Ogden and is in the possession of her daughter. The subject is English History and embraces the Wars of the Roses, and here and there tiny pink and white roses are painted to indicate the relative positions of the houses of York and Lancaster (Plate XXIX).