The writer of these volumes was advised by a friend to prefix an
Advertisement to them, explaining their design. Her answer to that
friend was to this effect:
“Those for whom they are designed will not need an explanation; and
others will not regard it. The mother, who is surrounded by smiling
prattlers, will enter with spirit into my first Dialogues: will declare
that they are such as she has wished for a thousand times; and that
she esteems herself obliged to me, for having condescended to march in
shackles, for the sake of keeping pace with her infant; she will be
aware of some difficulty in the task; she will (to pursue the metaphor)
allow that it is not easy to move gracefully, when we shorten our steps
to those of a child. She will, therefore, pardon such inaccuracies as
arise from the necessity of confining the language to short words.
“For the rest, I am persuaded (from experience and the remarks of the
most judicious mothers) that a book of this kind will be acceptable.
“The mother who herself watches the dawn of reason in her babe; who
teaches him the first rudiments of knowledge; who infuses the first
ideas in his mind; will approve my COBWEBS. She will, if she be
desirous of bringing her little darling forward; (and where it can be
done with ease and satisfaction, who is not?) she will be aware of
the consequence of the first lessons, where nothing meets the eye of
the learner but objects with which he is already familiar; nothing
arises to his mind, but subjects with which he begins to be acquainted;
sentiments level to his capacity, explained in words which are suited
to his progress.
“Such is the _Cobwebs_ designed to be; if such it be, it will meet
the smile of Mothers. It was written to please a set of children dear
to the writer; and it did please them; and in the hope that it may be
agreeable to other little people, it is given to the public.”