THE SECRET GARDEN *

"One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live for ever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvellous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange
unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun--which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands of years. One knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in someone's eyes."

The beginning of chapter twenty-one of Frances Hoddgson Burnett's classic 1911 children's book is perhaps the only passage worthy of my time. Reading it for the first time in my life (and now, as, well, at least an older child--come on, I'm still a kid!), I guess I expected what I got. It was childish and dull, thank goodness I was able to, in the later chapters, start skimming the text and still know exactly what was happening. In any case, this passage was just great and so full of feeling -- thank you Frances for that at least! It made me smile and feel warm inside, something akin to those great Czech liquors I've tasted...

My suggestion: Don't read it, unless you've got a daughter you're reading to, or you're required to do so because, oh, I don't know, you're going on a children's theatre tour of the show and perhaps you're a good, responsible artist and for the sake of your craft you're going to do your homework.