EVE from the data to be obtained by a perusal of his works, the general reader will be likely to infer that Hawthorne took a tall interest in child-life and in his published Kotc-Books are found many brief memoranda which indicate his dispovition to write for children. After he married and had begun to rear a family of his own, this interest of his in the earliest developments of mind and character became, naturally, much more active. He was accustomed to observe his children very closely. There are private manuscripts still extent, which present exact recods of what his young son and eldcr daughter said or did, from hour to hour the father seating himself in their play-room and patiently noting all that passed. To this habit of watchful and sympathetic scrutiny we may aimtribute in part the remarkable felicity, the fortunate ease of adaptation to tho immature understanding, and the skilful appeal to fresh imaginations, which chactcrke his stories for the young. Natural tact and insight prompted, faithful study from the red assisted, these productions. While still living at Lenox, and soon after publishing The House of the Seven Gables, he sketched as follorws, in n lettor to Mr. James T, Pields, May 23, 1851, his plan for the work which this note accompanies - I mean to write, within six weeks or two months next ensuing, a book of stories made up of classical myths. The subjects arc The Story of Miclas, with his Golden Touch, Pandorns Box, The Adventure of Hercules in pest of the Golden Apples, Rellerophon and the Chitnzra, Raucis and PlliIemon, Perseus and Iedusa these, I think, will be enough to make up a volume. As a framework, shall hare a young college-student telling these stories to his cousins and brothers arid sisters, luring his vacations, sometimes at the fireside, sometimes in the woods and dells. Unless I greatly mistake, these old fictions will work my, admirably for the purpose and shall aim at substituion, or tuting a tone in sorns degree Gothic or any such tone as may best please myself, instead of the classic coldness which is as repellant as the touch of marble...