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McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader by William Holmes McGuffey

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[Transcriber's Note:

Welcome to the schoolroom of 1900. The moral tone is plain.
"She is kind to the old blind man."

The exercises are still suitable, and perhaps more helpful than some
contemporary alternatives. Much is left to the teacher. Explanations given
in the text are enough to get started teaching a child to read and write.
Counting in Roman numerals is included as a bonus in the form of lesson
numbers.

The form of contractions includes a space. The contemporary word "don't"
was rendered as "do n't".

The author, not listed in the text, is William Holmes McGuffey.

Passages using non-ASCI characters are approximately rendered in this text
version. See the PDF or DOC versions for the original images.

The section numbers are decimal in the Table of Contents but are in
Roman Numerals in the body.

Page headings are removed, but section titles are followed by the page on
which they appear.

Don Kostuch
end transcriber's note]



ECLECTIC EDUCATIONAL SERIES.

MCGUFFEY'S (Registered)
FOURTH ECLECTIC READER.

REVISED EDITION.


McGuffey Edition and Colophon are Trademarks of

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

New York-Chichester-Weinheim-Brisbane-Toronto


In revising the FOURTH READER, the aim has been--as it has with the other
books of the Series--to preserve unimpaired all the essential
characteristics of MCGUFFEY'S READERS. New articles have been substituted
for old ones only where the advantage was manifest.

The book has been considerably enlarged, and has been liberally
illustrated by the first artists of the country.

It can not be presumed that every pupil has at hand all the works of
reference necessary for the proper preparation of each lesson; hence all
the aids that seem requisite to this purpose have been given. Brief
notices concerning the various authors represented have been inserted; the
more difficult words have been defined, and their pronunciation has been
indicated by diacritical marks; and short explanatory notes have been
given wherever required for a full understanding of the text.

Especial acknowledgment is due to Messrs. Houghton, Osgood & Co. for their
permission to make liberal selections from their copyright editions of
many of the foremost American author whose works they publish.

COPYRIGHT, 1879, by VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG & Co.
COPYRIGHT, 1896, by AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY.
COPYRIGHT, 1907 and 1920, by H. H. VAIL.

M'G 4TH REV.
EP 309



INTRODUCTORY MATTER.
SUBJECT. PAGE

PUNCTUATION MARKS 7
ARTICULATION 9
ACCENT AND INFLECTION 23

SELECTIONS IN PROSE AND POETRY.

TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE
1. Perseverance Charlotte Elizabeth 25
2. Try, Try Again T. H. Palmer 28
3. Why the Sea Is Salt Mary Howitt 29
4. Why the Sea Is Salt Mary Howitt 32
5. Popping Corn 34
6. Smiles 35
7. Lazy Ned 38
8. The Monkey 39
9. Meddlesome Matty 42
10. The Good Son 44
11. To-morrow Mrs. M. B. Johnson. 45
12. Where there is a Will there is a Way 47
13. Piccola Celia Thaxter 48
14. True Manliness Mrs. M. Q. Johnson 50
15. True Manliness Mrs. M. O. Johnson 52
16. The Brown Thrush Lucy Larcom 54
17. A Ship in a Storm 55
18. The Sailor's Consolation Charles Dibdin 58
19. Two Ways of Telling a Story Henry K. Oliver 60
20. Freaks of the Frost Hannah Flagg Gould 63
21. Waste not, Want not 64
22. Jeannette and Jo Mary Mapes Dodge 67
23. The Lion 69
24. Strawberries J. T. Trowbridge 71
25. Harry's Riches 74
26. In Time's Swing Lucy Larcom 77
27. Harry and his Dog Mary Russell Mitford 79
28. The Voice of the Grass Sarah Roberts 83
29. The Eagle 84
30. The Old Eagle Tree Dr. John Todd 86
31. Alpine Song W. W. Story 88
32. Circumstances alter Cases 89
33. The Noblest Revenge 94
34. Evening Hymn 97
35. How Margery Wondered Lucy Larcom 99
36. The Child's World 103
37. Susie's Composition 104
38. The Summer Shower T. B. Read 109
39. Consequences of Idleness Abbott 110
40. Advantages of Industry Abbott 113
41. The Fountain Lowell 116
42. Coffee 117
43. The Winter King Hannah Flagg Gould 120
44. The Nettle Dr. Walsh 121
45. The Tempest James T. Fields 125
46. The Creator John Keble 126
47. The Horse Bingley 128
48. Emulation 132
49. The Sandpiper Celia Thaxter 134
50. The Right Way F. R. Stockton 136
51. The Golden Rule Emma C. Embury 139
52. The Snow Man Marian Douglas 143
53. Robinson Crusoe's House Daniel DeFoe 144
54. Robinson Crusoe's Dress Daniel DeFoe 147
55. Somebody's Darling 150
56. Knowledge is Power 151
57. Good Will J. T. Trowbridge 153
58. A Chinese Story C. P. Cranch 156
59. The Way to be Happy 159
60. The Giraffe 162
61. The Lost Child Abbott 165
62. Which? Mrs. E. L. Beers 168
63. The Pet Fawn Miss S. F. Cooper 172
64. Annie's Dream 175
65. My Ghost Mrs. S. M. B. Platt 178
66. The Elephant 180
67. Dare to do Right Thomas Hughes 183
68. Dare to do Right Thomas Hughes 186
69. Wreck of the Hesperus Longfellow 190
70. Anecdotes of Birds Hall 191
71. The Rainbow Pilgrimage Grace Greenwood 197
72. The Old Oaken Bucket Samuel Woodworth 202
73. The Sermon on the Mount 204
74. The Young Witness S. H. Hammond 207
75. King Solomon and the Ants Whittier 211
76. Rivermouth Theater T. B. Aldrich 213
77. Alfred the Great 216
78. Living on a Farm 220
79. Hugh Idle and Mr. Toil Hawthorne 221
80. Hugh Idle and Mr. Toil Hawthorne 224
81. Burning of Fallow Mrs. Susanna Moodie 227
82. Dying Soldiers 230
83. The Attack on Nymwegen Motley 233
84. The Seasons
Spring H. G. Adams 237
Summer Lowell 237
Autumn Thomas Hood 238
Winter C. T. Brooks 238
85. Brandywine Ford Bayard Taylor 239
86. Brandywine Ford Bayard Taylor 242
87. The Best Capital Louisa M. Alcott 245
88. The Inchcape Rock Southey 249
89. My Mother's Grave 253
90. A Mother's Gift W. Fergusson 255



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. [See PDF or DOC versions.]

SUBJECT PAGE
Perseverance 25
Popping Corn 35
The Monkey 40
Piccola 49
True Manliness 53
A Ship in a Storm 56
Two Ways of Telling a Story 60
The Lion 69
Harry and his Dog 81
Circumstances alter Cases 92
Evening Hymn 98
How Margery Wondered 100
Susie's Composition 107
Coffee 117
The Horse 128
The Sandpiper 135
Robinson Crusoe's Dress 147
A Chinese Story 158
Which? 169
Which? 170
Dare to do Right 185
The Old Oaken Bucket 202
Rivermouth Theater 215
The Attack on Nymwegen 234
The Inchcape Rock 251



PUNCTUATION MARKS. (7)

1. The Hyphen (-) is used between syllables and between the parts of a
compound word; as, No-ble, col-o-ny, and text- book, easy-chair.

2. The Comma (,), the Semicolon (;), and the Colon (:) denote grammatical
divisions.

NOTE--These marks do not indicate the comparative length of the pauses to
be made where they occur.

3. The Period (.) is placed at the end of a sentence. It is also used
after an abbreviation; as, God is love. Dr. Eben Goodwin.

4. The Interrogation point (?) denotes a question; as, Has he come? Who
are you?

5. The Exclamation point (!) denotes strong feeling; as, Oh Absaom! my
son! my son!

6. Quotation marks (" ") denote the words of another; as, God said, "Let
there be light."

7. The Apostrophe (') denotes that a letter or letters are left out; as,
O'er, for over; 't is, for it is. It also denotes the possessive case; as,
John's hat.

8. The Curves ( ) include what, if omitted, would not obscure the sense.
The parenthesis, or words included by the curves, should be read in a low
key, and with greater rapidity than the rest of the sentence.

9. Brackets [ ] include something intended to exemplify what goes before,
or to supply some deficiency, or rectify some mistake.

10. A Dash (-) denotes a long or significant pause, or an abrupt change or
transition in a sentence.

11. Marks of Ellipsis (***) indicate the omission of
letters of a word, or words of a sentence; as, P * * * * e
J**n, for Prince John; the ******* was hung, for the traitor was hung.

Sometimes a long line, or a succession of dots is used instead of stars;
as, J--n A---s, for John Adams; the D..e W.....m, for the Duke William.

12. A Brace (}) is used to connect several lines or words together.

13. A Diaeresis is put over the latter of two vowels, to show that they
belong to two distinct syllables; thus, cooperate.

14. A Section is used to divide a discourse or chapter into parts.

15. An Index points out something that requires particular attention.

16. A Paragraph denotes a new subject. It is used in the common version of
the Bible.

17. Certain marks and sometimes figures and letters are used to refer to
some remark in the margin.

18. A Caret (^) is used in writing, to show that some-thing is omitted;
as, Manner. I love her for her modesty and virtue.


ARTICULATION. (9)

ELEMENTARY SOUNDS

Articulation is the utterance of the elementary sounds of a language, and
of their combinations.

An Elementary Sound is a simple, distinct sound made by the organs of
speech.

The Elementary Sounds of the English language are divided into Vocals,
Subvocals, and Aspirates.

Vocals are those sounds which consist of pure tone only. They are the most
prominent elements of speech. A diphthong is a union of two vocals,
commencing with one and ending with the other.

Subvocals are those sounds in which the vocalized breath is more or less
obstructed.

Aspirates consist of breath only, modified by the vocal organs.


VOCALS.

DIRECTIONS FOR ARTICULATION.

1. Let the mouth be open, and the teeth, tongue, and palate in their
proper position.

2. Pronounce the word in the CHART forcibly, and with the falling
inflection, several times in succession; then drop the subvocal or
aspirate sounds which precede or follow the vocal, and repeat the vocals
alone.


TABLE.

Long Vocals.

Sound Word Sound Word
a hate e err
a hare i pine
a far o no
a pass u tube
a fall u burn
e eve oo cool

Short Vocals.

Sound Word Sound Word

a mat o not
e met u us
i it oo book


REMARK.--In this table, the short sounds, except u, are nearly or quite
the same, in quality, as certain of the long sounds. The difference
consists chiefly in quantity. As a rule, the long vocals should be
prolonged with a full, clear utterance; but the short vocals should be
uttered sharply and almost explosively.

Diphthongs.

oi, oy, as in coin, boy. ou, ow, as in noun, now.


SUBVOCALS AND ASPIRATES.

DIRECTIONS FOR ARTICULATION.

Pronounce distinctly and forcibly, several times in succession, words in
which these sounds occur as elements; then drop the other sounds, and
repeat the subvocals and aspirates alone. Each subvocal in the first table
should be practiced in connection with its cognate sound.

Let the class repeat the words and elements, at first in concert; then
separately.

Select words ending with subvocal sounds for practice on subvocals; words
beginning or ending with aspirate sounds, for practice on aspirates.


COGNATE SOUNDS.

Subvocals Aspirates
Sound Example Sound Example
b babe p rap
d rod t at
g fog k book
j judge ch chat
v live f file
th them th myth
z buzz s sink
zh azure sh shine
w win wh when


REMARK.--These eighteen sounds make nine pairs of cognate sounds. In
articulating the aspirates, the vocal organs are put in the position as
required for the articulation of the corresponding subvocals; but the
breath is expelled with some force, without the utterance of any vocal
sound. Let the pupil verify this by experiment, and then practice on these
cognates.

The following sounds are not cognates.

SUB VOCALS.
Sound Example

l mill
m him
n tin
ng sing, think
r (rough) rule
r (smooth) car

ASPIRATE.

h, as in hat.

SUBSTITUTES.

Substitutes are characters used to represent sounds ordinarily represented
by other characters. The following table indicates nearly every form of
substitution used in the language: a few exceptional cases only are
omitted


TABLE OF SUBSTITUTES.

Sub For as in Sub For as in
a e any o oo to
a o what o oo would
c z suffice o u son
c s cite ph v Stephen
c k cap ph f sylph
ch k ache q k liquor
ch sh machine qu kw quote
d j soldier s sh sure
e i England s zh rasure
e a there s z rose
e a feint u e bury
ee i been u i busy
f v of u oo rude
g j cage u oo pull
gh f laugh x ks wax
gh k lough x ksh noxious
i e police x z Xerxes
i e thirst x gz examine
i y filial y e myrrh
n ng rink y i my
o u work y i hymn
o i women z s quartz
o a form


VOCALS.

Let the teacher utter each word, and then its vocal sound, and let the
pupil imitate closely and carefully, thus:

Mate, a; Rate, a: Man, a: Far, a: etc.
a--Mate, rain, say, they, feint, gauge, break, vein, gaol
a--Man, pan, tan, shall, lamp, back, mat, stand
a--Far, hard, ah, aunt, heart, guard, psalm
a--Ball, talk, pause, saw, broad, storm, naught, bought
a--Was, what, wash, swap, nod, blot, knowledge
e--Me, tree, sea, key, field, ceiling, people, police
e--Met, bread, said (sed), says (sez), friend, heifer, leopard, guess,
any (en'y), bury (ber'ry).
e--Her, clerk, earn, were, first, myrrh.
i--Pine, sign, lie, type, sleight, buy, guide, aisle, choir.
i--Pin, fountain, been (bin), busy (biz'y), surfeit, sieve, hymn, build,
myth.
i--Sir, bird, girl, birch, mirth, birth.
o--No, door, loam, hoe, soul, snow, sew (so), yeomen, bureau (bu'ro),
hautboy (ho'boy).
o--Not, blot, chop, throb, bother, body, wan.
o--Nor, born, storm, cork, fork, small, stall.
o--Wolf, woman, bushel, would, should, pull
o--Move, who, tomb, group, soup, shoe, do, lose
o.--Love, son, flood, front, shove, touch, does, tongue.
oo--Wool, book, cook, rook, goodly.
oo.--Food, troop, tooth, goose, spoon, noon.
u.--Use, abuse, beauty, feud, view, adieu.
u.--Rub, sum, sun, such, much, tuck, luck, trouble.
u.--Fur, curl, hurt, burn, turn, spurn, work.
u.--Full, bull, push, bush
oi, oy.-Oil, point, voice, noise, boiler, boy, joy, alloy.
ou, ow.-Our, sour, cloud, owl, now, bow, couch.



SUB VOCALS.

Let the sound of each letter be given, and not its name. After
articulating the sounds, each word should be pronounced distinctly.

b.--Be, by, boy, bib, sob, bite, bone, band, bubble.
d.--Deed, did, dab, bid, bud, dead, door, indeed.
g.--Go, gag, gig, bag, beg, fog, fig, girl, rag, log.
j.--Jay, joy, jig, gill, job, judge, ginger, soldier.
l.--Lad, led, dell, mill, line, lily, folly.
m--Me, my, mad, mug, him, aim, blame.
n.--No, now, nab, nod, man, sun, none, noun.
r. (rough)--Rear, red, rough, riot, ripe, rude, ragged.
r. (smooth)--Form, farm, worn, for, ear, manner.
v.--Van, vine, vale, vivid, stove, of, Stephen.
w.--We, woe, web, wed, wig, wag, wood, will, wonder.
y.--Ye, yam, yon, yes, yarn, yoke, yawn, filial.
z.--Zag, rose, rise, zone, lives, stars, suffice.
zh.--Azure, osier, usual, measure, rouge (roozh).
th.--Thee, thy, them, blithe, beneath, those.
ng.--Bang, fang, gang, bring, sing, fling.



ASPIRATES.

f.--Fib, fob, buff, beef, if, off, life, phrase, laugh.
h.--Ha, he, hub, had, how, hill, home, hire, horse.
k.--Kill, bake, cat, cow, come, chord, black.
p.--Pop, pig, lip, map, pipe, pope, apple, path, pile.
s.--Sad, fuss, miss, cent, cease, sick, sound, sincere.
t.--Hat, mat, toe, totter, tint, time, sleet, taught.
sh.--Dash, shad, rush, sure, ocean, notion, passion, chaise.
ch.--Chin, chop, chat, rich, much, church, bastion.
th.--Thin, hath, think, teeth, truth, breath, pith.



SUBVOCALS COMBINED.

Utter the sounds only, and pronounce very distinctly.

br.--Bred, brag, brow, brim, brush, breed, brown.
bz, bst.--Fibs, fib'st, robs, rob'st, rubs, rub'st.
bd, bdst.--Fibbed, fib'd'st, sobbed, sob'd'st, robbed, rob'd'st.
bl.--Blab, blow, bluff, bliss, stable, babble, gobble.
blz, blst.--Fables, fabl'st, nibbles, nibbl'st.
bid, bldst.--Fabled, fabl'd'st, nibbled, nibbl'd'st.

dr.--Drab, drip, drop, drag drum, dress, drink.
dz, dst.--Rids, rid'st, adds, add'st, sheds, shed'st.
dl.--Addle, paddle, fiddle, riddle, needle, idle, ladle.
dlz, dlst.--Addles, addl'st, fiddles, fiddl'st.
dld.--Addled, fiddled, huddled, idled, ladled.

fr.--Fret, frog, from, fry, fresh, frame, free.
fs, fst.--Cuffs, cuff'st, stuffs, stuff'st, doffs, doff'st.
ft.--Lift, waft, drift, graft, soft, theft, craft, shaft.
fts, ftst.--Lifts, lift'st, wafts, waft'st, sifts, sift'st.
fi.--Baffle, raffle, shuffle, muffle, rifle, trifle, whiffle.
fls, flst.--Baffles, baffl'st, shuffles, shuffl'st, rifles, rifl'st.
fld, fldst.--Baffled, baffl'd'st, shuffled, shuffl'd'st.

gr.--Grab, grim, grip, grate, grant, grass, green.
gz, gst.--Begs, beg'st, digs, dig'st, gags, gag'st.
gd, gdst.--Begged, begg'd'st, digged, digg'd'st.
gl.--Higgle, joggle, straggle, glib, glow, glaze.
glz, glst.--Higgles, higgl'st, juggles, juggl'st.
gld, gldst.--Higgled, higgl'd'st, joggled, joggl'd'st.

jd.--Caged, hedged, bridged, lodged, judged, waged.
kr.--Cram, crag, crash, crop, cry, creel, crone, crown.
kw, (qu).--Quell, quick, quite, quote, quake, queen.
ks, kst, (x).--Kicks, kick'st, mix, mixed, box, boxed.
kt, kts.--Act, acts, fact, facts, tact, tacts, sect, sects.
kl.--Clad, clip, clown, clean, close, cackle, pickle.
klz, klst.--Cackles, cackl'st, buckles, buckl'st.
kld, kldst.--Cackled, cackl'd'st, buckled, buckl'd'st.

lf.--Elf, Ralph, shelf, gulf, sylph, wolf.
ld.--Hold, mold, bold, cold, wild, mild, field, yield.
ldz, ldst.--Holds, hold'st, gilds, gild'st, yields, yield'st.
lz, lst.--Fills, fill'st, pulls, pull'st, drills, drill'st.
lt, lts.--Melt, melts, tilt, tilts, salt, salts, bolt, bolts.
mz, mst.--Names, nam'st, hems, hem'st, dims, dim'st.
md, mdst.--Named, nam'd'st, dimmed, dimm'd'st.

nd.--And, lend, band, blonde, fund, bound, round, sound.
ndz, ndst.--Lends, lend'st, hands, hand'st.
ndl.--Handle, kindle, fondle, trundle, brindle.
ndlz, ndlst.--Handles, halldl'st, kindles, kindl'st.
ndld, ndldst.--Handled, handl'd'st, kindled, kindl'd'st.

nks, nkst.--Banks, hank'st, sinks, sink'st.
nkd.--Banked, clank'd, winked, thank'd, flank'd.

nz, nst.--Wins, win'st, tans, tan'st, runs run'st.
nt, nts.--Hint, hints, cent, cents, want, wants.
nch, nchd.--Pinch, pinch'd, blanch, blanch'd.
ngz, ngd.--Hangs, hang'd, rings, ring'd.
nj, njd.--Range, ranged, hinge, hinged.

pr.--Prat, prim, print, prone, prune, pry, prank.
pl.--Plant, plod, plum, plus, apple, cripple.
ps, pst.--Nips, nip'st, taps, tap'st, mops, mop'st.
pt, pts.--Adopt, adopts, adept, adepts, crypt, crypts.

rj, rjd.--Merge, merged, charge, charged, urge, urged.
rd.--Card, cord, curd, herd, ford, ward, bird.
rdz, rdst.--Cards, card'st, herds, herd'st, cords, cord'st.
rk.--Bark, jerk, dirk, cork, lurk, work.
rks, rkst.--Barks, bark'st, lurks, lurk'st.
rl.--Marl, curl, whirl, pearl, whorl, snarl.
rlz, rlst.--Curls, curl'st, whirls, whirl'st, twirls, twirl'st.
rld, rldst.-- Curled, curl'd'st, whirled, whirl'd'st, snarled, snarl'd'st.
rm.--Arm, term, form, warm, storm, worm, sperm.
rmz, rmst.--Arms, arm'st, fbrms, form'st.
rmd, rmdst.--Armed, arm'd'st, formed, form'd'st.
rn.--Barn, warn, scorn, worn, earn, turn.
rnz, rnst.--Turns, turn'st, scorns, scorn'st.
rnd, rndst.--Turned, turn'd'st, scorned, scorn'd'st.
rt.--Dart, heart, pert, sort, girt, dirt, hurt.
rts, rtst.--Darts, dart'st, girts, girt'st, hurts, hurt'st.
rch, rchd.--Arch, arched, perch, perched.

sk.--Ask, scab, skip, risk, skum, bask, husk.
sks.--Asks, tasks. risks, whisks, husks.
skd, skst.--Asked, ask'st, risked, risk'st, husked, husk'st.
sp, sps.--Gasp, gasps, rasp, rasps, crisp, crisps.

spd.--Gasped, lisped, crisped, wisped, cusped.
st, sts.--Mast, masts, nest, nests, fist, fists.
sw.--Swim, swell, swill, swan, sweet, swing, swam.
str.--Strap, strip, strop, stress, strut, strife, strew.

tl.--Rattle, nettle, whittle, bottle, hurtle, scuttle.
tlz, tlst.--Rattles, rattl'st, nettles, nettl'st.
tld, tldst.--Rattled, rattl'd'st, settled, settl'd'st.
ts, tst.--Bat, bat'st, bets, bet'st, pits, pit'st, dots, dot'st.
tw.--Twin, twirl, twice, tweed, twist, twelve, twain.
tr.--Trap, trip, trot, tress, truss, trash, try, truce, trice.
vz, vst.--Gives, giv'st, loves, lov'st, saves, sav'st.

zm, zmz.--Chasm, chasms, prism, prisms.
zl.--Dazzle, frizzle, nozzle, puzzle.
zlz, zld.--Dazzles, dazzled, frizzles, frizzled.
sht.--Dashed, meshed, dished, rushed, washed.
shr.--Shrank, shred, shrill, shrunk, shrine, shroud, shrew.
thd.--Bathed, sheathed, soothed, smoothed, wreathed.
thz, thzt.--Bathes, Bath'st, sheathes, sheath'st.

ngz, ngst.--Hangs, hang'st, brings, bring'st.
ngd, ngdst.--Hanged, hang'd'st., stringed, string'd'st.
nks, nkst.--Thanks, thank'st, thinks, think'st.
nkd, nkdst.--Thanked, thank'd'st, kinked, kink'd'st.
dth, dths.--Width, widths, breadth, breadths.
kld, kldst.--Circled, circl'd'st, darkle, darkl'd'st.
kl, klz.--Circle, circles, cycle, cycles.
lj, ljd.--Bilge, bilged, bulge, bulged, indulge, indulged.
lb, lbz.--Alb, albs, bulb, bulbs.
lk, lks, lkst, lkdst.--Milk, milks, milk'st, milk'd'st.

lm, lmz.--Elm, elms, whelm, whelms, film, films.
lp, lpd, lpst, lpdst.--Help, helped, help'st, help'd'st.
lv, lvz, lvd.--Valve, valves, valved, delve, delves, delved.
lch, lchd.--Belch, belched, filch, filched, gulch, gulched.
lth, lth --Health, healths, tilth, tilth

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Obituary: Donald Westlake
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Theatre review: Three Women, Jermyn Street, London
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We do not know the women's names, but their voices are quite distinct. All are pregnant. But while the first woman awaits the birth of her baby with a moon-like serenity, the other two are not so lucky. One, whose previous pregnancies have failed to go to term, is experiencing a heartbreaking late miscarriage; the other is a young student whose accidental pregnancy will end in her child being put up for adoption.

Sylvia Plath's only play was never intended for the stage, being broadcast instead on BBC radio in August 1962. Less than six months later, Plath killed herself, but not before the burst of astonishing creative energy that produced her extraordinary, terrifying Ariel poems.

Anyone who knows Plath's poetry will see the connection between Three Women and Plath's subsequent poems, particularly in the way she talks about the agony of childbirth, the rush of love for this tiny alien being, and both the wonder and wounded rawness of motherhood. It is a beautiful piece, full of startling imagery that draws you in through the sheer intensity of its femaleness, and because it so precisely articulates the emotions that are often thought but seldom voiced by women - certainly not in the early 1960s - about men, motherhood and our relationship to our bodies.

It's been 20 years since there has been an attempt at a professional stage version and - in a theatre world that happily accepts the poetic offerings of Sarah Kane and Debbie Tucker Green, or the staged possibilities of The Waves, one of Plath's own inspirations for the piece, I see no reason why it shouldn't be brought to life. Sadly, it doesn't breathe here, in a production by Robert Shaw that is clearly a labour of love, but which never finds a way to give the internal a physical reality. Plath's poetry, like most babies, is more robust than it appears - and won't break if treated with a little less reverence and considerably more grit.

Instead, what we are offered is tinkling piano music, mournful mood lighting, an innocuous pale setting, as well as three perfectly good but indisputably ladylike performances that capture none of the wounded redness of Plath's poetry, and do her the disservice of making her sound bleached and somewhat prissy. It's a pity. What might have been a wonder ends up a mere curiosity.

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