The book at the top of the pile in this image of three books is an edition of Original Poems for Infant Minds. This early book of verses for children (my copy dates from 1823) was by the sisters Jane and Ann Taylor and was originally published in 1804. You probably haven’t heard of Jane Taylor, but you are very likely to know one of her poems, because she wrote the words to “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”, which appeared in a slightly later book under the title, The Star. Looking through my book I came across the following lines from a verse called Autumn, which I like very much:

Let us leave the warm bed, and the pillow of down,
The morning fair bides us arise,
Little boy, for the shadows of midnight are flown,
And the sun-beams peep into our eyes.