THE FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AND HOW THEY GREW

'Mamsie don't mind her five bothers,' cried Polly, jumping up and running to hug her mother; thereby producing a like desire in all the others, who immediately left their seats and followed her example. 'Mother's rich enough,' ejaculated Mrs. Pepper; her bright, black eyes glistening with delight."" Depending on their previous relationship with the five Peppers, adults will find their virtuous poverty and romantic elevation either nostalgic fun or an embarrassing reminder of their own naivete. But the foreword's suggestion that the book offers children today ""the pleasure of knowing realistic children from our own past and. . .an insight into poverty in an earlier and gentler time"" is wishful thinking; we can imagine some being drawn in as we once were but as far as being ""realistic"" or instructive goes, the 1880 classic is no more than a 1976 curiosity.