Random Literary Posting

With an intro like Steve's below, how can I resist?

We spent all afternoon yesterday at the Fun Fair at the Llama-ettes' school. After last year's nightmare, it was surprisingly restfull. The weather was perfect, warm but not hot. And the seven and five year olds are mature enough that they need not be watched with the hawk's eye on a constant basis. They spent the afternoon paling around with various friends of theirs. Meanwhile, the Missus and I tag-teamed on the three year old. Since she spent the majority of her time on the moonbounce, this was fairly easy as well.

Anyhoo, as it does every year, the school held a silent auction. We wound up getting some Nats tickets for a game later next month, but what I really glommed on to was a set of collected works of Charles Kingsley. I've never read Kingsley. The filofax card in my mind said "Victorian novelist and historian....associated with "muscular Christianity" tailing off into Christian socialism....Westward Ho! an adventure story..," so it struck me that, especially at a bargain price, he was worth snapping up at least for purposes of exposure.

So I am interested to dive in and see what he has to say. In the meantime, anybody out there who's actually read any of his work?