Dew Drops, Vol. 37, No. 34, August 23, 1914

In Short

This single issue of a early twentieth-century Christian Sunday-school periodical presents a collection of illustrated stories, short poems, and religious instruction designed for young children. Across its brief pages, narrative vignettes depict youngsters navigating everyday domestic challenges—from a kitten accidentally illuminating a dark home and a lonely girl sacrificing her homemade toy to save others' dolls, to a young boy confronting his fear of imaginary monsters left in an abandoned circus wagon. Coupled with simple nature lessons, direct advice on helpfulness, and a structured Sunday-school scriptural outline, the publication aims to instill traditional virtues of kindness, bravery, obedience, and gratitude.

The Story

The issue opens with the domestic adventure of young Gilbert Haywood, who travels to the nearby city of Branton with his parents to purchase his first store-bought suit of clothes. Returning home at midnight, sleepy but triumphant, the family discovers their residence ablaze with electric light. Fearing an intruder, Gilbert’s mother hesitates, only to find that their playful white Persian kitten, Billikens, has pulled the lamp cords and turned on the lights. The incident brings laughter, alongside a gentle lesson from mother about the distinction between playful habits and improper actions, prompting Gilbert to recall his own past mistake of pulling his grandfather's whiskers during a nap.

Attention shifts to social exclusion in a neighborhood setting, where Mildred hosts a party but deliberate skips Dilly, a poor girl living nearby who cherishes a crude, double-faced doll made from a dried squash and a stick. While watching the other children play from afar, Dilly notices a aggressive neighborhood dog, Rover, charging toward the array of fine dolls left unattended on the porch. Acting selflessly, Dilly waves her red handkerchief and sacrifices her own beloved squash doll to distract the hound, saving the other toys before shutting them safely inside. Witnessing this bravery, Mildred experiences deep remorse, begs for Dilly's forgiveness, and welcomes her into the gathering, eventually replacing her lost toy with a fine new doll funded by all the partygoers.

Rural warmth follows as little Jean visits her grandparents' farm. Eagerly greeting the animals, she takes a short ride on the back of her favorite Jersey cow, Jenny. Instead of staying nearby, the gentle cow leads Jean directly to the barnyard to introduce her newly born calf, lying hidden in the grass. Touched by the animal's maternal trust, Jean kisses the calf and names it Daisy with her grandfather's blessing.

A brief domestic interlude highlights Rose and Marguerite redirecting their moody little brother, Stubby, away from his sulks by creating elaborate dollhouses and figures using fallen green apples, rose thorns, hollyhock petals, and morning-glory umbrellas. This is echoed in a brief royal fable where a woodcutter's modest daughter, Avis, demonstrates such innate politeness during a palace playdate that the queen uses her conduct to teach the young princesses that true courtesy springs from a kind heart rather than noble birth.

The issue confronts childhood anxieties directly through Chalmers Ashton, a boy prone to inventing terrifying creatures he calls "The Biters." When a traveling circus leaves a broken wooden wagon near his farm, Chalmers fears it harbors lurking monsters. Mustering courage inspired by historical heroes like George Washington, he approaches the wagon, only to discover his cousins hiding inside to surprise him for a playdate.

Educational and instructional content rounds out the issue. A brief object lesson explains how a cotton seed grows and undergoes processing by many hands before becoming a girl's dress. This is paired with a formal Sunday-school outline on the Parable of the Wedding Feast, a moral lesson on household helpfulness between a mother and son, and verses warning against the dreary "Valley of Grump."

How It Unfolds

Midnight at the Haywood house Returning late from buying a child's first manufactured suit, a family discovers their home illuminated and fears burglars. They discover the lights were switched on by their playful Persian kitten, prompting a discussion on discipline and learning rules.

The rescue of the lawn dolls Uninvited to a neighbor's party because of her poverty and crude homemade toy, a young girl spots a destructive dog charging toward the guests' fine dolls. She throws her own beloved squash doll into the dog's path to save the rest, winning the host's lasting friendship and remorse.

A barnyard introduction Visiting her grandparents' farm, a little girl takes a short ride on a gentle Jersey cow, who carries her straight to the barn to proudly reveal her newly born calf.

Crafts in the garden Two older girls cure a young boy's foul mood by showing him how to fashion toy people, clothes, and miniature rooms out of fallen apples, hollyhocks, and garden leaves.

Courtesy in the palace A woodcutter's humble daughter acts so graciously during a royal playdate that the queen holds her up as an example of genuine politeness to her own daughters.

Conquering the biters A boy who fears imaginary monsters lurking in an abandoned circus wagon musters his courage to investigate, discovering only his laughing cousins waiting to play.

Lessons in gratitude and grace A mother details the collective labor behind making a simple cotton dress, while accompanying scripts provide formal Sunday-school instruction on the Parable of the Wedding Feast.

The People

• Gilbert Haywood: A thoughtful young boy thrilled by his first store-bought clothes. He loves playing with his pet kitten, Billikens, but possesses enough reflection to understand when mischievous behavior crosses the line into improper conduct.

• Dilly: A poor, generous girl who treasures "Arabella," a homemade doll crafted from a crooked-neck squash. Despite facing social rejection from wealthier neighborhood children, she acts courageously to protect their property at great personal cost to her own treasured possession.

• Mildred Fuller: A young neighborhood host who initially excludes Dilly out of snobbery regarding her strange doll. Upon witnessing Dilly’s selflessness, she feels genuine shame, asks forgiveness, and becomes a loyal advocate for her excluded neighbor.

• Jean: An affectionate little girl visiting her grandparents' farm. She holds a deep love for domestic animals, especially a gentle Jersey cow named Jenny, and approaches nature with quiet wonder and joy.

• Stubby: A cross, easily frustrated toddler who kicks his heels when bored. He quickly transforms into an imaginative, enthusiastic participant once guided toward creative outdoor craft play.

• Rose: A patient, gentle child who puts aside her own play plans to cheer up her moody younger brother, demonstrating resourcefulness by using plant life to invent games.

• Chalmers Ashton: An imaginative boy plagued by fears of dark, fictional beasts he names "The Biters." Driven by a desire to emulate brave historical figures, he overcomes his terror to face the unknown.

In Its Own Voice

"S-w-i-s-h! Right down at his side there swooped such a queer-looking doll as Rover, with all his varied experience, had never seen." A self-sacrificing girl hurls her crude squash doll into the path of an aggressive dog to distract him from destroying the other children's fine toys on the porch.

"Jenny put her head down an' kissed it, then she turned her head and looked at me, an' I jumped right down off her back an' kissed it too." A young girl describes the gentle moment a farm cow leads her across the yard to reveal her newly born calf.

"'Politeness is to do, and say / The kindest thing, in the kindest way.'" A queen recites a simple rhyming couplet to teach her royal daughters that true courtesy stems from an inner heart of goodwill rather than high social standing.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this collection examines the quiet moral choices that shape a child's character within everyday life. Rather than focusing on grand adventure, the narratives center on immediate, accessible domestic struggles: overcoming petty social snobbery, controlling sulky tempers, conquering irrational fears, and learning mutual helpfulness. The publication puts forward the argument that virtue is not innate to social status—as shown by the woodcutter's daughter outshining the princesses in manners—but is cultivated through empathy, self-sacrifice, and conscious discipline. Beneath the stories runs a steady emphasis on interconnectedness, reminding children that everything from their clothing to their domestic safety relies on the unseen labor, kindness, and stewardship of others.

Why Read It Today

This issue offers a clear, unfiltered window into early twentieth-century American childhood literature, serving as a primary cultural artifact of Protestant moral education. Readers who appreciate historical children's publishing, vintage domestic fiction, or the evolution of youth periodicals will find value in its simple narratives and period charm. The text captures the everyday textures of 1914—from the novelty of electric lighting and the excitement of store-bought clothing to traditional garden games made from hollyhocks and acorns.

Modern readers should expect a direct, explicitly didactic tone characteristic of its era. The prose makes no effort to hide its instructional goals; every story, poem, and object lesson resolves with a clear moral summary or scriptural application. The language is simple, accessible, and free of complex dialect, though it reflects the conservative, idealized family dynamics of its publication period. It remains a concise, engaging snapshot of how previous generations sought to teach empathy, courage, and simple goodness to very young readers.