Harper's Young People, December 2, 1879: An Illustrated Weekly

In Short

This volume is a digital preservation of a late-19th-century children’s periodical, functioning as a vibrant time capsule. It mixes serialized fiction, such as George MacDonald’s fairy tale, with natural history lessons, practical handicraft instructions, and reader correspondence. Its enduring charm lies in its earnest attempt to educate and entertain simultaneously, treating its young audience with a mix of high-minded intellectual ambition and gentle moral guidance. It provides a vivid, unfiltered look at the pedagogical and entertainment standards of 1879 America.

The Story

The narrative content of this issue is divided into distinct, compelling threads. The first is a survival story featuring a young Swiss boy named Walter. While hunting on a treacherous glacier, his father loses his footing and tumbles into a deep crevasse. Walter, displaying incredible agility and grit, descends into the icy abyss to secure his father, eventually succeeding in coordinating a community rescue. The ordeal leaves the father crippled but alive, while the boy gains local renown for his heroism.

Simultaneously, the publication features the beginning of an elaborate fairy tale, The History of Photogen and Nycteris. This story introduces a witch named Watho who, driven by a dark obsession for knowledge, manipulates two children born into opposite worlds. Photogen, a boy, is raised in the brilliant, relentless light of day, while Nycteris, a blind girl, is raised in the perpetual, artificial darkness of a windowless tomb. The story sets up a collision between these two states of existence, as the witch works to keep them separated and ignorant of the other’s reality.

The issue also recounts a harrowing anecdote from the mountains of St. Privat, narrated by a woman named Margotte. She tells of her older sister, Leontine, who lived through a winter night when a wolf breached their home. While her friend Marcelle panicked, Leontine stood her ground, physically wrestling the beast to save her infant sister, Margotte. This tale serves as a moral centerpiece, emphasizing courage and sacrifice.

Interspersed with these tales is an educational scene where a professor explains the phenomenon of twinkling stars to a group of skeptical children. Through this interaction, the text deconstructs myths about astronomy, replacing superstition with scientific observation. Finally, the periodical closes with various snippets of wisdom and humor: instructions for crafting a canvas rug, descriptions of electrical novelties like motorized pins, and a series of nursery rhymes and puzzles. The issue concludes with a vibrant "Letter Box," where the editors interact with their young, eager readership, answering questions on topics ranging from the habits of land-turtles to the complexities of early photography, maintaining a steady dialogue that bridges the distance between the printed page and the homes of its subscribers.

How It Unfolds

The encounter with nature The issue opens with a natural history lesson on the temperament of pet bears, contrasting their playful youth with the lethal unpredictability of their adulthood. This sets a tone of caution and observation that informs the later, more dramatic stories.

The descent into the ice The mountain rescue sequence provides the primary tension of the issue, shifting from the calm routine of a hunt to the immediate, visceral terror of a father’s disappearance. Walter’s transition from a fearful child to a decisive savior anchors the narrative in human capability.

The duality of the witch’s experiment The fairy tale segment establishes a mythological framework, contrasting the "sun-ripened" boy with the "dark-dwelling" girl. It introduces the central conflict of light versus shadow, driven by the cold-blooded ambition of the witch, Watho.

The home-front memory The story of the wolf attack provides a grounding, domestic climax. It frames the abstract dangers of the wilderness against the concrete bravery of a sister protecting her kin within the safety of her own hearth.

The synthesis of knowledge The final sections move from the extraordinary to the mundane, detailing the technical specifics of fringe-making and the chemical requirements for photography. This creates a rhythm of expansion and contraction, ending the reader's experience on a practical, encouraging note.

The People

Walter is the quintessential brave youth, defined by his ability to maintain presence of mind during his father’s near-fatal accident. He moves from anxious uncertainty to heroic action, emerging as a figure of reliable strength.

Hirzel, the father, represents the seasoned mountaineer whose physical fall into a crevasse mirrors his loss of control over his own life. His survival depends entirely on the son he once looked after.

Watho, the witch, is the architect of the fairy tale’s conflict. She is driven by a restless desire to "know," a pursuit that has curdled her nature into cruelty. She views the children, Photogen and Nycteris, not as humans, but as subjects for her experiments in environmental conditioning.

Photogen and Nycteris serve as foils. Photogen is a creature of pure, exposed vitality, while Nycteris is a creature of refined, sheltered sensitivity. Both are isolated by Watho’s designs, yet they carry within them the latent potential for growth.

Leontine is a figure of quiet, scarred grace. Her identity is forged in the trauma of the wolf attack; she is defined not by her beauty, which was marred in the struggle, but by her protective love for her sister, Margotte.

In Its Own Voice

Regarding the dangers of the wilderness and the unpredictability of wildlife, the periodical offers this stern warning:

"But though playful and harmless when young, they can not be trusted when their teeth and claws are full grown."

In the midst of the dramatic rescue, the boy’s desperate hope for his trapped father reveals the core of his character:

"Don't be afraid, father," he exclaimed. "You shall be rescued, with God's help."

Reflecting on the nature of light and perception, the Professor provides a lesson in scientific clarity:

"As the rays come down through space there is nothing to break or refract them, but when they reach our atmosphere, there is the tremulous agitation of the air and ascending vapors."

What It's Really About

At its core, this periodical explores the tension between human vulnerability and the vast, often indifferent forces of the natural world. Whether the subject is the physical danger of an icy crevasse, the predatory threat of a wolf, or the vast, uncounted stars of the heavens, the underlying question is how individuals navigate their environment to find safety and understanding. It presents a world where knowledge is the ultimate tool for survival. Through the lens of 19th-century optimism, the book argues that through courage, scientific inquiry, and domestic diligence, the darkness of ignorance and the chaos of the wilderness can be successfully mastered.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy historical artifacts will find this a fascinating window into the past. It is a genuine piece of Victorian culture that reads with a sincerity and earnestness rarely found in modern media. You will encounter a mix of high-adventure prose, fairy-tale whimsy, and strict, technical instruction that captures the specific intellectual rigor of the era.

Be prepared for the period-typical attitudes regarding gender roles and social hierarchies, which are baked into the stories and the editors' advice. Some sections, particularly the discussions of "little negroes" in the bear story, reflect the racial prejudices of 1879, which may be jarring for a contemporary audience. Similarly, the language can be formal and occasionally melodramatic, reflecting the literary style of the time. However, if you are looking to understand the values, fears, and educational priorities of late-19th-century childhood, this book is an invaluable and remarkably preserved resource. It rewards those who read it with the patience to slow down and consider how a different generation looked at the stars, the mountains, and their own place in a changing, modernizing world.