Nearly Bedtime: Five Short Stories for the Little Ones

In Short

This volume is an 1888 collection of five brief, comforting bedtime tales designed to ease children into sleep while illustrating simple moral virtues. Across its stories, young protagonists learn that true gentility lies in quiet kindness, that impulse can lead to startling mishaps, and that honesty carries its own quiet reward. Through domestic misadventures, noble secrets, and brave animal companions, the narrative gently bridges the gap between adult expectations and a child's inner world. It endures as an affectionate snapshot of Victorian nursery culture, celebrating empathy, integrity, and the sweet safety of home.

The Story

The collection opens with a preface establishing its purpose: to offer short, timed readings that bring adults and children into equal fellowship at the end of the day. The narrative journey begins with young Phil in "Gentleman Phil," who slips out of bed at half-past five on a sunny morning. Eager to act like a true gentleman—who does good deeds without seeking thanks—he carries his oversized kitten-and-puppy handkerchief into Farmer Greeson's field to glean fallen wheat for an ailing, blind woman, Dame Christy. He leaves the bundle silently by her bedside, but his unannounced absence causes panic at home. Though scolded by the housemaid upon his return, Phil keeps silent to preserve his secret ideal. Only when Dame Christy's daughter identifies his handkerchief does his father learn the truth, gently reassuring the boy that his quiet chivalry has succeeded.

The tone shifts to dramatic devotion in "Boxer," where a mother and her young son, Willie, travel on an overnight Scotch express. While his mother slumbers, Willie disobediently plays with the carriage door strap. The unlatched door swings open on a turn, throwing the toddler outward; his faithful dog, Boxer, leaps instantly, seizing Willie's collar and taking the brunt of the hard tumble down an embankment. Willie awakens unharmed on the grass beside his motionless pet. A fellow passenger, Hetty Saunders, stays behind to comfort the grieving mother and help search the line. They recover the child, discovering that the loyal dog sacrificed his life to save his little master.

Lighter domestic trouble drives "It Was All Those Horrid Bellows!" narrated by young Ginevra. Upset at being nicknamed "Matty," Ginevra seeks an occupation on a rainy day. Finding a pair of hearth bellows, she attempts to play "wind-fairy" by blowing on a spirit-lamp under a tea kettle. The flame spreads rapidly, scorching the tablecloth, burning the tea-cosy, and causing a visiting neighbor to faint. Sent to bed in disgrace, Ginevra reflects on her unformed character while awaiting a clarifying talk with her mother.

In "Gull's 'Twinses'," an impoverished Waterloo Junction porter named Gull struggles to feed his six-year-old twin boys, Tom and Bob. After returning a lost half-sovereign to a commuter, Mr. Kingsley, Gull receives the coin back as a gift to buy his barefoot boys new brass-tipped boots. Later, Gull spots a thief stealing Mr. Kingsley's pocket-book, tackles the culprit, and recovers the wallet at the cost of a head injury. Mr. Kingsley ensures the family is cared for in return.

Finally, "The B. D. S." centers on four Irish sisters—Pattie, Mollie, Kitty, and Norah—who form a "Bedroom Decorating Society." Their chaotic attempt to haul furniture leads to Norah tumbling down the stairs under a heavy bolster. Their mother skillfully redirects their energy into a safer, structured contest, restoring harmony to the nursery.

How It Unfolds

Phil's early morning quest Phil creeps out of his house at dawn, struggling with his knickerbocker buttons, and heads into the harvest fields to glean corn for blind Dame Christy.

The anonymous delivery After watching baby rabbits play, Phil carrying his heavy bundle of corn lays it secretly on Dame Christy's bed before running home to face a housemaid's scolding.

A father's quiet approval Phil's father learns of the secret gift through the left-behind handkerchief and tenderly reassures the boy that true gentility means doing good without seeking praise.

The train platform accident On an overnight train to London, little Willie disobeys his sleeping mother by playing near the carriage door, causing him to tumble onto the tracks.

Boxer's ultimate sacrifice The family dog Boxer leaps after Willie, gripping his collar to break the child's fall, shielding his master at the cost of his own life.

The wind-fairy's mishap Bored on a rainy afternoon, young Ginevra uses the fireplace bellows to speed up a spirit-lamp, accidentally setting the tablecloth alight and disrupting a social call.

The porter's honest choice Struggling railway porter Gull finds a dropped half-sovereign, tracks down its owner, Mr. Kingsley, and is gifted the coin to buy long-needed boots for his twin boys.

Defending a benefactor Gull tackles a thief to recover Mr. Kingsley's stolen pocket-book, sustaining an injury that prompts Mr. Kingsley to secure a better future for Gull's family.

The nursery redecoration panic Four sisters attempt to reorganize their bedrooms for a club, culminating in young Norah falling downstairs with a giant mattress bolster.

Mother's gentle intervention The sisters' mother steps in to soothe the injured Norah and transforms their chaotic decorating scheme into a manageable, structured nursery contest.

The People

• Phil ("Gentleman Phil"): A sweet-faced, energetic young boy who longs to live up to his father's definition of a true gentleman. He endures an exhausting morning of manual labor and a scolding without complaint, driven solely by a desire to help a blind neighbor in secret.
• Phil's Father: A wise and encouraging parent who recognizes his son's noble intentions. He validates Phil's desire to do good quietly without shaming him for the panic his absence caused.
• Boxer: A devoted family dog whose unwavering loyalty leads him to leap from a moving train, sacrificing his own life to absorb the impact of his young master's fall.
• Willie Hayling: A curious, restless toddler whose disobedience leads to danger on a train, leaving him to learn a heavy lesson about safety and loss.
• Ginevra ("Matty"): An imaginative young girl who resents her family's teasing nickname and accidentally causes a fire while trying to act as a helpful "wind-fairy."
• Gull: A hard-working, widowed railway porter at Waterloo Junction who fights through lameness and poverty to remain scrupulously honest, putting his children's needs above all else.
• Tom and Bob Gull ("The Twinses"): Gull's six-year-old motherless twin sons, one shy and fair, the other boisterous and merry, who treasure their father and celebrate their long-awaited brass-tipped boots.
• Mr. Kingsley: A prosperous City businessman whose initial detachment melts into warm generosity after witnessing Gull's profound honesty and bravery.
• Norah, Pattie, Mollie, and Kitty: Four energetic Irish sisters whose ambitious home-decorating project collapses when Norah takes a tumble down the stairs with a heavy bolster.

In Its Own Voice

"Of course, nobody must see me do it. Gentlemen never do things because they want to be thanked. I should hate it so if she said 'thank you,' even once."

Phil repeats his father's lesson on selfless generosity as he carries his heavy bundle of gleaned corn across the morning fields toward Dame Christy's cottage.

"He leant against the door and held the window-strap in one hand, while his little face grew grave and ashamed. It was not quite so nice to be disobedient as Willie thought it would be."

The narrator captures Willie's quiet hesitation right before the unlatched train door gives way on the northbound express.

"Mind! mind! I say, Tom, you're frizzing that 'erring black!"

Little Bob Gull supervises his twin brother over the fire as they eagerly cook a meager supper while awaiting their father's return from Waterloo Station.

What It's Really About

At its core, the collection explores how moral character is formed through small, daily choices long before adulthood arrives. It argues that virtue is not defined by grand public gestures, but by quiet integrity, unprompted kindness, and accountability. Phil's secret gleaning and Gull's refusal to keep a lost coin both highlight a shared premise: true honor flourishes when no one is watching. The stories also examine the boundaries of childhood independence, balancing a child's natural urge for play and helpfulness against the realistic consequences of thoughtlessness or disobedience. Throughout every tale, adult guidance serves not as a harsh punishment, but as a protective, understanding shelter that translates chaotic impulses into meaningful growth.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers will find this volume a charming period artifact that captures the distinct cadence of late Victorian moral fiction for young children. Its simple, warm-hearted storytelling offers a nostalgic glimpse into nineteenth-century domestic life, nursery routines, and the gentle instructional methods of the era. The short, timed structures make it an intriguing study for educators, parents, and literary historians interested in how Victorian writers crafted accessible ethical narratives for early listeners.

Readers should prepare for the period-typical sentimentality, melodramatic turns—such as the sudden death of the heroic dog Boxer—and distinct representations of class and regional dialect. The depiction of urban poverty in the London tales is filtered through a Victorian lens of earnest charity and providential reward rather than systemic critique. Nevertheless, the book's genuine affection for children, its vivid domestic details, and its timeless defense of quiet honesty give it a sweet, enduring resonance.