Plain tales, chiefly intended for the use of charity schools

In Short

Set within the structured environment of a late eighteenth-century charity school, this collection of moral tales follows various young girls as they navigate daily temptations, poverty, and domestic duties. Through a series of vignettes, characters like Sukey Dawkins, Jenny Bunney, and Polly Brown confront choices between immediate self-gratification—such as buying sweets or flashy second-hand clothes—and the quiet rewards of helping their struggling mothers through thrift and honesty. The collection has endured as a transparent window into pedagogical literature designed to instill working-class virtue.

The Story

The collection opens with the disciplined routines of charity-school pupils Sukey Dawkins and Polly Wood, who balance diligent study with household chores and brief, healthy walks. When sent into the fields, they encounter a carpenter offering wood chips from a large felled tree. Sukey boldly asks Mr. Ownoak for scraps to help her widowed mother heat their home, while Polly struggles with a tattered apron that breaks under the weight of her gathered chips, highlighting the practical, everyday consequences of neglected mending and untidiness.

This persistent tension between immediate self-gratification and long-term utility drives the subsequent episodes. Nancy Bennet pesters her mother for daily tea like her wealthier neighbors, but her mother patiently persuades her that forgoing expensive, non-nutritious luxuries allows the household to afford warm winter clothing, sturdy stuff gowns, and comfortable bedding instead. Similarly, Jenny Bunney channels her earnings from trusted errands into buying and hand-crafting two neat caps for her hardworking mother, finding profound personal joy in the simple act of giving. Conversely, Nancy Thoughtless squanders all her accumulated halfpence on gingerbread, nuts, and cakes at the local shop, leaving her completely unequipped to provide wine when her father falls severely ill during a harsh winter.

The dangers of superficial display and false economy emerge sharply when Mary Atkins is tempted by the tawdry finery hanging outside a second-hand rag-shop. Her mother warns her that cheap, flimsy garments are financial traps that disintegrate upon washing, contrasting them with the quiet dignity of durable, home-managed wardrobes. Honesty, truthfulness, and conscience are tested severely in the story of Polly Brown, who is waylaid by idle playmates while carrying broth to her grandmother. Persuaded to set her jug down to play, she returns to find a dog has spilled the contents. Rather than confessing, Polly covers up the accident with a direct lie to her mother, spiraling into days of crippling anxiety and guilt before the deception inevitably unravels during a family visit. The emotional cost of losing her mother's trust proves infinitely heavier than the initial mishap.

The narrative arc concludes in a schoolroom where Phebe Talkative chatters incessantly while sewing, constantly dropping her needle and blaming external misfortunes for her slow progress. In stark contrast, her companion Nancy Diligent focuses entirely on her task and finishes her seam without fuss. Across these varied episodes, the narrative traces a steady progression from external instruction to internalized moral responsibility, demonstrating how ordinary childhood choices shape lifelong character and domestic stability.

How It Unfolds

The wood chips Sukey Dawkins and Polly Wood discover a carpenter's pile of chips and secure generous permission from Mr. Ownoak to gather them for their mothers' fires. While Sukey's strong apron holds her load securely, Polly's tattered apron bursts open, teaching her a sharp, immediate lesson about the practical importance of mending.

The tea debate Nancy Bennet pesters her mother for daily tea like the neighboring families enjoy every morning. Her mother patiently demonstrates that sacrificing this expensive, non-nutritious habit allows the household to purchase warm winter clothing, sturdy stuff gowns, and comfortable bedding instead.

The saved caps Jenny Bunney performs her errands quickly and honestly, saving every small coin she is given. She spends her accumulated savings on materials to hand-craft two neat caps, experiencing immense personal joy when presenting them as a surprise to her mother.

The wasted savings Nancy Thoughtless squanders all her halfpence on apple-woman treats like gingerbread, nuts, and cakes. When her sick father desperately needs medicinal wine during a harsh winter, she has nothing left to offer, bringing deep and bitter remorse.

The rag-shop temptation Mary Atkins considers buying cheap finery from a second-hand shop after seeing a friend purchase a flimsy white apron there. Her mother explains why such dirty, threadbare clothes are a ruinous waste of time and money compared to plain, durable garments.

The spilled broth Polly Brown abandons her errand to play with idle companions, resulting in a stray dog spilling her grandmother's broth. She compounds the error by lying to her mother, only to suffer agonizing guilt until the deception is discovered and trust is shattered.

The sewing room Phebe Talkative neglects her needlework to gossip endlessly, repeatedly dropping her tools and blaming bad luck for her inevitable delays. Meanwhile, Nancy Diligent quietly focuses on her task and finishes her seam, proving that simple diligence leads to peace.

The People

Sukey Dawkins wants to help her impoverished family. Her obstacle is extreme poverty, but her industry and strong work ethic enable her to succeed and earn her mother's deep gratitude. Polly Wood shares Sukey's background, but her obstacle is personal untidiness and neglected mending, leading to embarrassment when her tattered apron fails.

Nancy Bennet wants the comfort of daily tea like her neighbors. Her financial limitations are reframed by her mother's patient guidance, leading her to choose warm winter shifts over fleeting treats. Jenny Bunney wants to aid her mother through useful service; she overcomes her humble station by saving small coins to craft caps, achieving profound satisfaction. Conversely, Nancy Thoughtless wants immediate gratification through sweets. Her obstacle is a lack of self-control, leaving her desolate and regretful when she cannot help her sick father.

Mary Atkins is tempted by fashionable second-hand clothes from a rag-shop. Her mother intervenes with sound reasoning, helping Mary choose durable thrift over false economy. Polly Brown wants to balance obedience with play, but yields to peer pressure and lies about spilled broth. She loses her family's trust and suffers intense misery until she confesses. Finally, Phebe Talkative wants to socialize while working, but her chatter obstructs her tasks, contrasting sharply with Nancy Diligent, who quietly applies herself and succeeds through steady concentration.

In Its Own Voice

When Sukey Dawkins successfully gathers firewood chips to help her struggling mother, the narrative captures her quiet satisfaction in verse.

Children, in many a different way, / Can give their friends delight; / Nor will she pass a useless day, / Who brings home chips at night.

When discussing the false economy and hidden dangers of purchasing cheap, used garments, the narrator explicitly warns young readers about the perils of poor consumer choices.

Ruin within the rag-shop stands, / And all who dare to enter, / With tattered bargains in their hands, / Repent so rash a venture.

Later, after detailing the emotional turmoil caused by a cover-up regarding spilled broth, the moral voice underscores the absolute necessity of truthfulness.

Better be dumb than dare to lie; / For words which are not truth, / Far as they reach, spread misery / On childhood, age, and youth.

What It's Really About

Beneath its didactic surface, the book investigates how working-class children internalize morality, economic survival, and social duty within an unforgiving class structure. It argues that true happiness and stability stem not from material consumption or fleeting pleasures like tea and sweets, but from industrious self-denial, meticulous household management, and absolute truthfulness. The overarching question driving the vignettes is how impoverished youth can reclaim agency and dignity through moral discipline. The text scrutinizes the temptations of vanity and idleness, asserting that small daily habits—such as mending clothes, saving pennies, and keeping promises—form the bedrock of personal integrity and familial survival.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in social history, late eighteenth-century pedagogical methods, and the evolution of children's literature will find this collection fascinating. Reading it feels like stepping into a severe yet deeply earnest classroom from the past, where every mundane action carries immense moral weight. However, contemporary audiences must navigate significant period attitudes and heavy didacticism; the text relentlessly subordinates imaginative play and childhood comfort to rigorous physical labor, strict thrift, and adult-imposed utility. The archaic spelling variants, solemn tone, and uncompromising moralizing can feel alienating or exhausting to modern sensibilities accustomed to nuance. Yet, for those patient enough to look past its rigid instructional framework, the book offers a vivid, poignant window into the real-world anxieties of working-class families striving to maintain dignity against the constant threat of poverty and the workhouse. It leaves readers reflecting on the quiet power of daily habits, personal accountability, and the heavy emotional cost of broken trust.