The Nursery, January 1877, Volume XXI, No. 1: A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers

In Short

This issue of a classic nineteenth-century children's periodical combines moral fables, cheerful verses, domestic sketches, and practical lessons tailored for early readers. Through stories of clever hares outwitting dogs, boys working as snow-shovellers or scissors-grinders, and animals acting with kindness or boastful foolishness, the issue offers gentle instruction paired with playful charm. The magazine concludes with a massive catalog of subscription premiums, from jig-saws to classical literature. Its enduring appeal lies in its vivid slice of historical childhood, capturing how young minds were nurtured with simple ethics, curiosity, and joyful verse.

The Story

The issue opens with everyday child labor turned into playful enterprise in "Work and Play," where young Tom Murphy and Mike Flynn offer their snow-shovelling services to Mr. Prim. After agreeing on fifty cents for a thorough cleaning of the steps and sidewalk, the boys take a break to ride the stone lions at the entrance, prompting Mr. Prim to question where labor ends and fun begins. Domestic life and animal affection follow in "Billy and Tom," which relates how an old, gentle farm horse named Billy misses his stable companion and thoughtfully stops beside a fence so a small boy can dismount safely without jumping to the ground.

Fables of animal cleverness and mutual assistance provide sharp lessons in strategy and compassion. In "The Wise Hare and her Pursuers," a hunted hare continuously doubles back under a gated fence, forcing two greyhounds to leap back and forth over the top until they collapse from fatigue, proving that wits easily overcome sheer speed. Similarly, "Friends in Need" describes a crippled sparrow unable to fly until two flockmates bring a small wooden twig; by grasping the middle of the twig with its beak while the other birds hold the ends, the injured bird is triumphantly lifted to its nest on an ivy-covered wall.

Moral warnings appear alongside domestic humor. "The Bear that put on Airs" tells of Dandy, a boastful bear who claims his nose ring is a decorative gift from a human companion. A young escaped bear exposes Dandy as a former dancing captive who was moved by fear of hot irons, causing the animal community to reject the humbug. Meanwhile, playful verses celebrate indoor warmth, small brown mice teasing house cats and infants, and a lullaby where farm animals and ticking clocks soothe a sleeping baby.

Human industry takes center stage in narrative sketches of artistic and playful endeavor. In a story of artistic redemption, young Ernest saves his destitute family from poverty after a brisk gentleman named Mr. Mason discovers the boy's talent for cutting paper profile portraits and employs him. In "The Little Scissors-Grinder," a young boy named Willie playfully mimics a traveling tradesman with his wheelbarrow and earns paper money from amused ladies. The issue draws toward its close with winter scenes of cattle drinking from frozen streams, a letter written directly to a young girl from Santa Claus, and a New Year's song reminding children to remain good, before expanding into an extensive publisher's catalog of premiums for acquiring new subscribers.

How It Unfolds

Young snow-shovellers at work Tom Murphy and Mike Flynn offer to clear Mr. Prim's snowy sidewalk for fifty cents on New Year's morning. Instead of working continuously, they mount the stone lions on the porch steps to race, leading their employer to ask whether they are working or playing.

A gentle horse shows wisdom An old, slightly lame farm horse named Billy longs for his missing companion Tom while left alone in the field. When a young boy rides him, Billy cleverly stops right next to a wooden fence so his rider can safely climb down.

Outwitting pursuing greyhounds A hunted hare reaches a gated fence and repeatedly runs back and forth through the narrow bars. The larger dogs are forced to leap over the gate again and again until they tire out, letting the hare escape.

Rescuing a crippled bird A helpless sparrow falls to the ground and cannot fly. Two fellow sparrows fetch a six-inch twig, hold both ends in their beaks, and allow the injured bird to bite the middle so they can carry it back to its ivy wall home.

Unmasking a boastful bear Dandy the bear boasts that his nose ring is an ornamental gift from a human partner. A sharp young bear reveals that the ring was used to chain and force Dandy to dance, driving the liar away from the forest.

Artistic talent saves a family When a poor widow faces destitution, an elderly gentleman named Mr. Mason notices her son Ernest's skill at cutting paper silhouette figures. He hires the boy as an artist, securing his family's livelihood and launching Ernest's distinction.

Playing the scissors-grinder Young Willie turns his wheelbarrow upside down on the piazza to simulate a trade foot-treadle. He sharpens scissors for ladies in exchange for paper money, declining kisses because working craftsmen do not kiss.

Promises of the new year As winter cold settles in, a seasonal song marks the departure of the Old Year and the arrival of the New Year at midnight. Both figures leave children with the same parting message to be good.

The People

Mr. Prim A quiet, newspaper-reading homeowner who wishes to have his front sidewalk cleared of snow on New Year's Day. He hires two energetic young boys, insisting on thoroughness, but finds himself amused and astonished when he catches them playing on his stone lions.

Billy An old, gentle, and loving family horse who is slightly lame but trusted by everyone. He misses his working companion Tom, loves being petted by children, and demonstrates notable intelligence by positioning himself against a fence so a small boy can climb off his back safely.

Dandy A boastful, arrogant bear who wears a metal ring in his nose and tricks his forest peers into serving him. He claims the ring was an ornamental gift, but his arrogance collapses when his history as a chained, performing dancing bear is publicly exposed.

Ernest A gifted, painstaking young boy whose talent for cutting profile figures and faces in paper saves his widowed mother from severe financial distress. Encouraged by an older patron, he works diligently between school hours and eventually grows up to become a distinguished artist.

Willie A bright, imaginative young boy who delights in playing tradesman after returning home. Using his wheelbarrow as a simulated grinding wheel, he soberly sharpens scissors for ladies on the porch, accepting leaves as change and maintaining strict professional decorum by declaring that scissors-grinders do not kiss.

In Its Own Voice

"Thus you see that wit and self-possession are sometimes more than a match for superior strength and speed."

Uncle Charles draws this concise moral lesson immediately after explaining how a small hare outsmarts two swift greyhounds at a fence.

"Scissors-grinders don't kiss," he said; but the fun sparkled in his bright black eye, and he burst into a hearty laugh, which must have been a relief to the merry boy after being sober so long.

Mrs. G. captures young Willie's sudden shift from serious childhood roleplay back to genuine boyhood laughter after sharpening scissors for visitors.

"Oh, you must all good children be!"

Marian Douglas concludes her New Year's verse with this simple direct instruction delivered by both the departing Old Year and arriving New Year.

What It's Really About

This periodical explores how childhood character is forged through gentle guidance, practical effort, and honest behavior. Across its stories, truthfulness and diligence are consistently rewarded, while deceit and vanity—exemplified by the arrogant bear Dandy—lead to social rejection and embarrassment. The text emphasizes that intelligence and composure triumph over raw strength, whether demonstrated by a clever hare evading hounds or a lame horse protecting its young rider. Beyond moral instruction, the volume celebrates the small, everyday joys of young children, validating their imaginative play and instinct for kindness. Ultimately, it asks how early education can balance entertainment with lasting values, shaping young readers into conscientious, cooperative, and industrious individuals.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers will find this volume a captivating window into nineteenth-century American childhood, offering insight into historical values, storytelling techniques, and publishing practices. Its gentle fables, rhythmic lullabies, and domestic anecdotes reflect an era when children's literature sought to entertain while instilling straightforward moral principles. Reading the magazine feels like opening a well-preserved time capsule, complete with period illustrations, simple rhyming verse, and authentic depictions of daily life, from snow-shovelling boys to rustic farm scenes.

The book is not without its period peculiarities. Modern readers may find the explicit moralizing somewhat repetitive, and the final third of the publication shifts entirely into a commercial publisher's catalog listing subscription premiums, from tool chests and jig-saws to period games like American Squails. These commercial listings, however, offer their own fascinating historical context regarding nineteenth-century marketing and childhood material culture. Anyone interested in historical children's media, vintage illustration, or nineteenth-century social history will appreciate the simple warmth, clear prose, and historical authenticity preserved in these pages.