The Nursery, No. 103, July, 1875. Vol. XVIII.: A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers

In Short

This issue of the nineteenth-century American children's periodical The Nursery opens its eighteenth volume with a rich variety of illustrated short stories, moral fables, verse, and instructional lessons. Young readers explore beachfront adventures at Coney Island and Santa Cruz, witness real-world animal encounters, and observe relatable classroom misbehavior. Designed to teach through gentle entertainment, the publication balances cautionary tales about self-willed pets and idle pupils with accounts of family excursions, early drawing exercises, and home play, offering a clear window into middle-class childhood pastimes of the mid-1870s.

The Story

The issue moves through a series of lighthearted narrative vignettes, brief educational pieces, and verse designed to engage early readers. It opens with the moral tale of Bunny, a self-willed young rabbit who ignores his mother’s warnings and strays from his woodland home. After falling asleep under beech trees, Bunny wakes to the terrifying sounds of hunting dogs, narrowly escapes a hail of stones from a troop of boys, avoids a hunter's shotgun blast, and spends a lonely, rainy night sheltered inside a hollow trunk. Recognizing his folly, he reunites with his relieved family the next morning, vowing never to wander off again.

Shifted from the woods to the water, the focus moves to a lively family outing aboard the stanch tugboat Williams on Lake Michigan. Young Ralph boards the vessel with his family, gazes across the blue waters toward distant ships, and delights in playing with a friendly, tame bear cub kept on board by the crew. After racing a rival steam barge and feasting on crackers provided by the cook, the family returns safely to port.

Domestic play and classroom life form the next thematic arc. In the poem "Tit, Tat, Toe!," three young students—Billy Bumble, Benny Bell, and Kitty Coe—are kept inside after school for playing games on their slates during class and failing their spelling test. Encouraged by their teacher, they recite their words correctly and earn their release. Nearby, on a sandy beach below a great oak, young Neddy and his friends spend a summer afternoon constructing model cities out of mud, water, and twigs, naming their creations Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, before burning the wooden structures in a campfire and returning to their hotel for tea.

Travel narratives and nature observations widen the scope further. A short excursion brings young Charles and Laura to the shore of Coney Island to watch surf-bathers and a retrieving Newfoundland dog. Out West, a young girl named Daisy writes a letter describing a stagecoach journey across the California mountains, an encounter with a scarred grizzly-bear hunter named "Mountain Charley," and a seaside clam-bake at Moore's Beach. Animal behavior is examined through both factual descriptions and satirical fables, such as an account of a loyal dog named Jack who accurately anticipates train arrivals, and a fable about a vain parrot who wears his master's rose and bossily commands two obedient house dogs until the master returns. The magazine concludes with a brief geographical sketch of the Catskill-Mountain House, a musical score praising early risers, and extensive publisher notices detailing promotional rewards for securing new subscribers.

How It Unfolds

Disobedient Bunny strays Bunny the rabbit sneaks away from his mother in the woods, falls asleep, and is awakened by hunting dogs, flying stones, and gunshots before hiding in a hollow tree overnight.

A tugboat adventure Ralph and his family board a tugboat on Lake Michigan, where they marvel at a performing pet bear cub, watch big vessels towed into harbor, and win a race against a steam barge.

Punishment in the classroom Three schoolmates are kept after hours for playing tit-tat-toe on their slates during lessons, but they quickly restudy their spelling words, pass their recitation, and run out to play.

Building cities in the sand Neddy and his playmates spend the afternoon on a beach constructing miniature replicas of Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago out of wet sand, clay, and twigs before heading home for dinner.

Seaside excursions and mountain trails Children watch ocean waves and working dogs at Coney Island, while far away in California, young Daisy wades barefoot during a coastal clam-bake after riding a stagecoach past mountain forests.

Animal tricks and grand vistas A family dog named Jack selectively meets only the correct passenger trains, a proud parrot temporarily orders around the household dogs, and a brief report describes the panoramic sunrises visible from the Catskill-Mountain House.

The People

• Bunny is a headstrong, young rabbit who desires independence, ignores his mother's explicit boundaries, faces near-disaster at the hands of hunters and mischievous boys, and returns home humbled and obedient.
• Ralph is an energetic, curious young boy who dislikes shoes, craves maritime adventure, delights in meeting a tame circus-like bear cub on Lake Michigan, and dreams briefly of living on a tugboat.
• Billy Bumble, Benny Bell, and Kitty Coe are three easily distracted school children who yield to the temptation of playing slate games during class, fail their spelling recitations, and undergo brief tearful confinement before earning their freedom through diligent study.
• Neddy is a cheerful, rosy-chested boy who loves outdoor play, enthusiastically builds a sand-model of Boston filled with tin fish, and proudly admires the artistic achievements and golden hair of his friend Rose Ellsworth.
• Daisy is an adventurous young letter-writer traveling through California, who rejects the stiff decorum of refined adult ladies in favor of running barefoot along the surf, digging for clams, and collecting shells.
• The Parrot is a vain, power-hungry pet who takes advantage of his master's absence to wear a rose, admire himself in the mirror, and boss around two innocent, obedient house dogs.

In Its Own Voice

"He heard his mother calling him, but took no notice of her call. It was a warm summer day, and he fell asleep."

This brief moment captures the foolish self-will of little Bunny right before he finds himself lost in the woods.

"He was just about the size of a tan-terrier, and so full of play, that he got himself into all sorts of shapes, and performed all the antics imaginable."

Aunt Nellie describes the surprising little bear cub that entertained young Ralph on the deck of the Lake Michigan tugboat.

"The moral of my story is this: whenever a simpleton puts on airs and plays the master, there are always other simpletons ready to obey his commands."

Victor Bluthgen closes his fable of the bossy parrot with a sharp, clear warning about misplaced authority and blind obedience.

What It's Really About

Underneath its simple vocabulary and charming illustrations, the volume is primarily concerned with the moral formation and social development of young children. It consistently contrasts the chaotic consequences of self-will and idleness with the safety found in obedience, orderly study, and parental guidance. Whether depicting a straying rabbit exposed to hunters' shotguns or pupils facing post-school detention for playing games during class, the text emphasizes that carelessness brings swift discomfort, whereas duty leads to immediate reward. Alongside these moral lessons, the issue promotes an active appreciation for the natural world and practical learning, encouraging children to observe animal behavior, practice daily sketching, explore geography, and find creative, constructive joy in simple outdoor play.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers, historians, and educators will enjoy this volume as an authentic, unvarnished artifact of nineteenth-century American childhood and culture. It offers a captivating glance into the leisure activities, pedagogical methods, and literary tastes of 1875, presenting stories that move swiftly without modern digital distractions. The prose is clean, direct, and accessible, characterized by gentle humor and an earnest desire to nurture young minds.

Readers should anticipate period-specific elements, including traditional Victorian moralizing, gender roles, and explicit publisher advertisements pitching everything from baby walking-tables and pine tar soap to gold pencil-cases for securing new magazine subscribers. Rather than detracting from the work, these period details enrich the reading experience, providing valuable historical context. Anyone interested in classic children's literature, early American publishing, or vintage domestic life will find this brief half-yearly installment both charming and historically illuminating.