ergyman, refused to attend Sunday-school,
and consequently fell into evil ways leading to the thief's or
drunkard's grave. Often a sick mother was introduced to claim emotional
attention, or to use as a lay figure upon which to drape Scripture texts
as fearful warnings to the black sheep of the family. Indeed, the little
reader no sooner began to enjoy the tale of some sweet and gentle girl,
or to delight in the mischievous boy, than he was called upon to reflect
that early piety portended an early death, and youthful pranks led to a
miserable old age. Neither prospect offered much encouragement to hope
for a happy life, and from conversations with those brought up on this
form of religious culture, it is certain that if a child escaped without
becoming morbid and neurotic, there were dark and secret resolves to
risk the unpleasant future in favor of a happy present.

The stories, too, presented a somewhat paradoxical familiarity with the
ways of a mysterious Providence. This was exceedingly perplexing to the
thoughtful child, whose queries as to justice were too often hushed by
parent or teacher. In real life, every child expected, even if he did
not receive, a tangible reward for doing the right thing; but
Providence, according to these authors, immediately caused a good child
to become ill unto death. It is not a matter for surprise that the
healthy-minded, vigorous child often turned in disgust from the
Sunday-school library to search for Cooper's tales of adventure on his
father's book-shelves.

The correct and approved child's story, even if not issued under
religious auspices, was thoroughly saturated with religion. Whatever may
have been the practice of parents in regard to their own reading, they
wished that of the nursery to show not only an educational and moral,
but a religious tendency. The books for American children therefore
divided themselves into three classes: the denominational story, to set
forth the doctrines of one church; the educational tale; and the moral
narrative of American life.

The denominational stories produced by the several Sunday-school
societies were, as has been said, only a kind of scaffolding upon which
to build the teachings of the various churches. But their sale was
enormous, and a factor to be reckoned with because of their influence
upon the educational and moral tales of their period. By eighteen
hundred and twenty-seven, fifty-thousand books and tracts had been sent
out