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Moral tales Digital Collection

Relatively scarce in the early years of the United States, moral tales were increasingly popular in the nineteenth century (see Introduction). Frequently based on a line of scripture of a moral precept, these works functioned to convey the ideals of virtuous conduct (obedience, forgiveness, and responsibility) through narrative means. In this sense, they are companions to conduct literature. Stories appealed to children through imaginative and emotional identification in a way, frequently representing scenes of piety and conversion. Most denominations tailored these stories to suit their own doctrinal needs.

This era witnessed a growing complication between writing and piety. The lists of titles in this collection or in the library catalogues sold by Sunday School Unions reveal that fictional tales comprise about one third of them but it was clearly the fastest growing and most frequently reprinted section of most publishers lists, especially after mid-century. Not surprisingly, fiction even when adhering to scriptural models was a controversial subject in Sunday school education. Controversy prevailed in regard to whether fiction was healthy for young children. Many religious authorities insisted that fiction should be excluded entirely, in that it tended to be sensational, prurient, or fantastic, corrupting the imaginations of the young or giving them a false sense of reality. The purveyors of evangelical children's literature were conflicted over what constituted appropriate material and that in gaining a wider audience they might lose control of their doctrine and message.

It was clear to most observers that children returned time and again to the fictional works and would seldom take out the books "of more solid religious character." Because teachers saw that it was most important to cultivate a taste for reading in their young students, they began to rely more and more on "entertaining tales with moral messages." The concern with fiction lay in the sense that not only could it lead to fantasy or sensationalism but also to kind of license with scripture itself, unorthodox or personal interpretations, and secular opinion. This was another reason that the Sunday school unions formed publication committees to oversee and regulate content.

—Stephen Rachman, Department of English, Michigan State University

Items in the Moral tales collection:
Title	Publisher	Author	Call Number	Description	Available Format(s)
A Dialogue Between A Traveller and Yourself	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	BT780 .D55 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
A New Picture-Book	New York: American Tract Society, 1830	Author Unknown	BJ1631 .N43 1850	unknown or unavailable	jpg
A Noble Youth; or, William Mason	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	BV4510 .V5 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
A Pretty Picture-Book	New York: American Tract Society, 1830	Author Unknown	BV4571 .P74 1850	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Advice to Young Men on their Duties and Conduct in Life	Boston: Phillips, Sampson: 1850	Arthur, T.S.	BJ1581 .A7	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Are You Going to the Circus?	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	BV4571 .A7 1850z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Begin Now	New York: Lane and Scott, 18--?	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 B43 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Broken Bat	Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 B78 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Common Sights in Town & Country. Delineated & described for Young Children	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 18--?	Author Unknown	E166 .C6 ?	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Earthly Care, a Heavenly Discipline	Cincinnati: American Reform Tract and Book Society, 1852	Stowe, Harriet Beecher	BF575.W8 S76 1852	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Ellen; or, The Disinterested Girl	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1847	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 E43 1830z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Ethel's Gift: and Nellie's Miracle	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Mathews, Joanna H.; Reed, Rebecca Perley	PS2692.R47 E8 1874	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Etiquette for Little Folks	Boston: G.W. Cottrell, 1856?	Mackarness, Mrs. Henry S.	BJ1857.C5 M33 1856	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Fanny's Return to School	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1846	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 F36 1846	unknown or unavailable	jpg
First Flight From the Nest; or, Nellie's Six Months in Boston	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1856	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 F57 1856	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Frank Harper; or, The Country-Boy in Town	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1847	Author Unknown	BJ1661 .F7 1847	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Green Mountain Annals A Tale of Truth	New York: Burnett & Smith, 1832	Forbes, G.V.H.	PS1689.F67 G7 1832	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Harry Reynolds: or, the Causes of a Little Boy's Failure and Success	New York: Sunday-School Union, 18--?	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 H33 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Helps Over Hard Places. Stories for Boys	Boston: American Tract Society, 1862	Palmer, Lynde	PS2539.P6 H4 1862	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Helps Over Hard Places. Stories for Girls	Boston: American Tract Society, 1862	Palmer, Lynde	PS2539.P6 H44 1862	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Kenny Carle's Uniform	Boston: American Tract Society, 1863	Author Unknown	PS991.A2 K45 1863	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Kind Words and Kind Deeds	New York: S. S. Union, 18--?	Author Unknown	BJ1631 .K53 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Little Oaths	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Elizabeth, Charlotte	BV4571 .C473 1850z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Little Red Cloak	Philadelphia: Presbyterian Publication Committee, 1866	M<sup>c</sup>Keever, Harriet Burn	PS2359.M47 L5 1866	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Little Verses for Good Children	New York: American Tract Society, 1830	Author Unknown	PN6110.R4 L5 1850	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Mary at the Feet of Jesus	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	BV4510 .V5 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Maternal Love: or, Letters Addressed to a Companion of her Childhood	New York: John S. Taylor; Boston: Weeks, Jordan & Co.; 1838	Mother, A	HQ759 .M8 1838	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Misunderstood	New York: Anson D. F. Randolph & Co., 1869	Montgomery, Florence	PR5029.M85 M5 1869	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Mr. Anderson. An Interesting Story, Designed to Inculcate Important Truth	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 .M7 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
My First Sunday-School	Carlton & Porter, 1861	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 M95 1861	unknown or unavailable	jpg
My Own Primer, or First Lessons in Spelling and Reading	Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1857	Carter, Rev. John P.	PE1119.A1 M9 1857	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Patty; or, Beware of Meddling	Sunday-School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 18--?	Elizabeth, Charlotte; Kidder, D. P.	PS991.A1 C475 1840	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Reuben Ramsay: or, The Boy that Nobody Wanted	New York: Carlton & Porter, 1849	Maxwell, Mrs.	PS991.A1 M38 1849	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Simple Rhymes for Little Children	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1835	Author Unknown	PN6110.R4 S56 1835	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Better Home	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1835	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 B44 1835 ?	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Bible The Best Book	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Elizabeth, Charlotte	BS539 .C47 1859	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Birthday Party. A Story For Little Folks	Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1865	Optic, Oliver	PS1006.A5 B49 1865	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Cornucopia: A Collection of Pieces in Prose and Rhyme, for the Silver Lake Stories	Auburn and Rochester: Alden and Beardsley; New York: J. C. Derby, 1855	Cousin Cicely (Bradford, Sarah Elizabeth Hopkins)	PS1120.B42 C6 1855	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Creation, or, A Morning Walk With Anna	Philadelphia and New York: American Sunday-School Union, 1843	Tuckey, Mary B.	PS991.A1 W48 1844	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Earnest Laborer: or, Myrtle Hill Plantation, Being Sketches and Incidents Drawn from the Experience of a School Teacher	New York: Carlton & Porter; Sunday-School Union, 1864	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 E16 1864	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Fretful Girl	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1850	Author Unknown	BJ1631 .F7 1850	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Gipsies; or, Friends in Need	Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 G5 1800	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The History of Ann Lively and Her Bible	New York: American Tract Society, 1830	Author Unknown	PZ6 .H6244 1850	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Life of Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In Prose and Verse	New York: American Tract Society, 18--?	Author Unknown	BT302 .L53 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Little Coat	Cincinnati, Ohio: American Reform Tract and Book Society, 18--?	Judd, Rev. Sylvester	BV4571 .J8 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Little Keepsake: A Poetic Gift for Children	New York: Kiggins & Kellogg, 1857?	Author Unknown	PZ6 .L734 1857	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Magic-Lantern	New York: Carlton & Porter; Sunday-School Union, 1862	Ranger, Robin	PS991.A1 R34 1862	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Pleasing Instructor	New York: American Tract Society, 1830	Author Unknown	BJ1631 .P43 1850	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Polite Boy	Boston: James M. Usher, 18--?	Uncle Madison	PN6331 .U5 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Silver Dollar	Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1847	Author Unknown	PS991.a1 .S54 1847	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Story-Book for Good Little Girls	New York: Kiggins & Kellogg, 1850?	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 S7 1850?	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Twelve Months of the Year; with a Picture for Each Month. Adapted to Northern Lattitudes	New York: American Tract Society, 1830	Author Unknown	BV4571 .T88 1800z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Way to be Happy. A Narrative of Facts	Philadelphia: American Sunday School Union, 1827	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 W33 1827	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Young Christian: or, A Familiar Illustration of the Principles of Christian Duty	New York: American Tract Society, 1832?	Abbott, Rev. Jacob	BV4501 .A34 1832 ?	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Young Lady's Guide	New York: American Tract Society, 1870?	Author Unknown	HQ1229 .Y8 1870	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Young Man from Home	London: Religious Tract Society, 184-?	James, John Angell	BJ1671 .J3 1840z	unknown or unavailable	jpg
The Young Woman's Friend, or, The Duties, Trials, Loves and Hopes of Woman	Boston: Wentworth, Hughes & Co., 1857	Eddy, Daniel Clarke	BJ1681 .E35 1857	unknown or unavailable	jpg
Willy Graham; or, The Disobedient Boy	Philadelphia: American Sunday School Union, 1844	Author Unknown	PS991.A1 W45 1844	unknown or unavailable	jpg