St. Nicholas Pre-1900
Throughout much of human history as far back as antiquity, the prevailing belief was that children were inherently depraved morally and required strict and thorough correction and didactic experiences in order to ensure their moral salvation. In the 18th century, parents began viewing children as somewhat less threatening but still believed it was their role to conquer the child’s will with strong disciplinary strategies including physical beatings and psychological threats and guilt.
In the 19th century, a subtle change began to unfold. The focus on conquering will fell out of favor but an emphasis on teaching the child to conform to cultural norms and expectations remained. While threats of physical violence were no longer as commonplace in illustrated stories, a highly moralistic tone still prevailed with guilt, shame, and threats of social consequences used as incentive for children to behave. Given that St. Nicholas was founded in 1873, some of their earliest issues provide striking examples of these moralistic tales in action, usually thinly veiled with sugary sweet illustrations of cute animals and cartoon-like children.
Three Smart Little Foxes; January 1878; periodical illustration
This illustrated story, likely meant for a parent to read to a child given its length (and the fact that the mother fox gleefully delivers the moral lesson at the end of the story), features three young fox cubs who discuss their plans to leave the den and hunt chickens on a nearby farm. But mama fox, clever as always, overhears them and calls their bluff, encouraging them to go if they don't mind encountering the ferocious farm dog. The tale ends with the three foxes deciding to stay put and acknowledging that mother knows best. You can imagine the satisfaction those 19th century parents got out of reading that final line aloud.
Five Fives; March 1881; periodical illustration
The illustrations feature five groups of five animals or children all arranged in orderly rows, while the verses highlight all the ways that the groups demonstrate "good" behavior. The kittens are praised for being clean while the children are lauded for engaging in appropriate play instead of unwanted behaviors like smoking. The girls are also praised for their "rosy" and pretty appearances and they appear playing with dolls, fulfilling gender expectations of the era. While the moral is not directly stated and the children are engaging in play, the implication for readers is that one must be clean, attractive, well-mannered, and rule abiding in order to be "good".
Clever Peter and the Ogress; February 1890; periodical illustration
This story highlights a group of five disobedient boys who decide to skip school, and as a result, fall into the grasp of an evil ogress. She imprisons the boys and prepares to cook them in a stew, but they outsmart the ogress and escape just in the nick of time. The story concludes with boys vowing to never skip school again, given the trouble they encountered. This elaborate tale aims to frighten children into compliance, while still presenting the children as engaging heroes with skills and agency. Perhaps the author believed that assigning some positive traits to the characters would make young readers more likely to admire them and heed their warnings.
The Story of the Three Disobedient Little Rabbits; October 1894; periodical illustration
A longer-form story likely meant to be read by a parent to a child, the plot features a group of sibling rabbits who consistently disobey their mother's orders to stay in the safety of the yard. As a result, they encounter serious dangers, like being chased by ravenous dogs. Their fear prompts the rabbits' vow to never again disobey their mother. The illustrator draws the young viewer in with charming drawings of anthropomorphic rabbits, who wear their broadest smiles when they are dutifully on their way to school. The explicit message is that happiness only comes from strict obedience.
Paper-Doll Poems; March 1896; periodical illustration
This illustrated poem features simple line illustrations of paper dolls, in the form of both children and animals. The orderly, symmetrical appearance of the paper dolls paired with the text praising their good behavior and polite expressions implies that these paper versions of little girls and boys are preferable to the real, imperfect children who made them. The narrator praises the animals for standing in straight lines and politely greeting passersby and lists the virtues of little girls. Interestingly, the little boys appear to get away with more mischief than the girls; however, the narrator casts a subtle barb, suggesting that due to their antics, little boys would never be mistaken for little girls, who are assumed to have more inherent goodness.
Table Manners; November 1898; periodical illustration
This illustrated poem featured The Goops, a group of mischievous characters known for their bad manners and impolite behavior throughout their regular appearance in St. Nicholas Magazine and other children's comic strips of the day. Their small proportions, apart from their large egg-shaped heads, make the Goops relatable and recognizable to children. The playful poem lists a series of bad manners, indirectly implying to the young reader that behaving like the Goops may have negative consequences. While these consequences to the Goops are only social, no physical beatings or maiming involved, social rejection is a powerful consequence for a young child.