Original Stories From Real Life

Look what a fine morning it is - Insects, Birds & Animals, are all enjoying existence. 

William Blake's lovely engraving is the frontispiece to the second edition (1791) 

Original Stories From Real Life, With Conversations Calculated to Regulate The Affections And Form the Mind To Truth And Goodness 

Mary Wollstonecraft

Illustrated by William Blake

Published: Joseph Johnson 1778

This was Mary Wollstonecraft's only complete book of stories for children. There are five illustrations by William Blake, who also illustrated Mary Wollstonecraft's translations (from German) of Salzmann's 'Elements of Morality for the Use of Children'.

Original Stories is a 'conduct book' and may seem heavily moral for our modern tastes but it was typical of that era. The stories are based on ideas Wollstonecraft developed whilst teaching at her school in Newington Green where she promoted a more thorough education for girls, who were generally taught only the most basic of skills elsewhere. 

Mary Wollstonecraft's ideas on education were unusual at the time although they seem very understandable now and she states in her Preface that ' knowledge should be gradually imparted, and flow more from example than teaching: example directly addresses the senses, the first inlets to the heart' (xviii). Original Stories uses 'Conversations' and 'Tales' told by Mrs Mason 'which were written to illustrate the moral' (p xix) so that children could discuss them and develop their reasoning - something women in particular were not encouraged to do in the eighteenth century.

Some Quotes form Original Stories:

One fine morning in Spring, some time after Mary and Caroline were settled in their new abodes, Mrs. Mason proposed a walk before breakfast... but the children were regardless of the surrounding beauties, and ran eagerly after some insects to destroy them. Mrs Mason silently observed their cruel sports, without appearing to do it.... Surely, said Mary, you do not think there is any harm in killing a snail, or any of those nasty creatures that crawl on the ground? I hate them.... With great gravity, Mrs Mason asked how she dared to kill any thing unless it were to prevent its hurting her?  (p1-2)

It is impossible to form a friendship without making truth the basis.... ( p20)

.... as she improved her mind, she discovered that virtue, internal beauty, was valuable on its own account, and not like that of the person, which resembles a toy, that pleases the observer, but does not render the possessor happy.  She found that in acquiring knowledge, her mind grew tranquil... (p 30)

 ..... cold or hunger, when accidentally encountered, are not evils; they make us feel what wretches feel, and teach us to be tender hearted (p 78)

Selfish people save to gratify their own caprices and appetites: the benevolent curb both.... When we squander money idly we defraud the poor, and deprive our own souls....

Mary on the Green 

The Newington Green Action Group want to erect a memorial sculpture to Mary Wollstonecraft on Newington Green. Can you help us to put Mary on the Green? 

Image: Wikimedia