The String of Pearls for Little Children

# Catalog Note

The String of Pearls (1847) is a collection of moral tales published by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society for young readers. The volume contains eleven didactic narratives emphasizing filial duty, paternal affection, and Christian virtue. Featured stories include "The Affectionate Father," in which a son planning his father's murder is moved to repentance when confronted with paternal forgiveness in a forest; "The Dying Father," depicting a pious man dispensing final counsel from his deathbed; and "Washington and His Mother," recounting young George Washington's sacrifice of naval ambition to remain with his grieving mother. Additional narratives address themes of maternal devotion, widowhood, gambling's ruin of families, and the redemptive power of faith. Each chapter is introduced with an epigraphic moral "pearl"—a biblical verse or proverb. The book employs sentimental domestic scenes and cautionary examples to instill religious obedience and respect for parental authority in its audience.