The Boy's Own Paper

The Boy's Own Paper, No. 113, March 12, 1881. This cover illustrates "My Doggie and I," Chapter XIV, by H.M. Ballantyne, part of the serialized adventure fiction that defined the publication. The engraving depicts an indoor domestic scene: a well-dressed woman stands at a doorway while a small dog sits prominently in the foreground within a circular frame, a servant visible in the background. Published by the Religious Tract Society at one penny, The Boy's Own Paper offered illustrated serial stories of adventure, school life, and exploration alongside practical instructional columns. Designed as respectable family entertainment for young readers, it provided an alternative to the cheaper penny dreadfuls that dominated Victorian popular literature.