Sunny Hours Story Book

I purchased this charming old children's book that I thought you might like to see. It is undated but I am told it was published around 1880. 

Below you will find most of the pages of this Victorian book. Each little verse applies to two pages, which would normally sit side by side in the book. We are showing each pair of pages together, one above the other. We hope you find it as delightful as we did.

This illustration is in the introductory section of the book. It is entitled 'Katie and her baby brother'. What a peaceful scene.

Dick's Father and Mother are making hay.

His three little sisters are out to play

And, each capped with a clustering daisy crown.

Are chasing the butterflies up and down.

And shouting and laughing so noisy and gay

and racing each other among the new hay.

The girls have been decorating their bonnets with daisies. Children today still like to make necklaces by stringing daisies together. We call them 'daisy chains'.

Tommy and Betsy have been to the mill,

Which stands on the top of the distant hill.

And are hurrying home together.

They care not at all for the April shower,

Their old umbrella proves quite a bower

Of refuge in any weather.

To find Mother and gather the poppies.

We are off to yonder farm

And are giving a ride to Johnnie,

While keeping him safe from harm.

Harry is Dobbin and I am Blue Bess;

What Mother will say to us neither can guess.

'Yonder' is an old word meaning 'over there'. So they are going to the farm that they can see 'over there'. 'Dobbin' and 'Blue Bess' were popular names for horses. They are pulling the cart and pretending to be cart horses.

The sun shines bright on the village green.

The boys and girls are laughing seen,

The old man thinks of his youth, the while

He greets their laugh with his quiet smile.

Many ancient villages have an area of grass in the village centre (called the village green) which was used for grazing sheep and cattle and also for village events such as cricket matches. Often there is a duck pond nearby. The laughter of the children reminds the old man of happy memories of when he was young.

Rose and Nelly with Grandmamma

Spent a delightful day,

Watching the busily humming bees

Storing the honey away:

And a pot of rich honey did grandmamma

Bring from their secret store,

And when that is finished she said to them,

I'll give you a jarful more.

Three pretty maidens tripped down the street,

 Joining their voices in a song so sweet;

Three little birdies sat on a tree

Thrilling the breeze with their melody.

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Jack and Bob could not agree

Upon a certain matter;

Says Jack to Bob, 'Our pigs are best, 

Because they are much fatter',

Says Bob to Jack, 'Too fat for dinner;

My master liked his pork much thinner.'

The girls 'tripped' down the road. To 'trip' normally means to stumble against something and fall over. However it can also mean to walk with a light steps, as the girls would have done here.

These boys are wearing the traditional smocks that farm workers once wore to protect their clothes. They are not worn today but I recently saw some antique smocks for sale at a fair.

Alice and Fred are taking

The blackberries home for a tart.

While Mary the apples is picking

And filling her little red cart.

Blackberries grow wild in the countryside of Britain. Many people go out to pick them when they become ripe in late summer. The apple crop becomes ripe around the same time. The two fruits taste delicious together and there are many recipes which combine the two. Personally I love blackberry and apple pie!

Lizzie takes the dinner, but plays along the lane;

Neddie races with his hoop and calls to her in vain

'Make haste we shall be late for school,

I hear the last bell ringing

And Pollie Brown and Teddie Crown

Are on before us singing.

The children are late for school because they stop to play on the way. The bell rings to tell them they should go into class. The names of the children here are shortened forms of their real names.  For instance 'Lizzie' is short for 'Elizabeth'.

Lucy and Bessie and Mary and Kate

Have all met together beside the green gate

To talk of dear Jennie, their poor little friend,

To whom they are saying a message they'll send,

To come round and visit her after school hours

And bring her some eggs-

And a nosegay of flowers.

Jennie is sick, so the girls are bringing her some eggs to build up her strength. I don't think children today would be very thrilled with such a present!

Past the white sheep and across the green meads

Annie takes grandfather's tea

And, while little Margaret rakes up the weeds.

Pattie's wheelbarrow runs busily.

A 'mead' is a meadow. This is a a field with grass. Here there are sheep grazing in the meadows. Grandfather is working to tidy up the churchyard.

Ben was a sturdy young country lad, Who to go for a soldier a passion had; In strife and in battle he longed to be seen, And so he enlisted to fight for his queen. With tear dimmed eye and a sorrowful heart, Did Kate say 'goodbye' when the time came to start. And watched till he turned round the bend in the lane a And wondered if e'er she should see him again.

While the fowls are feeding We'll walk down to the nests To see if we can find some eggs For our expected guests. Just run indoors, my darling, And tell me what's o'clock; And Bob so shy need hardly try  To hide behind my frock. 'Fowl' are birds such as chicken or ducks that you find in a farm.  'What's o'clock' is an old fashioned way of asking what the time is.

Lucy, drew well-water fresh and clear. While her pet lamb nodded browsing near. Round whose white neck was a ribbon of blue, Bright as the morning sky's brilliant hue. To yonder field she is going now, Where her brother is working behind the deep plough.