Our Gift

Twenty-five Sunday school teachers contributed to this 1851 gift book for their pupils, leaving their signatures out and sharing responsibility for its contents. The opening poem, "Remember Me," asks readers to hold friendship in memory. In "Honor Thy Parents," Clara and Mary discuss whether to tell their mothers that William and George accompany their morning walks. Clara seeks permission, and Mrs. Spaulding explains why parental advice and trust matter.

The collection brings practical lessons together with poems and local records. "The Example of the Bee" compares gathering honey with gathering knowledge and virtue, while "The Morning Walk" passes through Boston to the State House and Common, observing its fountain and trees. Letters concerning Chapin's departure in 1848 and Miner's acceptance connect the pupils' reading with their congregation's history. Readers interested in nineteenth-century childhood or religious teaching can see how everyday conduct, affection and the city around the school shaped these lessons.