Victorian magazines abound with stories about children. Unfortunately, the majority end tragically, with the death of the child - which is perhaps understandable in an era in which child mortality was so very high. This section brings you a host of Victorian anecdotes, impressions and observations of children in a variety of situations and settings, and we've tried to keep to the lighter side!

Children of the Wilds (Chambers Miscellany, 1845)

Accounts (mostly from the 18th century) of children raised by animals or in the wilderness, including Peter the Wild Boy (Germany); Mlle. LeBlanc (France); Victor, the Savage of Aveyron (France); and Caspar Hauser.

Queer Sayings of Children (Demorest, 1879)

The Wit and Humor of Young America, by George W. Bungay (Demorest, 1879)

More examples of delightful children's sayings.

My Experiences of Hospital Children (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

Amateur Newspapers, by Harlan H. Ballard (St. Nicholas, 1882B)

On historic and contemporary newspapers printed by boys, and the National Amateur Press Association.

Children's Logic (Century Magazine, 1882B)

English as She Is Taught, by Mark Twain (Century Magazine, 1887)

Mark Twain's delightful introduction to the book by that name - a 19th-century compilation of school-child bloopers that, as Twain points out, is an interesting commentary on the American educational system. (Get the book itself in our Bookstore!)

On Grown-Up Babies and Other Human Phenomena (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888)

The grown-up baby "looks like a little figure cut out of a fashion plate... the basis of her happiness is the fact that she is very pretty... This child detects beggars with a sagacity that leaves the house-dog nowhere."

Little To-Bo, by Rossiter Johnson (St Nicholas, 1889)

A charming tribute to a little girl.

The Birth of a Smile, by a Photographer (The Strand, 1894A)

Efforts to coax a little boy to smile for the camera.

Calculating Boys (The Strand, 1895B)

Mathematical savants.

Peculiar Children I Have Met, by Max O'Rell (The Strand, 1896A)

French author Max O'Rell (who is always a treat to read) talks of his days as a schoolmaster in England.

Children's Ways and Sayings (Girl's Own Paper, 1898)

"Children are better appreciated now than they have ever been before... [In the past] they were admired in proportion to their power of leaving childish ways behind, and their own spontaneous growth was neglected."

Triplets, by Alfred Thomas (Century Magazine, 1898B)

The Cleverest Child in the World, by Professor H. Olerich (The Strand, 1900B)

One can't help feel a bit sorry for Olerich's adopted daughter, Viola, who, by the age of 21 months, could recognize the flags of 25 nations, amongst other learning feats.