Sabbath Afternoon with the Children by Orson E. Mallory

Copyright Details

• Copyright 1886 by Orson E. Mallory

• No indication of later printings

• All rights presumably retained by author (common for privately issued religious works)

• Printed in the United States

Because the book is dated 1886 with no additional print statements, this copy is likely a true first edition.📘 Book History

Sabbath Afternoon With the Children, or Theology by Object Lessons is a late-Victorian religious instruction book written for Christian families seeking structured Sunday afternoon spiritual teaching.

This type of book was part of a broader trend in the 1880–1900 Protestant domestic education movement, emphasizing:

• Parental responsibility for moral and spiritual formation

• Bible-centered object lessons

• Didactic stories intended to shape children’s character

• Integration of scripture into daily life

The volume reflects the era’s belief that the home—not the church—was the primary arena for early religious instruction.

Its ornate binding and mounted front-board photograph indicate it was intended as both a teaching tool and a keepsake.

These books were often sold by subscription, door-to-door agents, or through church networks rather than large publishers.

📦 Physical Condition

Based on your photos:

Covers

• Red cloth boards with elaborate gilt titles and Victorian black-stamped floral motifs

• Mounted sepia photograph on the front cover (faded but intact)

• Edge wear along corners and spine ends

• Some rubbing and spotting consistent with age

• Spine appears slightly loose at the interior hinge

Interior

• Pages show mild to moderate toning and foxing

• Some marginal discoloration

• Title page detached or partially detached at hinge (visible separation)

• No major tears visible

• Text remains fully legible

• Binding is weakened but holding

Overall Condition

Fair to Good– for a 138-year-old children’s religious book.

Its value is heavily affected by condition and rarity.

⭐ Special Features

• 1886 first edition

• Decorative Victorian cloth binding

• Mounted front-cover photograph, uncommon and collectible

• Early American religious education material

• An example of 19th-century “object lesson” pedagogy

• Scarce—these small-press devotional books often survive poorly