One of the most popular books written for children in Victorian England was The Peep of Day.1 As with so many other children's books of this period, it contained many religious instructions which were considered to be at the level the child's mind would be capable of receiving and understanding them.
Death of children was a favorite topic in these books and was usually presented to the child in sentimental pietistic terms such as in this passage:
When a little child, who loves God, falls sick, and is going to die, God says to the angels, "Go and fetch that little child's soul up to heaven." Then the angels fly down, the little darling shuts its eye, it lays its head on its mother's bosom, its breath stops;–the child is dead. Where is its soul? The angels are carrying it up to heaven.
How happy the child is now! Its pain is over; it is grown quite good; it is bright like an angel. It holds a harp in its hand, and begins to sing a sweet song of praise to God. Its little body is put into a grave, and turns into dust. One day God will make its body alive again.
Dear children, will you pray to God to send his angels to fetch your souls when you die?
Badania nad książką i jej rodzajami w Polsce po II wojnie światowej
