Sunshine for Little Children

This beautifully illustrated children’s book features the short story, “Beautiful Hands”, which tells the tale of young schoolgirl. At school, a classmate tells the girl that her hands are filthy from domestic work. The young girl’s school teacher interjects, saying her hands are beautiful because she has worked hard and assisted her mother. Mothers were expected to prepare their children, especially their female children, for adulthood by teaching them proper manners and useful domestic skills.

For more information contact the Wylie House Museum and for more information about the collections at the museum visit Wylie House Museum: Collections Overview.

Wylie House Museum

1883