Melchior's Dream and Other Tales

by Juliana Horatia Ewing

Collection of short stories first published in 1877 by the prolific author of children's stories. Her tales, which have hardly been excelled in sympathetic insight into childlife, still enjoy undiminished popularity.

Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Born in 1841, Juliana Horatia Gatty was the daughter of the Rev. Alfred Gatty, a Church of England vicar, and an author, and of Margaret Gatty, also an author. She was married to Major Alexander Ewing, of the British army pay department, in 1867, relocating with him to New Brunswick, Canada, for the first two years of their marriage. Although Major Ewing was posted abroad again, in 1879 and 1881, Mrs. Ewing was prevented from accompanying him by ill health. She moved to Bath in 1885, in the hopes that the change would improve her health, but she died there that same year.

Juliana Horatia Ewing - sometimes also styled Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing, or just "Mrs. Ewing" - is credited by Roger Lancelyn Green as being the author of the the "first outstanding child-novels" in English literature. In addition to her children's novels, Ewing also edited a number of magazines for young readers, including the Nursery Magazines (from 1856), the Monthly Packet and the monthly Aunt Judy's Magazine (both from 1866).

Reviews

[Chris Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit of a departure for me. Ewing made significant contributions to the canon of Victorian fairy-tale writing and she is regarded by some as the originator of children's fiction. The copy I have is the 1929 imprint. I bought it at least a decade ago in a book sale in Pugin's house, The Grange, in Ramsgate (a fitting location to come across this work).

I finally decided it had made its way to the top of my Books-To-Read pile. I must confess, from my knowledge of the author and the art deco front cover I was expecting more of a fairy-tale quality to the book. Instead, it is a very dry collection of morality tales, inevitably with a strong Christian slant which is explicitly evident in some stories or more subtly so in others; or else, stories that sermonize on how to behave well and be a better member of society. Usually, the protagonists are confronted with some kind of challenge that leads them down a path of self-examination (though often with some guidance from a wise uncle or teacher), finally reaching the enlightenment of having come around to the author's ideals.

It is not a lengthy work; its lack of fairy tale quality is a disappointment as the promise of this is what attracted me to buy the book, but the archaic style of 19th century prose is something I took pleasure in reading for interests' sake, even though it is a bit dry and stuffy. It is also a fascinating glimpse into the Victorian mind. There's a bit of childhood nostalgia to it as well; when I was in primary school, they would present us with a reading list starting with Janet & John and Blackberry Farm, various Enid Blyton works...and then the crowning reading achievement would be a moralizing book somewhat like Melchior's Dream.

[Martyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some of Ewing's earliest published writings. Most of them have morals to them but they are told in her usual engaging manner and are often quite moving. Monsieur the Viscount's Friend is may favourite piece in the whole book, but Melchior's Dream is also excellent - and rather creepy. There's plenty of variety and it's a very good collection.