The Parent's Assistant is the first collection of children's stories by Maria Edgeworth

Maria Edgeworth

Maria Edgeworth was a prolific Anglo-Irish writer of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and was a significant figure in the evolution of the novel in Europe...

, published by Joseph Johnson

Joseph Johnson (publisher)

Joseph Johnson was an influential 18th-century London bookseller and publisher. His publications covered a wide variety of genres and a broad spectrum of opinions on important issues...

 in 1796. The first edition had six stories: Lazy Lawrence, Tarlton, The Little Dog Trusty, The Orange Man, The False Key, and the Barring Out

Barring out

Barring out is a custom, formerly common in English schools, of barring the master from the school premises. A typical example of this practice was at the school in Bromfield, Cumbria, where, William Hutchinson says, "it was the custom, time out of mind, for the scholars, at Fasting's Even to...

. In later editions more material was added, most notably, The Purple Jar

The Purple Jar

The Purple Jar is a well-known short story by Maria Edgeworth , an Anglo-Irish writer of novels and stories. "The Purple Jar" first appeared in The Parent's Assistant and reappeared in Rosamond...

, and a play for children, Old Poz. The 1865 American edition contained the following stories: Lazy Lawrence, Tarlton, The False Key, The Birthday Present, Simple Susan, The Bracelets, The Little Merchants, Old Poz, The Mimic, Mademoiselle Panache, The Basket Woman, The White Pigeon, The Orphans, Waste Not, Want Not, Forgive and Forget, The Barring Out, or Party Spirit, and Eton Montem.

External links

• British Library: Children's Literature
• Search publishing histories: Copac: Academic & National Library Catalogue at the University of Manchester.
• Another website: British Library: Integrated Catalogue.
• Search: Library of Congress Online Catalog
• Search: National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections
• Course syllabus: Studies in Eighteenth century literature: Books for Children, at the University of Toronto.