An exceptionally rare pair of tracts for the young, designed to raise up children as abolitionists and committed to the anti-slavery cause. Both exceptionally rare on the market with no examples in the auction history and no examples in the trade at the time of cataloging or that we can trace. 

The first account is that of Jemmy, a young slave child of Kentucky, whose mother was enslaved at the same Kentucky plantation. The tale narrates the interior life of the mother, who wishes she and her child would die to prevent his growing up a field slave and their likely separation when he is sold. The work is unique in that it highlights the plight of enslaved "domestics." Jemmy's mother's "owner" is often upset with her for seeming sad, because she has it so much better than the field workers. She is often angry and threatens to sell Jemmy's mother [not Jemmy of course, he'll be put to work] off to the Southern Slave-drivers. Fearing she could not feign happiness well enough to please her mistress, they flee and escape, across the Ohio River and ultimately to Canada via the Underground Railroad.

The second is about a steamer packed with enslaved children being transported up the Mississippi from New Orleans, the daily deaths among them, their own wishes to die rather than be separated from their parents, etc., this work aimed specifically at raising young abolitionists in the north, urging them to pray for the young enslaved children, to give to labors that would help them find safety in the North, etc., 

A very scarce pair of children’s anti-slavery tales by an influential Ohio abolitionist publisher. We trace no examples offered at auction or in the trade. 

 [Abolition, Anti-Slavery] Jemmy and His Mother, A Tale for Children. And, Lucy; Or, the Slave Girl of Kentucky. Cincinnati: American Reform Tract and Book Society. 1858. 64pp.

Original publisher's deeply embossed cloth, small chips at head and base of spine as shown, corners rubbed. Original faded mineral blue endpapers. Somewhat handled with two tears to title, remainder of text with some foxing and thumbing.