Stories in Periodicals from the Methodist Publishing House

The periodicals are listed in alphabetical order. The stories from each periodical are chronological.

BOYS TODAY

Service Without Medal. Illus. by Harold Sichel. Nashville: BOYS TODAY, IV(2 - Pt. 4), The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Feb. 25, 1945, pp 1-2. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

Between his school work and the Air Training Corps, Cadet Ian has a very busy schedule, too busy to include any time for his seven-year-old brother, Jet, whose wartime hostess, Mrs. Reynolds, is unable to control him. When the older boys that Jet is running with get caught breaking into the Wing Commander's house, and Jet sneaks home with a case of scientific instruments, Ian must decide what to do with his terrified brother. The boys are real, and both learn something from Jet's foolishness, but Savery doesn't preach to her readers.

Tom Tiddler's Ground. Illus. by Henry Moore Picken. Nashville: BOYS TODAY, IV(7 - Pt. 4), The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Jul. 22, 1945, pp 3-4. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

Previous employees have entered wartime service, and teenaged David Drennand must help his father to operate the Green Grotto, a cave attraction with an underground pool. Unfortunately, business is bad, and they must compete with the Garstang's Fairy Cave a few hundred yards away. When David dons a diving suit to explore under the water in the Green Grotto, rival teenager, Jack Garstrang, watches with interest. Although David finds an underwater entrance into Tom Tiddler's Ground, a cavern between the Green Grotto and the Fairy Cave, his rope breaks, leaving him unable to swim back against the current. Then Jack arrives. The boys are not on the best of terms, and their fathers are bitter enemies. Savery keeps us interested, and, as usual, doesn't preach.

Tom Tiddler's Ground is also the title of an "Eagle book" biography of William Bompas by M. Entwhistle. Savery also wrote an Eagle book, a biography of Mary Bird.

CLASSMATE

Splash. Illus. by Leslie Benson. Nashville: CLASSMATE, LI(34), pt. 2. The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Aug. 20, 1944, pp 1-2, 4, 10.

In her work diaries, Savery reports that this story was accepted on Feb. 23, 1943, and that she saw it on Aug. 23, 1943. Perhaps she was mistaken about the year, since it was not published until 1944. The story concerns two cousins, Roger and Kim, who have been bickering since early childhood and despise each other. Roger is good-looking and athletic, while Kim's acid tongue compensates for his delicate health and sedentary life style. The war has moved Roger into Kim's home, where Kim's mother is driven to distraction by the boys' antipathy. Kim's father, home on a three-day leave, imposes a week's silence: neither boy may say a word to the other. When Roger swims inadvertently past a warning buoy, Kim's shout to bring him back to safety leads to Kim being sent from home to undergo hard labor in his Aunt Nancy's garden.

Rescue Under Fire. Illus. by Leslie Michaelson. Nashville: CLASSMATE, LI (42), pt. 3, The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Oct. 15, 1944, pp 1-2, 4, 10, 15.

I am grateful to Jennifer Woodruff Tait, Methodist Librarian at Drew University, for discovering this story and making a photocopy for me.

Dan Carnforth returns home at the end of the term to discover his family has been removed from their home, because much of the village has been requisitioned and converted into a military training area where live ammunition is in use nearly 24 hours a day. His six-year-old cousin Jodie, who had lost parents and house to enemy bombs previously, has the additional sorrow that her favorite doll, Miss Ann, was left behind in the family's haste to leave the Carnforth manor.

When a frightened housemaid tells Dan that Jodie has slipped off to retrieve Miss Ann, he goes after her despite the whine of overhead munitions. Bravo, Dan! And what the authorities don't find out won't hurt them.

Dark Trees. Illus. by Henry C. Pitz. Nashville: CLASSMATE, LII (12), pt. 4, The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Mar. 25, 1945, pp 1-2, 14-15.

See synopsis under WOMAN'S MAGAZINE, where the story was originally published in July of 1942.

Fire Fighter. Illus. by Henry C. Pitz. Nashville: CLASSMATE, LII (23), pt. 2, The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. June 10, 1945, pp 4-6.

Fire Fighter, like Enemy Brothers, q.v., portrays stresses endured by civilians during World War II.

Mike Redfern and his father aren't speaking after two incendiary bombs destroy Mr. Redfern's studio with many of his paintings, and Mike's mother acts as if she were ashamed to meet with her son. Mike is known to his friends for being afraid of many things, but he is also known for challenging the things that scare him. During the air raid he found his door inexplicably jammed, and by the time he had kicked it down, the studio was in flames. Mike fears that in his panic he simply couldn't bring himself to open the door. Mike's cousin Garth arranges for Mike to confront his fears by becoming a member of Garth's fire-fighting team. During the next bombing, Mike acquits himself well, discovers he and his parents have been at cross purposes over a misunderstanding, and the jammed door is explained.

Glory de George. Illus. by David Hendrickson. Nashville: CLASSMATE, LIII (17), pt. 4, The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Apr. 28, 1946, pp 1-2,5.

This story was printed previously in the January, 1940. See this issue of WOMAN'S MAGAZINE for a synopsis.

Poem by Three Authors. Illus. by Sidney Quinn. Nashville: CLASSMATE, 63(35), pt. 4, The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Aug. 26, 1956, pp 2-4.

Michael Durrant is fond of his new stepmother, but does not understand his stepsister, Judith, "a statue, a sphinx, an oyster." For his birthday Mike receives the unwelcome gift of a bound copy of his stepmother's Cosy Poems, which are a "shoddy, smooth, fluent, mediocre imitation of the real thing" according to his cousin Nancy. As Mike does his best to defend the poems, Judith overhears the conversation, and Mike's embarrassment increases when he finds himself alone with Judith, driving her to the town's elocution contest. The schoolgirl contestants seem unable to enliven their selections until Judith comes forward and, from the first syllable, enraptures the audience. Clearly the contest is hers. But then Judith announces her last selection: Birdie's Cosy Poems. Speaking with dignity, she ennobles the trite verses and brings smiles from their simple humor, but she is heavily penalized for her "regrettable choice of lyrics." Although the gold prize is still Judith's, Mike knows that his stepmother will be distressed when the local press reports the judges' opinion of the Cosy Poems. "Birdie is her mother," he explains to the reporter, who grins and agrees to curtail his caustic comments. Mike and Judith return home pleased with themselves and with each other.

FIVE | SIX

The Cow and the Calf. Illus. by Leonard Vosburgh. Nashville: FIVE / SIX, 3(2; 3), The Graded Press, Methodist Publishing House, 201 Eighth Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee 37203. Oct. 9; Oct.16, 1966, pp 1-3; 6-7.

FIVE | SIX was a story paper prepared for Sunday distribution to children in 'Elementary V-VI.' The paper was complemented by sister papers entitled TWELVE | FIFTEEN, below, THREE | FOUR, and ONE | TWO. The title of the first of these paper refers, presumably, to age, rather than class. 'The Cow and The Calf' is a phrase in Irish law. Just as a farmer who owns a cow also owns her calf, the person who invents something is entitled to copies of the invention made by others. Little Briga is injured by a rock thrown after her brother Ir builds a model boat that was a copy of Aedh's. With the boys as background, Savery introduces us to some 6th Century church history with particular attention paid to the battle of Cul-dreimehe and the Irish missionary Columba, who went to war over a 'cow and calf' dispute and entered a monastery to atone for the evils that followed.

The Shining Necklace. Illus. by Leonard Vosburgh. Nashville: FIVE | SIX, 3(9; 10), The Graded Press, Methodist Publishing House, 201 Eighth Ave. South, Nashville, Tennessee 37203. May 7; May 14, 1967, pp 1-3, 5-6; 7-8.

Like The Cow and the Calf, above, this story looks at church history through the eyes of a child, in this case Sethrid, of the 7th Century abbey at Strenaeshalch (Whitby). Sethrid comes to St. Hilda's Abbey as child companion to Princess Elfleda, daughter of King Oswy and Queen Eanfleda. There she learns to love and admire Hilda, the famed minstrel Caedmon, and Hilda's successors at the Abbey, Eanfleda and Elfleda. Savery's source is, of course, the Venerable Bede, but Savery's history is easier reading. Savery repaid her debt to Bede by writing his biography for FIVE / SIX as well: The Father of History Whitby, by the way, is a short train ride north of Pickering in Yorkshire, where Savery's goddaughter, Elizabeth Clarissa Hummerstone, lived following her husband's retirement.

GIRLS TODAY

Butterscotch Pie. Illus. by Henry C. Pitz. Nashville: GIRLS TODAY, 5(3) pt. 4, pp 1-2, 7. The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Mar. 24, 1946. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

As the work diary indicates, this is a story is about Mrs. Delany. Cf. article in METHODIST MAGAZINE entitled Dearest Mrs. Delany: Her Letters and Memoirs and a piece in EVERYBODY's entitled Lady of Flowers and Friendship. Tabby is invited with her superior cousins Mary, Sophia, and Charlotte to the castle to visit with their mother's acquaintance, the celebrated Mrs. Delany. Tabby's spontaneity and love for flowers endear her to Mrs. Delany, who gives her the pleasant task of writing out a recipe for herbal medicine, while the superior cousins go in to tea with the royal princesses, after which they must return home to face their draughts of Mrs. Delany's famed, but abhorred, concoction. This is a nice story, nicely done.

One Leaf on the Track. Illus. by Henry Moore Picken. Nashville: GIRLS TODAY, 8(2), pt. 2, pp 1-2, 6. The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Feb. 9, 1947. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

This is a reprint. See OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

The Scotch Society. Illus. by Henry Moore Picken. Nashville: GIRLS TODAY, 6(3), pt. 5, pp 1-2, 6-7. The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Mar. 30, 1947. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

This is a reprint. See OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

The Crab-Stall Artists. Illus. by Harry Timmins. Nashville: GIRLS TODAY, 7(8), pt. 4, pp 1-2, 5, 7-8. The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. Aug 22, 1948. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

This is a reprint. See OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Jacintha at College. Illus. by Vance Locke. Nashville: GIRLS TODAY, 8(5), pt. 3, pp 1-2, 5, 7. The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. May 15, 1949. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

This is a reprint. See OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

The School Museum. Illus. by Vance Locke. Nashville: GIRLS TODAY, 8(7) pt.5, pp. 1-2, 6-7. The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville 2, Tennessee. July 31, 1949. Printed at 420 Plum St., Cincinnati 2, Ohio.

This is a reprint. See OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.

PICTURES AND STORIES

Mink and His House. Illus. by M. H. PICTURES AND STORIES, II(8), pt. 1, Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee. Aug. 1, 1943, pp 2-3.

Back issues of PICTURES AND STORIES are in the archives at Drew University and at Emory University. For another periodical with a story about these characters, see Puffball and Spoon. Mink, the little fairy man, never did a stroke of work on his messy house and sponged for meals on his friends, Puffball and Spoon. Having failed to reform Mink by scolding him, the friends decided to see how Mink would respond to coming home to an immaculately clean house with everything in order. Unfortunately, they did such a good job that Mink slept outside, because he thought his own house had disappeared.

The Fairy Shoe Shop. Illus. by M. H. PICTURES AND STORIES, II(9), pt. 3, Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House, 810 Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee. Sep. 19, 1943, pp 10-11.

In this very short, very slight story, mischievous Mink is told he isn't allowed to wait for his shoes to be repaired. This annoys him, so he slips into the back of the fairy cobbler's shop and mixes up the shoes that are waiting to be picked up. When he returns for his own shoes, five pairs of hands seize him, and he must beg for mercy. Fortunately, in a Savery story of any length, repentance always leads to forgiveness. That's it? That's it.

TRAILS FOR JUNIORS

Mister Purvey's Jewel. Illus. by Manning de V. Lee. TRAILS FOR JUNIORS, 21(9), pt. 4, Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House. Sep. 23, 1962, pp 2-3.

When Alice Merton visits her grandmother in May of 1425, she is looking forward to sitting at Grandmother's dressing table and trying on Grandmother's rings, bracelets, and earrings. Alas, the maid tells Alice that the jewelry has been traded to a traveling merchant for a rare jewel, and the rare jewel is never on display, although Grandmother retires to her bedroom every day to look at it behind a locked door. Curious, Alice hides under the bed and discovers that Grandmother is committing a crime punishable by death.

Secret in a Cedarwood Box. TRAILS FOR JUNIORS, Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House. July, 1965.

This information is from the work diaries; however, by July 1965, TRAILS FOR JUNIORS had been superceded by two other magazines. It is possible that the story is in one or the other of these: THREE | FOUR or FIVE | SIX. Savery received $40.00 for the story on June 26, 1964. Written May 28 to May 30, 1964, at the request of TRAILS FOR JUNIORS, it is a story about William Tyndale.

TWELVE | FIFTEEN

Character for Patsy. Illus. by Harry L. Timmins. TWELVE / FIFTEEN, 2(12), pt. 4, Dec. 27, 1953, pp 8-9.

This is a pleasant tale, but predictable. Accused of being 'slipshod, slack, scatterbrained, and slapdash,' Patsy defends herself, adding that she wished there were someone who might judge her fairly. Her sister takes her at her word and sends Patsy's handwriting to be analyzed by a graphologist. Patsy is pleased by the analysis, takes to heart its suggestions, and her family is pleasantly surprised by her improvement. Does it matter that the graphologist's secretary has mixed up her correspondence?

Richard Fisk, a Suffolk acquaintance of the author, sent me two brief graphological analyses that Savery had prepared, and testified that they were quite accurate. When she was at Somerville College, Oxford, Savery and her friend Gladys Gaisford had earned shillings for the Christian Union by analyzing handwriting.

This web site © 2010-24 by Eric Schonblom. Updated 24 July 2024. The unpublished works of Constance Savery are reproduced with the permission of the copyright owner, J. D. Hummerstone. Book and magazine covers are reproduced with low resolution to respect the copyrights of their artists and publishers.