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This is one of Mrs. Sherwood's Moral and family tales, fervently religious and moral short stories written for children, in which their own innate sinfulness is emphasised, as well as the dire consequences which will befall them if they slip from the path of rigorous Christian virtue. The Tales sold in large numbers, and were extremely popular (among well-meaning adults) as Sunday school prizes and Sunday reading in God-fearing households.
The full text can be read online or downloaded free of charge. It is in XHTML format, like this page. Please note the file size is 84kb and it may take some time to open-up if you choose to read it online. Downloading for reading later may be the preferred option and this can be typically achieved by calling up an option box. If you have a mouse and it is configured for left click to select, right clicking the link may give you this option. Link to the full text of The Potters' Common from Moral and family tales.
Subtitled A tale of idleness and industry, the story of John Day and William Smith is about the sin of wilfulness ignorance of those who will not learn or improve themselves.
Both boys have a bad beginning, but while John is persuaded to go to school, William refuses, and his life takes a downward path, until he is injured in a drunken brawl. He is rescued and counselled by John, who has made a virtuous and prosperous life for himself, and is eventually so changed that he is able to convert the other members of his family. John refuses to allow him any excuses, pointing out that while ignorance itself is not culpable, wilful ignorance certainly is:
If a man makes use of the means and lights he has (however little they may be) to the very best of his power, he is not accountable, nor to be blamed, if the Lord does not think it fit to give him more light; but if he will not make use of the means and the light which he has, I say his ignorance is wilful, and he must not be surprised if at the last day he finds himself condemned for it…is there not a place of worship, and sometimes more than one, open every Lord's Day, in every parish throughout the kingdom? and, surely, he that can hear the Lord's word every seventh day of his life, has no right to plead ignorance!
Page created 26 November 2002 and last
updated 26 November 2002
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