National Temperance Society and Publication House, New York

This publishing house was organized in 1866: "For the purpose of supplying sound and able temperance literature". The publisher, editor and agent for this firm was John Newton Stearns. Stearns was also an author of temperance materials. He organized the National Temperance Society and Publication House. Many of the publications of this house note the copyright holder as J. N. Stearns.

It published several T. S. Arthur first editions.

The Pitcher of Cool Water, and Other Stories was published a number of times by this publisher in various formats between 1870 and 1887. The book was 18 mo. and 180 pages. The 1870 volume is a first edition in this format but none of the material is original. The title story was published by T. S. Arthur and Son in a 16 page monograph in 1867 as Issue #6 of the New Series of Temperance Stories for Children. The other stories were previously published in various periodicals

In 1875 this firm published the six volume Broken Rock Series of which The Pitcher of Cool Water, and Other Stories was included.

The stories in this volume are:
A Child Shall Lead Them (published earlier in The Children’s Hour, July, 1867)
The Baby in the Brown Cottage (published previously in the Childen’s Hour)
What Two Little Girls Did (published earlier in Arthur’s Home Magazine, August, 1868
Their Reward (published earlier in Arthur’s Home magazine, September, 1868)
Phoebe Gray (published earlier in The Children’s Hour, June, 1867)
The Pitcher of Cool Water (published earlier in the Children’s Hour)
Birdie in the Home Nest (published earlier in The Children’s Hour, September, 1867)
Bennie Wilson's Anti-Society (published earlier in The Children’s Hour, December, 1867)

Beginning in 1875-1876 the National Temperance Society issued Packet #2 of Temperance Leaflets. There are eight envelope size, 16 page tracts (all from the Pitcher of Cool Water).

In 1878 this publisher included this book in its 16 volume $10 Library. It cost 50 cents.

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This company also published Tom Blinn's Temperance Society, and Other Stories in May, 1870. It is 12 mo. 316 pages and a first edition in name not content. It was reprinted a number of times.

None of the content in this book is original. All the stories were previously published in Arthur’s Home Magazine between 1868 and 1870. All the chapters appeared with the same name except for Tom Blinn’s Temperance Society which was called “The Fairville Sewing Machine Temperance Society".
The chapters:
Tom Blinn's Temperance Society
Unsteady hand
One Fearful Night
Son of My Friend
What One Man May Do.
What Might Have Been
Not Myself
One Glass of Wine
Two Lives Wrecked
After Many Days
In League with Satan

It was included in the four volume Sparkling Stream Series in the mid-1870's.

In 1877 (Copyright 1876 J. N. Stearns) this publisher printed a 278 page 12 mo. (7” x 4.5”) first edition of The Wife's Engagement Ring. The title was reprinted by this firm in the same format into the late 1880's. The early editions cost $1.25.

The Mill and the Tavern is an 1878 12 mo. 302 page $1.25 publication. It is a "Sunday School book". This company published the first edition.

These four first editions were published within various libraries and sets into the 1890's

In 1871-1872 the earlier titles were published in a large series for Sunday-School Libraries". Tom Blinn cost $1.25 and "The Pitcher" cost 50 cents. In 1878 and later the other two titles were also published within the books for Sunday School Libraries.

In 1978 The Wife's Engagement Ring and Tom Blinn's Temperance Society were in the $25 Library.

In 1879 all four books were part of the 98 volume book set "especially adapted to Sunday-School libraries".

The Fife and Drum Series included T. S. Arthur books. They were priced at 10 cents each. (1889-1993)
Tom Blinn's Temperance Society was #24.
The Mill and the Tavern was #40.

In about 1873 this house issued "Twenty-Four Page Pamphlets" one of which was Son of My Friend by T. S. Arthur. The pamphlets were 5 cents each. This story had previously been printed as #1 in New Temperance Tales published in 1867 by T. S. Arthur and Son, in Arthur’s Home Magazine January, 1868 and as a chapter in Tom Blinn's Temperance Society.