Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-29
OLD PETER FARLEY.
WHO DESERVES THE GRE
DITFORHIS HISTORIES? !
Were They Written by NJ r.
Hawthorne or Mr.. Goodrich
the Publisher?
To he E,iifor of he Dispatch:

in Sunday paper III Iehh,ion '" VIZ
who should write them and the manner
in which the school histories Tor our
children should be written. The JocfS
should be known. and they should be
exhibited in plain. simple style, sui'a-
BILE to the fresh young minds OF the chill
dren and rendered attractive by pictures
Of prominent men and events, to i'm
press their memories. The author
should knov children and their taste
should be consulted.
PETER FARLEY.
You speak approyingly Of Peter Par.
LEWIS books. and it is about him that |
want to write. The boys and girls OF
fifty years ago will never forget Old
Peter as long as they live. He stamped
his tales and stories upon their minds
indelibly. Right before my minds eye
now, as plainly as | can SEQ my friend
Charley Cowardin's rotund form and
smiling countenancc as he greets me as
he passes me on the street, appears
Peter Farley as he looked in the PIC
ture in his book entitled Farley
Method If Telling About Geography to
Children"
There he is sitting in a chair, with his
lame foot bound up and crutch by his
side, while he is saying to the boys
around, "Take care. Don't touch my
equity toe. If you do, won't tell You
any more stories Two millions OF
copies of this book were sold, and 10
boy who ever read the book will forget
that picture. 1t is so natural, so cheer
full, 50 expressive of his affection for the
Young, that Peter and his crutch will
always be associated together IN their
minds
WHAT PETER SAYS.
can't DO better right here than 20
tell what Peter himself says about ms
tales to show how the children remem-
bered them and loved him cit Is quite
| true that when | wrote the first half
dozen of Parley's tales had formed no
philosophy upon the subject. | simply
used my experience with children in adj
dressing them. followed no models, !
put on no harness OF the schools, /
pored over no learned examples. | I'M
agined myself on the floor with n group
OF BOYS and girls. and | wrote to them
as | would have spoken to them. At
later period | had reflected on the sub
ject and embodied in Il few simple lines
the leading principle Of what seemed to
me the true art Of teaching children,
and that Is, to consider that their first
ideas are simple and single aud formed
of images Of things palplble to the
senses and hence that these images are
to form the staple of lessons to be com
municated to them.
HIS "REMINISCENCES.
In the last book he ever wrotc-his
"reminiscences OF the Poets, phloso-
pliers, and Statesmen OF America he
says q" My first patrons were the chill
dren themselves, then the mothers, and
then. Of course. tho fathers. In the
year 1916 [ made a trip from Boston TO
the South, returning by way Of the Mis-
slssippi and the Ohio. | received many
kind welcome under the name of the
fictitious hero whom / had made to tell
my stories. Sometimes, 1t Is true,
| underwent sharp cross-questIOning,
and frequently was made to feel that |
held my hOuors 10y a rather questionable
title. 1, who had undertaken to teach
truth, was forced to confess that fiction
lay at the very foundation Of my scheme.
My innocent young readers, however, did
not suspect me they had taken all had
said as positively true and | was, OF
course, Peter Farley himself.
noon .pnrr1 .uprs.
"'Did you really write that book about
Africa 2" said a black-eyed, dark haired
girl Of some eight years old at Mobile.
/ replied in the affirmative. And did
you really get in prison there? No
| never was in Africa. Never? Well,
then, why did you say you had been
there ? On another occasion, ! think
ut Savannah, a gentleman called upon
me- introducing his two grandchildren, /
who were anxious to see Peter Farley.
The girl rushed up to Inc and gave me a
ringing kiss at once. We were immo-
diately the best friends in the world.
The boy. on the contrary, held himself
aIoof and ran bis eye over me-from top
to toe. He then walked around, sur
veylng me with the most scrutlnlzing
gaze. After that he sat down and
during the interview took no further
notice of me. At parting he gave me a
keen look, but said not word. The
next day the gentleman called and told
me that his grandson, as they were on
their way home, said to him Grand
father, would not have anything to do
with that man he amt Peter Farley
How do you know that {? said the
grandfather. Because said the boy,
he hasn't got his foot bound up, and
he don't walk with a crutch.
THE NOM DE PLUME.
Peter Farley was a reality to Us boys
of fifty years ago-a veritable man
whom we all knew and loved. | simply
felt that Peter was there, an old man,
talking to me in his books, and simply
and pleasantly telling me about "hIng
Phillips War" about Wampum and
the friendly Indians that used to visit
his fathers house, in Boston, and his
other charming stories. | never knew,
until | had grown 10 be a man, that
Peter Farley was myth-that he was
no man at all, but merely the nam dc
plume under which Samuel Ct. Goodrich
told his stories.
confess that when l became &C
quainted with that fact "a shadow of sor-
row and regret passed over my mind be-
cause Peter Pdriey was 10 more but
very soon my regard was bestowed on
Mr.. Goodrich, whom | admired because
he had had the ability. skill, and genius
to portray old Peter as the charming,
loyable, interesting old story-teler as he
appeared to my youthful mind. This
illusion having been dispelled, you, Mr.
Editor have suggested that | am still
resting under another, and that is, that
instead of 5. q. Goodrich being the
author, Nathaniel Hawthorne is the
writer of Peter Parley's histories. /
don't believe it. 1t will require ire
fragsble proof to convince me.
he NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE.
don't believe it, because during all
these years since they were published 1
never before heard the authorship of the
Peter Farley books imputed to anybody
I