Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-14
The Books of Elijah Kellogg.

spoken with honor and reverence. The
man himself is of sainted memory-a
gentle and noble personality, his long
| years filled with faithful service and
books which he wrote were of the kind
to be expected of such a man. A man
dcwS of Kindness were ever in his eye.
| and the fire of inspiration upon his
lips 1t will be an unhappy day for the
! boys of our land when they are not
| familiar with the works of Elijah Kel-
| lugG and when there arises a genera
| ton which fails to remember the life
story of the man who wrote them. Yet
already we find in no less paper than
the Springfield Republican the fol-
lowing remarkable statement about
| the books for boys written by Mr.. kcl-
lOgg:
'Purporting to deal with ordinary
American boy life they were as false
in fact and spirit as the cheap melo-
drama of the stage. The hero was
impossibly good brave and clever, and
achieved astonishing things, and was
rewarded with a lavishncss not known
in real life. The villain of the tale
was either a rich and respectable
squire or the Sneaky son of such a
man; the nice boys wore old clothes"
Such an utterance was not to go
unanswered. Warren F. Gregory,
manager of the famous old publishing
house Of Lothrop. Lee & Shepard Co,
promptly sent the Springfield editor a
letter in which he expressed himself
in the following plain and vigorous
fashion
I'VE cannot allow to pass unnoticed
this attack upon the memory of one of
the noblest men New England has
ever known, and whose books reflect
his own characteristics throughout. 1t
is hard to understand how such an ar
ticlc could appear in paper like
yours. Under most circumstances the
natural Inference to be- drawn from me
statement we have quoted would be
that the writer had never read any of
the books written by Elijah kellogg.
but this is hardly likely, and common
fairness requires that an opinion 50 at
variance with what is actually found
in the books in question. and with the
reverence which 50 many feel for the
honored clcrgyman-author. for the
wholesome entertainment and helpful
lessons furnished by his books should
~,
with the same publicity given to the
attack
we now ask and have the right to
insist on being told wherein the books
of Elijah Kellogg appear any such i'm
possible attributes of heroes. any rn-
wards Of astonishing lavishness. any
rich or respectable men portrayed as
Williams. or the sons of such men as
SncakS. 1t is due to us as the publish
"rs of Elijah Kcllogg's books that the
writer of this editorial either prove his
statement that these books are ''aS
false in fact and spirit as the cheap
mclodrama of the stage" or acknowl-
edge that he has wrpngnd the memory
Of an hnnorcd man who is no longer
her" to speak for himself. but who has
n" lack of loyal friends and admirers
1T is with keen personal grief that
We read such an editorial in such
respected journal as The Republican.
and feel Obliged to tax. it up. If the
writer of the article to which We refer
could ono" read the book prepared
few years ago by Prof. Mitchell of
l|"wdoin College entitled Elijah Kel-
lngg The Man and his Work. he
would understand clearly our feelings
in the matter and perhaps gain some
new light for HIMSELF
The editor Of the Republican is as
prompt to acknowledge his error as Mr..
Gregory was to point it out. and says
that an 'inadvcrtent injustice" was
done Mr. Kellogg to class him with
certain other writer's of boys books.
rs Ioratio Algcr. Oliver Optic and 9TH
crs who might be named. Certainly
Kellogg class than Bernard Shaw is in
"A class with Shakespeare. Kellogg
not only knew boys and how to write
for them but he WAS literary artist
and no writer for boys has possessed
such Il graceful style or been such q
master Of til" best English. The cdi
tor Of the Republican is inclined to
think that Kellogg. in spit" of tn"
graphic simplicity with which he
pictured the hardy youth Of the good
old times on the Maine coast and at
the college Of the whispering pines,
treated life too romantically and cxag-
gerated what boy is and does. Let
the boys be the Judges Of that The
Republican goes on to say: But moth
ing save clean manlincss is to ne
found in ParSon Kcllogg's books. and
much moral force. also. in the re-
clamation Of reckless youth from evil
habits, and the enlargement Of strong
fb"rcd life in those who did well. Tho
smart boy, who accomplishcs impossi-
BILE results in the midst Of city temp
tations and gets to the top. is not one
of Mr.. KclloggS heroes. OF course.