Details

Title

A Bad Boy's Diary

Author

Victor, Metta Victoria Fuller

Place of Publication

New York, NY

Publisher

J.S. Ogilvie

Date of Publication

1880 Show more1880-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
1880-01-01T00:00:00.000Z Show less

Collection

L.M. Montgomery Institute. Ryrie-Campbell Collection.

Donor

Donated by Emily Woster.

Note

On Monday, May 12 1902, Montgomery wrote in her journal that "Today I’ve laughed more than I’ve done for a month together. I’ve been re- reading 'A Bad Boy’s Diry [sic].'That book is responsible for you, my journal. ‘Twas from it I first got the idea of keeping a 'diry'. When I was about nine years old Mr. Fraser, the Cavendish school teacher, who boarded at our place, had the book. I think I regarded it as a classic then. I read it and re-read it and promptly began a ‘diry’ I folded and cut and sewed four sheets of foolscap into a book and covered it with red paper. On the cover I wrote 'Maud Montgomery’s Diry'. Years ago I burned it in one of my iconoclastic fits. It was a pity, for it really should have been preserved as one of the curiosities of literature. The 'bad boy' was, of course, my model. He spelled almost every word wrong; therefore so did I of malice prepense. He was always in mischief and wrote accounts of it in his diary. Although not very mischievous by nature, being bookish and dreamy, nevertheless I schemed and planned many naughty tricks for no other reason than I might have them to write in my 'dere diry.' But I had never seen the book since then and had forgotten it so completely that it was new to me. I just howled over it today for it was absurdly funny still—even funnier than I used to think it, I imagine, for I took it quite seriously in those days, when I made a hero and a model out of 'little Georgie.' (from 'The Complete Journals of L.M. Montgomery: The PEI Years, 1901-1911, Eds Rubio and Waterston, p. 54). The author, Metta Victor (1831-1885) wrote more than one hundred "dime novels" under dozens of pen names including works for children, sentimental stories for women, and even crime fiction. 'The Bad Boy' is her most enduring work, inspiring sequels and knock-offs that copy his unique voice. Scanned here is the first chapter of Georgie's story.

Genre

novel