Hall Jackson Kblley 7
several books giving to the scene a scholarly setting. *T5e- lightful task to rear the tender thought f so runs the legend. This, of course, was Kelley's only by adoption. It was typical of that generation of school masters who forced our grand- mothers, while in their 'teens, to read and appreciate such ponderous books as Watts' Improvement of the Mind; and — it helps us to understand Kelley.^
According to the minutes of the meeting of the corporation of Middlebury college held on August 16, 1820, Kelley was "admitted to the degree of Master of Arts." This was not an "honorary" degree, as we now understand the term, for ac- cording to the president of the college, "as it was quite cus- tomary at that period to confer that degree upon any g^duate of more than three years' standing who applied for it, it could not be regarded as a distinguished honor." Within the year Harvard also conferred the same degree ad eundem gradum}^
Kelley was twice married. His second wife was Mary Perry, adopted daughter of T. D. Bradke of Boston, to whom he was married on April 17, 1822 at Boston. They had three sons, Benjamin, John S., and Charles H. His first wife also left a son, Thomas B.»
After his second marriage, and probably after his dismissal from the Boston schools, Kelley took up his residence in Charlestown. Many years later, he gave a description of his property in Charlestown and Boston. There was an "estate in Milk Row, Charlestown," and four other "estates." "One comprised twelve acres of land ; and is situate near Craigie's Point, Charlestown. . . . The other three consisted of houses and lands, situate in Boston, where at this time [1854] are the Lowell, the Eastern and the Western railroad depots.
i8 "Perhaps no spdlinj; book while this was extant, and iu author was about in the land looking to its interest, had a wider circulation and was more popular: and perhaps there was no book of the kind more perfect in orthography ana method of showing the true Towd sound and correct pronunciations. Walker's orthography as far as it regards words ending with tick and our is now an objection to its use — that of Webster now being generally sdopted in the 8chools.'*~'Kelley, Explanatory Remarks, Ms.
19 Harvard UniTcrtity, 0«ffi^#fMMs/ Catalaguw, 1913: 817.
so Middlebury College, Central Catalogue, /Soo>i90o: 46; Temple, 265.
