THAYER, William Makepeace, author, born in Franklin, Massachusetts, 23 February, 1820. He was graduated at Brown in 1843, studied theology, and was settled over the orthodox Congregational church at Ashland, Massachusetts, in 1849-'57. In consequence of a throat trouble he relinquished his pastorate, and on his return to Franklin in 1858 devoted himself to literary work. In 1857 mad 1863 he was a member of the legislature, and in 1860-'76 he was secretary of the Massachusetts temperance alliance. He has written many religious and juvenile books, the first of which was published in 1852. In "The Bobbin Boy" (Boston, 1859) he originated the conversational style, and its success was so great that he wrote his succeeding biographies in dialogue. After "The Pioneer Boy" (1863) was published, the same style was adopted by other writers. His most popular works are a series of biographies (10 vols., Boston, 1859-'63)" "Youth's History of the Rebellion" (4 vols., 1863-'5)" "White House Series" (1880-'5)" and "Marvels of the New West" (Norwich, 1887). Nearly 1,000,000 copies of his works have been sold, "From Log-Cabin to the White House" exceeding 300,000 copies, two thirds of them being sold in Europe. " The Poor Boy and Merchant Prince " (Boston, 1858), "The Good Girl and True Woman" (1859), "The Pioneer Boy," " Tact, Push, and Principle " (Boston, 1880), "From Pioneer Home to the White House" (Nor-with, 1882), and " From Tannery to the White House" (Boston, 1885), have each reached 50,000 copies. Many have been republished in England, and some have been translated into German, French, Italian, Greek, Swedish, and Hawaiian. Mr. Thayer has also edited the " Home Monthly" and " Mother's Assistant" (Boston).