Oscar; Or, the Boy Who Had His Own Way

William Simonds (1822-1859) was an American author who usually used the pen-name Walter Aimwell. While apprenticed to a Boston printer he wrote his first book, The Pleasant Way (1841), which was published by the Massachusetts Sabbath-school society. This was followed in 1845 by The Sinner’s Friend, which was also well received. In the same year he left the printing-office where he had spent nearly nine years, and early in 1846 began the publication of The Boston Saturday Rambler, of which he later became the sole editor. In 1850, The Rambler was merged with the New England Farmer, of which Simonds was general editor until his death. His chief work is The Aimwell Stories, which deal chiefly with New England farm-life. Their titles are: Oscar; or, The Boy Who Had His Own Way (1854), Clinton; or, Boy Life in the Country (1853), Ella; or, Turning Over a New Leaf (1855), Whistler; or, The Manly Boy (1856), Marcus; or, The Boy Tamer (1857), Jessie; or, Trying to Be Somebody (1858) and Jerry; or, The Sailor Boy Ashore (1863). He also published Thoughts for the Thoughtless (1851) and The Boy’s Own Guide (1852).