1812–1899

Introduction

portrait

Born: Au­gust 12, 1812, New York Ci­ty.

Died: De­cem­ber 29, 1899, Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia.

Buried: Mount Ver­non Ce­me­te­ry, Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia.

portrait

Biography

At age 14, Mac­Kel­lar en­tered the print­ing com­pa­ny of Har­per Bro­thers.

In 1833, he moved to Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia, and joined the type foun­dry of John­son & Smith as a proof­read­er. He sub­se­quent­ly be­came a fore­man, then a part­ner, in the firm, which from 1860 was known as Mac­Kel­lar, Smiths and Jor­dan.

Works

Poem

Why are Ye Fearful?

The immortal to heaven,
The mortal to earth!
Let each be re-given
To the home of its birth.

The infidel lieth
Who rashly avers
That, when the soul flieth,
Extinction is hers.

The mind we inherit
Hath God for its sire;
The breath of His Spirit
Can never expire.

And he that believeth
Is heir to a throne
The Comforter giveth
To children alone.

My sorrowful brother,
Hath Heaven from thee
Taken one and another,
Till lonely thou be?

Look upward and onward
Afar in the skies;
See, bent on thee downward,
Angelical eyes.

They bid thee, Come hither!
Our sweet brother, come!

In thy journeyings thither,
Thou nearest thy home.

Fond spirit! thy pinions
Prepare for thy flight
To thy Father’s dominions
Of love and delight.

Art thou become tearful
Because of the gloom
Beheld by the fearful
Who look in the tomb?

What though the dark valley
Be darker than night?
Thy faith in Him rally,
And thou shalt have light.

A dayspring of glory
Shall break on thy ken,
Unfabled in story,
Unfancied by men.

George McKellar
Rhymes Atween-Times, 1872

Sources

Lyrics