Editing Horatio Alger (section)

=== Last years: 1896–1899 ===
[[File:Horatio Algier grave.jpg|thumb|left|Alger's gravestone at South Natick, Massachusetts]]

In the last two decades of the 19th century, the quality of Alger's books deteriorated, and his boys' works became nothing more than reruns of the plots and themes of his past.<ref>Scharnhorst 1980, pp. 44–45.</ref> The times had changed, boys expected more, and a streak of violence entered Alger's work. In ''The Young Bank Messenger'', for example, a woman is throttled and threatened with death—something that never occurred in his earlier work.<ref>Hoyt 1974, p. 231.</ref>

He attended the theater and Harvard reunions, read literary magazines, and wrote a poem at Longfellow's death in 1882.<ref name="Scharnhorst45" /> His last novel for adults, ''The Disagreeable Woman'', was published under the pseudonym Julian Starr.<ref name="Scharnhorst45">Scharnhorst 1980, p. 45.</ref> He took pleasure in the successes of the boys he had informally adopted over the years, retained his interest in reform, accepted speaking engagements, and read portions of ''Ragged Dick'' to boys' assemblies.<ref name="Scharnhorst46" />

His popularity—and income—dwindled in the 1890s. In 1896, he had what he called a "[[nervous breakdown]]"; he relocated permanently to his sister's home in [[Natick, Massachusetts|South Natick, Massachusetts]].<ref name="Scharnhorst46">Scharnhorst 1980, p. 46.</ref>

He suffered from [[bronchitis]] and [[asthma]] for two years. He died on July 18, 1899, at the home of his sister.<ref>{{cite news |title=Horatio Alger |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/07/19/101130513.pdf |quote=Horatio Alger, writer of boys' stories died at the home of his sister, Mrs. Amos Cheney at Natick, Massachusetts yesterday. ... |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 19, 1899 |access-date=2015-03-04}}</ref><ref name="Hoyt232">Hoyt 1974, p. 232.</ref> His death was barely noticed.<ref name="Alger280" /><ref name="Scharnhorst47" /> He is buried in the family lot at Glenwood Cemetery, South Natick, Massachusetts.<ref>Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Location 811). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.</ref>

Before his death, Alger asked [[Edward Stratemeyer]] to complete his unfinished works.<ref name="Alger280">Alger 2008, p. 280.</ref> In 1901, ''Young Captain Jack'' was completed by Stratemeyer and promoted as Alger's last work.<ref name="Hoyt232" /> Alger once estimated that he earned only $100,000 between 1866 and 1896;<ref name="Scharnhorst47">Scharnhorst 1980, p. 47.</ref> at his death he had little money, leaving only small sums to family and friends. His literary work was bequeathed to his niece, to two boys he had casually adopted, and to his sister Olive Augusta, who destroyed his manuscripts and his letters, according to his wishes.<ref name="Hoyt232" /><ref>Hoyt 1974, pp. 19, 252.</ref>

Alger's works received favorable comments and experienced a resurgence following his death. By 1926, he sold around 20 million copies in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://horatioalger.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Horatio-Alger-Biography.pdf|title=Horatio Alger, Jr.: A Biography|website=Horatio Alger Association}}</ref> In 1926, however, reader interest plummeted, and his major publisher ceased printing the books altogether. Surveys in 1932 and 1947 revealed very few children had read or even heard of Alger.<ref>Nation, 17 February 1932, 186 & New York Times 13 January 1947 23:2–3</ref> The first Alger biography was a heavily fictionalized account published in 1928 by [[Herbert Mayes|Herbert R. Mayes]], who later admitted the work was a fraud.<ref name="Scharnhorst141">Scharnhorst 1980, p. 141.</ref><ref>Hoyt 1974, p. 251.</ref>