Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-01-23

labys, had put herself in his way? He
stopped, asking the irrepressible song
ster to rock less, and urged her to sing
more. And while she sat in her arm
chair, or shuffied about the room lost in
sweet dreams, he carefully wrote down
what he could of the rhymes which fell
from her lips. His notes rapidly accu-
mulated, and in little while he had
enough to make a volume. These he
now printed, and bound them into a
book, which he offered for sale under
the following title: "Songs for the MUIR
sery or Mother Goose's Melodies for
Children. Printed by T. Fleet, at his
Printing House, Pudding Lane, 49,
Price two coppers" This title-page also
bore large cut of veritable goose,
with wide-open mouth, showing that
the proverbial irreverence of sons-in-
law is nota thing of recent origin. They
were just as saucy in the days of Mother
Goose as now, and just as ready to turn
penny at the expense of their moth
ers-in-law. How the immortal author
bore this profane use of her name, OF
what she thought of the ungracious but
shrewd Thomas Fleet, history does not
say. We have every reason to believe
that she took it just as sweetly as she
had taken all the other trials and an
noyanoes of her life. She possessed her
soul in patience, and continued her gen.
tie ministry to the little ones still gath
ering them into her arms, and soothing
and gladdening their hearts, after the
shadows of old age had fallen about her
not weary of her delightful task, but as
busy as ever with it, when the time came
for her motherly soul to spread its
wings and fly away to the great compa
ny of children in heaven.
Such is the true story of Mother
Goose. Her little book started forth Oh
its errand. 1t grew and multiplied with
each new edition. It made her deal
name a household word wherever il
went. What shore or fastness has it MOI
visited? Where is the home in which
its loving rhymes are not sung? It il
one of the few books which cannot
grow stale or be destroyed. Not Homer OF
Shakespeare is so sure of immortal fame
as Mother Goose. Considering the love
in which her melodies are everywhere
held, their freedom from anything
which might corrupt or mislead the in
fantile mind, their practical wisdom
their shrewd mastery of the motives O
human conduct, one is in all soberness
| IOrC6u 10 atuilt lidO kiS. tiYulC Is dllOuS
the brightest of the jewels which adorr
the brow of Old South. What othe
son or daughter Of the church, renown
ed as many Of them are in history, ha
proved greater blessing to mankind
or secured the benedictions of SO many
hearts? She is to the new world wha
Santa Claus is to the old. Let us hop,
that the day is not distant when me
mortal statue will be erected to this ven
cradle lady in one Of the parks OF sauare
of Boston. Let it bean appropriate sym
boil of her and her blessed ministry. LIE
it stand where the children of the cit,
may gather in their daily sports, trund
ling their hoops and carts about, ant
, singing their Gollies to sleepin its moth
erly shadow. And Oh it should he til
following inscription:
Elizabeth Foster,
Known in the Literature of the Nurser
J as s'Mother Goose"
: Was born in Charlestown, Mass, Is IS
Married Isaac Goose Of Boston, 1892
} Became member of the Old Soutl
Church, 1893;
Was left a Widow in ITO.
The first edition Of her Melodies" wa
Published in l7l9.
She died 1857
Kt. 90 years.