Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-02
Aunt Dorothy's Letter

Dear Children:
1t is likely that there is not a boy or girl
that reads this page of The Star but has
read or heard Mother Gooses Melodies"
1t is also probable that most of you, be-
fore you could speak understand a word.
have had your fingers and toes pulled and
the story of the five little pigs recited to
you. But how many of you know who
Mother Goose was. where she lived and
where she died and was buried? The first
that / can remember of words printed in
a book is connected with Mother Gooses
nursery rhymes. 1t was a long while
after this, however, that l learned who
she was. Sometimes l thought she must be
myth, but | did not want 1t to turn out
so. 1 wanted to be assured that the au-
thor of Little Boy Blue and Hey Diddle
Diddle' once lived and was really a
mother, and that her name was Goose
and not something else At last l found
out about her without any disappointment
of my hopes.
If you will in imagination go with me
some summer day in Boston, up fremont
street, walking in the shade of the great
old elm trees on the Common, and over
the wonderful subway through which cars
are constantly running to and fro at
rapid rate l will show you Mother Gooses
grave. We will first come to Park Street
Church, very old meeting house, with
beautiful Spire, and regarded as one OF the
most noted of Bostons landmarks Just
beyond it is buryins ground overgrown
with many tall and straight trees An iron
street but may look through between
the pales and read on the tombstones the
names of some of BoStonS greatest men.
If we can have the gate opened to
allow us to pass into this place we will
have entered the famous Granary burying
ground of Boston. Going up to a spot a
little northeast from the center, we will
come upon a moss grown slab and with
some difficulty trace the time-worn in
scripton:
Here lies We bodie of
Elizabeth Goose,
Wife to Isaac Goose.
Deceased October ye 18th, 1890
Yes. it is true that this stone covers the
dust of Mother Goose, whose ditties have
charmed the children of two centuries In
Boston Mother Goose was born, lived and
died, and as we see, was buried. She
the mother of twelve children, and ac-
customed to repeat for their amusement
the rhymes which bear her name
They were old-wOrd dittes. most of them
and had been told her by her mother. The
eldest daughter of Mother Goose copied
these verses into an account book obtained
from her father. BY this means the jingles
called Mother GOOse's Melodies We're pre-
served to the world. After she died her
son-in-law. Thomas Fleet, q printer,
thought it worth while to publish them
The earliest edition bears the title. Songs
for the Nursery, Mother Goose's Melo-
dies for Children. Printed by I. Fleet, at
his Printing House, Pudding Lane, 1719.
Price, Two Coppers"
a few steps from the grave of Mother
Goose and down nearer the center of the
burying ground is tall granite obeisk
beneath which fragments of the original
stone erected by Benjamin Franklin in
1854 lie buried. The original stone bore
the following inscription: Josiah Frank
lin and Abiah, has wife, lie here inferred.
They lived lovingly together in wedlock
fifty-five years. and without estate
any gainful employment. by constant la
Dor and honest industry. maintained
large family comfortably and brought up
thirteen children and seven grandchildren
respectfully. Their youngest son. in filal
regard to their memory. places this stone.
J. f. born 1865. died 1874 AE So A. F.,
born 1861, died 1852, Ale SO"
But must stop for today. I only
meant in this letter to tell you something
about Mother Goose
| want to say to MyrOn Goldsmith and
others that you may all send contributions
to join the league in order to do so. But
do not make the mistake of expecting to
win prizes where none offered. Read
the page carefully that you may under
stand fully. Another thing, be to put
your name. age and address either on the
margin or back of each contribution. When
the painted Scarlet Hangers We're eX-
amined in order to award the prize the
one that was really best had no name on
it. Probably letter had accompanied it,
but none could be found. the prize was
awarded to the next best.
Remember these things and be more care
full. y book prize will be awarded this
month for the best photograph, any sub
ject. Yours, sincerely,
DOROTHY DAY