The Dickinson press., 1907-01-12

characterizes as Ignorant, dominating,
passionate, fearless" was uniformly dig
nfed-a well-informed, intellectual man,
cultivated in mind and manners. He
was called upon to do much business for
his town, making out deeds, settling
quarrrls, and even acting as counsel in
lawsuit involving question of pau
perism between the towns of Loudon
and Bow, N. H. Franklin Pierce, after
ward President of the United States,
was the counsel for Loudon and Mark
Baker for Bow. Both entered their
pleas, and my father won the suit. After
it was decided, Mr.. Pierce bowed to my
father and congratulated him. For sew
eral years, father was chaplain of the
New Hampshire State Militia, and as
recollect it, he was Justice of the Peace
at one time. My father was strong be-
liever in States Rights, but slavery he
regarded as great sin.
Mark Baker was the youngest of his
fathers family, and inherited his fathers
real estate, an extensive farm situated in
Bow and Concord, N. H. 1t is on record
that Mark Bakers father paid the largest
tax in the colony
McClure's Ma gazine says, describing
the Baker homestead at Bow: "Ihe
house itself was a small, square box
structure of rudilnentary architecture"
My fathers house had sloping roof,
after the prevailing style of architecture
at that date.
McClure's Magazine states: "Alone of
the Bakers, he (Albert) received liberal
education. ** Mary Baker passed her
FIRST fifteen years at the ancestral home
at Bow. 1t was lonely and unstimu-
lating existence. The church supplied
the only social diversion, the district
school practically all the intellectual
life"
Let us see what were the fruits of this
"lonely and unstimulating existence.
All my fathers daughters were given an
academic education, sufficiently ad.
vanced so that they all taught school
acceptably at various times and places.
My brother Albert was distinguished
lawyer. In addition to my academic
training, was privately tutored by him.
He was a member of the New Hamp.
shire Legislature, and was nominated for
Congress but died before the election.
| McClure's Magazine calls my young
est brother, George Sullivan Baker, "a
workman in Tilton woolen MILL" AS
matter of fact, he was Joint partner
with Alexander Tilton, and together they
owned as1arge manufacturing, establish
OF Colonel came from appointment on
the staff Of the Governor Of New Hamp-
shire.
i My oldest brother, Samuel D. Baker,
carried on large business in Boston,
Mass.
Regarding the allegation by Nc.
Clures Magazine that all the family,
"excepting Albert, died of cancer" will
say that there was never death in my
fathers family reported by physician or
post mortem examination as caused by
cancer.
Il McClure's Magazine says that "the
quarrels between Mary, child ten years
old, and her father, gray-haired man
of ifty, frequently set the house in an
uproar," and adds that these "fits" were
diagnosed by DR.. Ladd as "hysteria
j. mingled with bad temper"
My mother often presented my dispo'
!, sition as exemplary for her other chill
dren to initiate, saying, "When do you
: ever see Mary angry?" When the first
edition of Science and Health was pub
lished, DR.. Ladd said to Alexander Til
. ton: "Read it, for it will do you good
1t does not surprise me, it SO resemble:
the author"
will relate the following incident
which occurred later in life, as illustra
tive of my disposition
While was living with DR.. Patterson
at his country home in Rumney, N. H.
girl, totally blind, knocked at the doo
!, and was admitted. She begged to bt
allowed to remain with me, and my
tenderness and sympathy were such tina
could not refuse her. Shortly after
: however, my good housekeeper said t.
. me:
"If this blind girl stays with you.
shall have to leave: she troubles me 81
, much"
It was not in my heart to turn tn,
blind girl out, and so | lost my house
, keeper.
NV reply to the statement that tn,
, clerks book shows that joined th'
r Tilton Congregational Church at the ag'
of seventeen is that my religious expert
e ence seemed to eliminate at twelve
i. years of age. Hence mistake ma,
e have occurred as to the exact date Of m,
! first church membership.
' The facts regarding the Mcneil coat
. of arms are as follows:
$ Fannie Mcneil, President Pierce
! niece, afterward Mrs Judge Potter, pre-
sented to me my coat-of-arms, saying
y that it was taken in connection with he
5 own family coat-of-arms. l neve
o doubted the veracity of her gift. hav
another coat-of-arms, which is of m
mothers ancestry. When was last i
J. Washington, D. c., Mrs. Judge Potte
(. and myself knelt in silent prayer on tn
r mound of her late father, General job
t Mcneil, the hero of Lundy Lane.
ri Notwithstanding that McClure's Mags
!. zine says, "Mary Baker completed he
r. education when she finished Smith
> grammar and reached long division j
:. arithmetic" was called by the Rev. F
! S. Rust, D. D., Principal Of the Metht
). dist Conference Seminary at Sanbornto
'. Bridge, to supply the place of his leae
!, ing teacher during her temporary al
5. sence.
1t Regarding my first marriage and tn
{. tragic death of my husband, Mcclure
It Magazine says: "He George Washing
ton Clover took his bride to Whining
le ton. South Carolina, and in June, I84