The Washington herald., 1913-12-14
Author Of "MARY'S LITTLE Lamb"

Ute there was a clatter, clatter, on the
floor, and knew il was the pattering of
the hooves of my lamb. Oh, how morti-
fed 1 felt. The teacher was Miss Polly
kimball, who was he mother of Loring.
the circulating libraryman of Boston.
She laughed outright, and, of course, all
the children giggled. 1t was rare sport
for them, but / couldn't find anything
mirthful H. the situation. I was too en-
harrassed and ashamed to laugh or even
to smile at the unlooked-for appearance
of the lamb out on the floor. took the
lamb out and put it in the shed until
was ready to go home at noon. when #
followed me back"
Authorship Is Important.
So far so good; a clear, consistent mar
rative thoroughly in accordance with the
verses. But now comes the important
question, Who wrote the verses? Here
is what Mary says: Visiting the
school that forenoon was a young man
named John Roulstone. The young man
was very much pleased at the school in
cident, and the next day he rode across
the fields on horseback. came to the lit
tie, old school house, and handed me a
sl; of paper which had written on II
three verses. which are the original lines
but since then there have been two
verses dQOeO Dy n MIS- 1OWnSenQ. The
verses were written together when I got
them:
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece white as snow,
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to &c.
II followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule
il made the, children laugh and play
To see the lamb at school
And % the teacher turned it out,
But still it fingered near.
And waited patiently-about
Till Mary did appear.
Evidently there was no doubt in Mrs.
Tyler's mind that she was the Mary of
the poem, and that the romantic John
RouIstone wrote it. She was generally
accepted as the original "Mary''-even
now her cousin basks in reflected glory
And yet the poem is claimed for an au-
thor other than John Roulstone,. by
woman, an early feminist writer for
midably named Sarah Josepha Buell.
Hale.
In 1927. according to Anne Hollings-
worth Wharton, DR.. Lowell Mason intro
duced singing into the public schools of
Boston He asked Mrs. Sarah Hale and
other writer's to furnish verses suitable
for children. Mrs. Hale, writes Mrs.
Wharton. composed a series of little
poems for children, which were set to
music, mad sung in the schools of Bos-
ton, and afterward throughout the coun-
try. Among these were the well-known
Young birds in their pretty nest,
II ever / see, on bush or tree,
Rival Claimants for Honor.
and the world-famous 'Mary's Lamb
IsEyen il this latter and best known
poem were not founded upon an incident
in the writer's own childish experience,
il was unquestionably inspired by her
familiarity with and her affection for
animals.
Now, Mrs. Hale was an accomplished
lady-of this there can be no doubt. She
wrote. among other things, THE Ladies'
Eook of Cookery" Liberia, or Mr.. Pey-
TOMS Experiment" Manners, or Happy
Homes and Good Society All the Year
Round" "Northwood. or Life North and
SOUTH Sketches Of American Charac-
te-'' and "woman's Record. or Sketches
Of All Distinguished Women from Crea-
tion to 1854" Also she edited Godey's
,ady's Book, and was prominent in the
a.women's rights agitation.
What is more important, she was in
suential in bringing about the establish
ment of our Thanksgiving Day as a ma
tional institution.
But Mary herself gives the credit not
10 Mrs. Hale. but to John Roulstone, who
was. it has been discovered. a nephew
Of Rev. Lemuel Capen, OF Sterling,
Mass. In her interesting THE True
story of the Real Mary and the Real
lamb" published by Frederick A.
stokes. Fannie NJ. Dickinson supports
this theory, and adds: TN 1872. in book
Of poems for children. published by Mrs.
Sarah Joseph, three stanzas were added