Year: 1874




scure life better deserves memorial than
that Of many titled princess To tell her
story we must autedate the settlement Of
the Pierce family in Brookline


In 1890 there came to Northampton,
whore the Tappan family resided, country
produce dealer from Beckct, who often sup
piled the people Of that town with his wares
lie was in great trouble having boeu burned
out aud lost everything except bis family
of dozen children; and he besought Mrs
Tappan to take one child and give her a
home aud make her useful. Tie good lady
consented and the man brought down with
him the next time he came little girl Of
six years, whose name was Rebecca Hatch.
There was a Rebecca already in the family,
aud this child was called Polly.


She soon discovered wonderful aptitude
for work, and a most grateful and affection
ate devotion to the family, especially to
Miss Lucy who afterwards became Mrs.
Pierce The girl learned to make bread
when so small that she was Obliged t. stand
upon a stool to kuead it.


When Miss Tappan was married and
1


Polly came with them, aud from that day
for forty years 10 work was too hard and
no sacrifice too great for this devoted SER
want and friend to make for them and theirs.
DR.. Pierce's salary, as we have said, was
but very small, and his family increased
rapidly. Mrs Pierce had enough to oc-
cupy her with her domestic duties, and the
cares always belonging to a Clergyman


wife, and Polly counted nothing toiIsome or
irksome that she could do for the friends
she loved so we'll


The little economies she practised to help


make the family income adequate were mar


velous.


Her wages were small, as was common 10


those days, yet she laid up little by little


her scanty earnings, spending almost moth


ing FOR dress, for which she seemed to care


nothing, but wore whatever was given her


by friends in the parish and the relatives Of


the family. She was skilled in every


branch Of household work, aud not only did


faithfully the washing, ironing, cleaning


aud cooking for the large family but for


years never slept without one child Of the


family under her care, aud carried about a


sickly infant of the family upon her hip,


singing to it during her morning work.


She was not required to do this, but chose


to do it. At last there came to the family


that saddest Of misfortunes, hopelessly


imbecile aud helpless child. Then shonc


out the beautiful spirit Of devoted self-sac-


riice which made Polly's life worthy to be
written. She claimed poor, unfortunate
Benny as her charge, and took care of hin
= for four years by night and by day, with
untiriug patience aud love The child was
then sent from home to board for some
years. At the age Of eighteen he was taken
home again as helpless as ever, and Polly
; resumed her care OF him as before.
Yet she never abated her energy in othel
directions, but went on with all her house
hold work in a manner that made her nam,
: synonym for efficiency in the parish as
well as 10 the family, and the idea that She
was equal to almost any emergency wa
laughably illustrated in a curious incident
When the church was struck by light
ming, August II, 1884, there was tow
b meeting being held in the old stone tow
house A venerable gentleman ran down


to the parsonage, calling out, Polly


Polly Polly !" as if Polly could put ou


fire on the roof of the meeting house
t The fire was exinguished without seriou
g damage.


| The terrors Of the fire which deprived he
5 of her home in her childhood so impressed
!, her mind that she never retired at night til
D she had seen the last light extinguished no
+ even trusting DR.. Pierce himself to TAX
n care Of the FIRE and lights. Long before th
q dawn of day she was at her tasks pleasure
a seeking, in the common acceptation Of tn
d term, she entirely ignored. She was al
I ways cheerful, but she found her pleasur
a 10 serving others. In the goodness of he
u heart she used to 90 on Mondays, once
c month, to the church and sweep it, belor
e the Sunday fires were out, to assist MI
j. Stone the sexton, because he was poor an
d had many young children, and her assist
n ance would save his time for his business a
IL a carpenter.


e Many longed.for toy or book or pleas
}. ure which the children Of the family woul
-e have otherwise been obliged to forego, wa
e purchased out of Polly's little store. A


these years she had heard no word from he


own relatives. They seemed to forget G
p give her up entirely, having moved out {
70 the State, and she did not even know whithC
D they went. Polly had several lovers
e her youth, plain though she was, an
ID quaint and antiquated in her dress {
1t all times. But she met none Of their az
<. vances with favor, her heart seeming to II
main untouched. With all her hard wor
e. and plain appearance and narrow roun
It of duties, Polly was not an ignorant woma
r though she had little school education
~ But she was cultivated in her taste f
At books, and had an innate refinement whiC
ID shrank from coarseness of any kind. H'
H. knowledge Of books was acquired more !
Or listening than by reading, as she delightC
o. in having the children Of the family con
'r to the kitchen and read aloud while she pu
le sued her various avocations. Often th'


followed her from room to room readiI


Scott or other authors to her. ln this W,
Sc she learned and could repeat from memol
le large portions OF " Marmion," "The Lady
u the Lake" y" Lord of the Isles" the who
ne of Parnel's Hermit" and much Of Il
n, poetry of other authors


Il. An evidence Of her remarkable memo
10 was discovered in her early youth, when s.
K was living with tho Tappan family at Mort
ne ampton. Mr., Lucas, Brookline gent
cd man, came to that town with DE- PierC
Mt He was on his way to Deerfeld, and he to
p the young folks of the Tappan family th
is if any one Of them would commit to memo


the twenty-sixth chapter Of the book


Acts, so as to repeat it to him on his retu
go verbatim, he would give the successful o
or silver dollar. All the children tried b
to only Polly won the prize.


to, When some Of DIR. Pierce's daughtC
he were in their gay days Of youth, there "


"A sleighing party in the winter, to viii