Document text
ORIGINAL MSS. OR FIELD NOTES (Check one)
PUB. Living Lore in New England
(Massachusetts)
TITLE Marie Haggerty Worcester
MITER Emily B. Moore
DATE 2/109 PP. 5
CHECKER DATE
SOURCES GIVEN
COMMENTS
Interview
s.../44—LZL
DATE
S17.BJECT
(:)1,' I ..:27.51 oaf. "Ai 7-2
I:TERVTATW
20.assachusetts
-iJrs. Emily Jioore
84 Elm Street, dorcester,
::_assachusetts
January 31, 1939
Living Lore
jrs. flarie Haggerty
63 Austin Street, 3orcester,
Llassachusetts
Lirs. Haggerty is 72 years old, a sweet
refined little lady, with a forced dignity,
which she tries to, maintain in the presence
of her too modern family. She keeps house
for a daughter, about 35, a son 32 and a
younger son about 30. The daughter is a
waitress, the older son a jack-of-all-trades,
(when he works) and the younger son lives in
the glory of a would-be pugilistic career.
There is more slang used in that household
than in the average middle-class family, and
tfirough it all, the little old lady has
difficulty in retaining her sweet, gentle
manners. When she has her company vocabulary
flowing, it is not unusual to hear her say,
"Indeed, hrs. Sargeant was quite a lady;
everything had to be just so; truly, it was a
pleasure to serve her, but her husband, what
a guy he was nuts!"
To see Irs. 1-1aL--erty you always think
of laveLder and lace, for she only weighs
.-20 pounds, has dainty little feet and hands,
wears soft lace collars, chic little hats, and
there is always a small black velvett her
throat, just under the chin. She sneaks in a
very soft tone and never raises her voice.
she loves to sit and think of the days when she
STATE Massachusetts
EAME OF WORKER Mrs. Emily B. Moore
ADDRESS 84 Elm Street, Worcester,
Massachusetts
DATE OF INTERVIEW January 31, 1939
SUBJECT Living Lore
NAME OF INFORMANT Mrs. Marie Haggerty
ADDRESS 63 Austin Street, Worcester,
Massachusetts
was working for wealthy people, and how the
help in the hotels treated her as "quality"
just like her mistress. She speaks with
longiAgcC the soft beds, and the beautiful
candle -holders in her room, of the fine horses
and carriages she used to ride in, and "right
in the same seat with the children" she was
taking care of. She is mortified that she
is forced to live in her present home just
a "squalid tenement" and is always looking
forward to the time when "something will
happen" to the family and they will get
their "just dues" and they can have a little
cottage somewhere, like she had "when Pa
lived." She has been accustomed to much
better than she has at present, but for all
her reduced circumstances, she is cheerful
and kind, always neat and clean, and no matter
what her shiftless children do she pets them
and says "they're really good boys and girls
poor things."
Name: Emily B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Marie Haggerty
"'Mother died when I was five, and as I was the youngest
and all my sisters and brothers grown up, I had to live with my old
maiden aunts, and some cousins. We lived on a farm in New Brunswick.
Farm life was hard in those days and as my cousins grew older, they
went to Boston to work. I'll never forget the work we had to do on the
farm. We raised sheep, and during the summer we would shear the sheep,
wash the wool, spread it in the sun, and when it was dry we would bring
it in and I would have to hand it to my old maid aunts who would spin it
on the wheel. Sometimes I thought my back would break, and many times I
would fall asleep at work. All the wool was carded by hand, dyed by
hand, and even woven on a hand loam.
"There were four women in our house, and I was the only child,
and they all made it their business to keep me busy. I could knit socks
before I was 8. I also had to gether the eggs, churn the butter, skim
the cream, and about everything that they could think of, keptlike busy
from dawn until dark. My only pleasure was going with my uncle, once
a month, to town, to take the butter, wool cloth or homespun, as they
called it, to market. These things would be exchanged for flour, sugar,
and other things that we couldn't raise on the farm. Another thing I
liked to do was watch my uncle put his money away in a large chest, where
he kept gold and silver in piles, and paper money between flat stones.
I remember he used to wind up the roll of bills and tied with a string
a.
weift as big around as my tea kettle. He let me hold it many times, and
always said it would be mine if I stayed with my aunts until they died.
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Name: nir B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Marie Haggerty
I always said I would stay with them, but as I grew older, the aunts
got so crabby, nothing I did suited them, and one of my cousins told
me I was getting as old-fashioned as the aunts, and if I would come
to Boston, she would get me a job with the family she was working for.
My uncle was cross, for he kept the post office in the town where we
lived, and it had been in the family since the first mail came to New
Brunswick and he wanted me to be post mistress when he got too old.
Well, I did want to go to Boston, but I didn't want to be a maid, so
another cousin said if I came she would get me in the dressmaking shop
where she worked. To make a long story short, I went to Boston. At
first I was homesick and cried all night, but I soon got over that. I
got the job in the dressmaking place, but for two years all the mistress
allowed me to do was baste, and I got tired of that. I never could raise
my head up, look at anyone, or talk without getting scolded. Finally
another cousin got me a job with the family she worked for, taking care
of two children. I loved that, for the children were lovely. I used
to live at a hotel in Boston for the winter and then we went to Swampscott
for the summer. It was lovely there, and I stayed with that fanily for
years, and only left because I was afraid of the husband. He was
wonderful when sober, but a terror when drunk, and he used to do tricks
with lighted oil lamps, and I was soared. Once the house did catch fire,
so after that I got another position.
"You know in New Brunswick, we used candles in part of the
house and oil lamps. But when I came to Boston most everybody was
-3
Name: Emily B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Title: Living Lore TopicT Mrs. Marie Haggerty
using gas lights. I couldn't get used to them I was always blowing
them out instead of turning them off. And when the electric lights
came, I was scared even worse. I'd rather put my hand on a hot stove
than on the switch to turn on the lights. Poor Mrs. French she was
the wealthy woman I worked for she had a lot of patience with me.
I learnt to go all through the house without any 4ight, but one night
_ almost knocked her down. She gave me a good talking to not
scolding said I had to get over such a feeling. I did of course
but it took time.
"I was very much amused with many things the rich people
did; for instance, where I was raised, all girls had to do house work,
but when I lived with Mrs. French they sent both their daughters to
college to 'learn to keep house'. Now why couldn't they learn at
home?
"They were nice girls though real ladies. You know in those
days no nice girls used rouge and powder, for it was a disgrace to paint
your face like a heathan. The first powder I ever used on my face was
my own girl, Marie's. Girls were not so bold then, either, not even the
ridh ones. They waited until a young man asked them for the favor of
going out with them. Now, Glory be to God the young girls are even bold
enough to come to the boy's house. I know, for they come here for my
John and Bill. I suppose I'm old-fashioned, but I still like modesty
in women; there's a limit to everything. There are lots of good girls,
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Name: Emily B. ::loore Assignment: Worcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Marie Haggerty
but the laajority of them are bold hussys. Maybe it because I don't
see the other type, but I do think they're bold. They need to be tamed
dawn some.°
"Well, I suppose things have changed so for the young people
to -day. There's so many more places to go than there were. Don't you
think that makes a difference, wrs. Haggerty."
The little old lady looked out through the window and sighed.
"Yes, 'tis true. There was no such places to go then as the
young pea le go today. Most fun we had was when I'went to dances with
my cousin, and we did all sorts of pretty dances. A girl that could bow
nice and act most graceful got all the dances. I never was big, nor
awkward, so I always had a lot 'of dances. That I liked most was the
nice sleigh rides we used to have. My cousin had the finest pair of
bay mares in Boston, and when I'd have my day out he always came and
took me ridin', and sometimes we'd go as much as twenty miles. There
were taverns along the roads and we'd stop for a hot oyster stew or
anything they happened to have; that is in the way of food. Don't
misunderstand me. Ladies never drank liquor them days; well, mabbe
some of them did, but I didn't, for it wasn't considered modest. I
never heard, and never seen, either, a lady smoking. Goodness, me,
everybody smokes now, and a body is not smart if she can't drink. Just
onct in my time did I see a woman sittin' with a man drinking, and the
way she looked and carried on dearie me. I couldn't sleep that night
-5-
Bame: Emily B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Marie Haggerty
thinking about her. Oh, yes, there always was huskin' bees, but most
out on the roads out of town, not right in Boston, but my cousin was
a 'cop' and he always had invites to most everythin' that went on, so
he'd take me to the huskin' bees. I always had a lot of fun, for he was
so good-lookin' that all the girls wanted to dance with him, an' me bein'
his cousin, none was jealous of me, so I always had a lot of fun.
"In Boston, most of the time, we had what you call house
parties; not the kind the society people of today have, but just like
a birthday party. All the young people would be invited for miles
around. There was always someone that could play the piano, and we'd
all gather around the piano and sing; dearie me, no, I don't remember
much the names, but like 'After the Ball', or 'Put on Your Old Gray
Bonnet', and some sad songs. One of the men used to sing 'Oh, Where is
45r Wandering Boy To -Night', and when he sang that, there wasn't a dry
eye in the room, he had so much sadness in his voice. Mebbe if people
swig songs like that today in these taverns young people wouldn't drink
so much. I used to have to recite a piece at most all the parties; it
always brought a lot of clapping. Yes, I remember it. It was headed
'Tom Jones'. I'll think over the verses and tell you them sometime.
It was very pretty and very sad. Made everyone cry."
"For pete's sakes. Ira, vihet are you chinning about crying for?
yrs T7oore'll think ;,,ou're nuts. 1 It pia.s Bill, TrsLs_6ert:;-'s oldest
son hoe for his supper.
"TiTo hill, be s. nice boy. Ilease excuse him hrs oore-- he's
a reL,1 Looci boy even if I cio sa; it myself. You'll excuse me now
poor iii must be iit.uk:ry. T:e's been looking for ,ork, 1_.00rdear."