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STATE
NAME OF WORKER
ADDRESS
Mr.. Mario Ramerti
Paver Three
Massachusetts
Mrs. Emily -B. Moore
84 Elm Street, Worcester
Massachusetts
DATE OF INTERVIEW May 20, 1939
SUBJECT Living Lore
NAME OF INFORMANT Mrs. Marie Haggerty
ADIEUS 63 Austin Street, Worcester,
Massachusetts
Lame: Mmile B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Marie Haggerty
Paper Three
*Oh, I don't mind the snow, or the weather at all, for it's
much better to get out and get away from the wrangling at my house.
Well, you see, when I first started talking to you about my early
life, they didn't mind, out now merle and John said they'd be the
laughing -stalk of the town, and for days they've been harpint at
me, till I'm about to lose my temper. You're sure you won't use
my real name in your story? *ell, I'm &lad of that, for I think I
can tell you some more things if you want them. You asked me one
time if I had any beaux before kr. Haggerty. Yes, indeed I did,
and I had lots of good times, too, and there's one that I couldn't
abide, and he made a bet with a friend of his that he'd get me in
spite of myself. Well, them days people didn't telephone to make
dates and it was hard for a man to see a girl without goin' and
ringin' her bell. If I'd see this one at the door, I wouldn't open
it and just let him ring. Well, he knowed I was fond of chocolate
drops, so he sent me a big box of them and they's all tied up in
ribbon. I was so innocent I didn't think anybody 'd do anything,
but them days they had 'love powder' and if you wanted the love of
anyone, why you'd just buy some of the powder and see that they got
it somehow. Well, sir, he knowed I couldn't abide him, so he got
some of the love powder and put it on the chocolate drops. I et
them without knowin', and would you believe it, the fitst thing I
knowed, I was thinkinl how nice he was to send me the candy; then
I got thinkin' again that he wasn't so bad as I thought, and the
Name: Emile B. Moore Assignment: Ilbrcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Marie Haggerty
Paper Three
next time I went walking with my girl friend, I gave him the parasol
sign, and he came right after me, and we walked and talked, and he
was a nice fellow after all. I kept company with him for a long
time, and at Christmas time he gave me a broach on a chain, and I
gave him a cane with gold top, for dudes carried canes then days.
Well, we went together until come Valentine day, and in them days,
if you loved someone you took a. valentine and hung it on your sweet-
heart's door. I always thought Mr. Haggerty had something to do
with this, but a body couldn't prove it. My friend put a nice
valentine on my door, and it was all fancy, and inside was chocolate
drops and colored rock candy. Well, he didn't come around like he
should, and I met him outside and I gave him the sign, and he fol-
lowed me and I asked him if he was sick, but he was so mad he said
everything. He had gone to his door and got one uf the 'penny
dreadfula' (comic valentine) and it made fun of him, and he never
let me explain that I didn't send it. Well, I couldn't do anything
about that, could I?
"Did I ever tell you about the time I cashed my insurance
policies? Well, it was when Marie went to the hospital for her
tonsils, and poor Pa was gone, and the boys wasn't working, so we
had to get money somehow. I never told Marie I cashed my policies,
and last week she wanted to borry them, and I didn't have them, so
she's mad about that. Now, you see, with my pension, if things
get too bad at home, I can go and get me a room somewhere. If it
Name: Emile B. Moore Assignment: Worceurter
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Haggerty
Paper Three
was a few years ago, it would be awful, so you see the pension
makes a body independent. I was thinking the other day, if I'd
stayed in New Brunswick with my uncle, I would be rich now, for he
told me many times all the money he had in the box would be mine if
I stayed with my aunts, but that's what it is to be bull-headed.
I suppose if I didn't have to work so hard them days, I'd still be
there. You know, I feel so good at times, I often think I'll answer
some of them ads for a companion. I always liked to travel or take
care of people, and I never forgot even one thing I learned when
I was working for rick families. I was sort of a companion, fer I
always talked with the women I worked for, and I've learned a. lot
since, and I know I'd make a. good companion for an old lady. You
see, when a body is born right, and acts like 'quality' people, they
never forget it. I've always said ladies and gentlemen are born,
not made. I'm lively enough for my age, and I been about enough
to talk on anything, so I'm thinkin' of applying for a. job. I still
have my character reference from mrs. French, and if I got one from
you and 1)11. Freeman, I know I could get a good job."