Document text
Mra. Marie Haggerty
Paver T
State Massachusetta
Name of Worker Emily B. Moore
Address 84 Elm Street,
Worcester, Mass.
Date of Interview June 29, 1939
Subject Living Lore
Name of Informant Mrs. Nitrite Haggerty
Address Worcester, Mass.
Name: Emily B. Moore Assignment: Worcester.
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Marie HAKRertY
Paper 7
"I knowed Pa for three summers, before we got engaged,
and I well remember that day. It was Sunday afternoon, and he come
by with his horse and buggy. It was such a nice day, and hot, and
the horse xcal all sweat, so he tied up the horse, and we went a -welkin'.
We walked all down by the water, and he was very quiet, and there was
people all around, so he said, 'Kitten', he always called me 'Kitten',
'Let's walk through this little woods, 'taint very thick,' Well, sir,
I felt something was 'bout to come, and I didn't know what. Well, we
walked for an hour or more, and then we set down on a tree stump, and
while I was jest pickin' grass, and chewing on it, he outs with it,
and asks me to get married. Wind you, first I was glad, and said I
would, but next I got mad. 1Twaren't like any proposal I'd ever heard
of. It seemed like I was in a daze) and of a sudden I get scart to
death, and I got up and run, with him after me, and 'fore I knowed it,
we was at the water, and with the people lookin' at us.
"Well, we walked home, and me as quiet as a mouse. He
didn't even try to kiss me. After he left I got to thinkinl about it,
and I got sick to my stomach, for I had just about made up my mind
never to get married, but to learn to be a real nurse. Well, I got
over that! I made up my mind I'd be nice to him when I saw him next,
and that wasn't for two days, but would you believe it, the next time
I saw him I was stony cold, and my mouth was so dry I couldn't say
even 'How -de -do' to him. Mill, he said that was a pretty state of
affairs for a future bride to act and that made me laugh, so after
-2
Names Emily B. Moore
Title: Living Lore
Assignments Worcester
Topics Mrs. Marie Haggerty
Paper 7
that, it was at ight. We went in the buggy this time, and then we
made plans to get married.
"The lady I worked for let me go to Boston, and make
the arrangements., for we was only sunner people at the Cape. Well,
the next month we was married, but we had
to go to Boston to be mar-
ried. She let us have the coachman and the best carriage to go in,
and when we got back to the Cape that night, they had a big party.
No, it wasn't exactly like the rich people, but nearly. You see, she
had the gardners and coachmen clear the barn for dancing, and the cook
made up all the refreshment, and she gave us all the punch we could
drink, and then before the kr. and Mn. went to bed, they come out
and drank to our health, and wished us their blessings and happiness.
No, the only difference in my wedding and the rich people was that
our party was in the barn, but it was nice there, they had it all
rid up, and we had m)accordih and a fiddler for music. All night long,
as long as the party lasted, people come from all over with tins and
pans and beat a serenade, and yelled for the bride and groom. Do
you know I felt sorry for Poor Mrs. She thought after I got
married both Pa and me would stay with her, for she told me aftelher
husband liked Pa and he'd let him be their coachman.
"You know, I never thought I'd have to work, after I
was married, and wouldn't have had to, if Pied lived. Not that I
mind workin', but people are so different now. I could get lots of
work, but I'm fussy where I work. Why not long since, a man came all
the way from Southbridge to geilto keep house for him. Be had good
Name: Emily B. Moore Assignments irercester
Title: Living Lore
Topic: Mrs. Maria Haggerty
Paver 7
recommendationa (7) too, but it meant that I'd have to break up my
house here) and I didn't want to leave poor Bill. (older son). You
know Bill is the best fellow, r he should have been a girl, he likes
staying 'round the house so much. (Bill is lazy). He never got over
Pa dying. The children don't want me to work, but when I can work
for nice people, I don't mind. Now, you take the rich people of to-
day, they're tarters to work for, that is some of them. Why, the
people I used to work for would have a decanter of wine of the table,
and only the elders would take k, usually the men, and seldom the
women, but now, my stars, the young people now are usually 'stiff'
before they reach a dinner table, that is if there's a. dinner party.
Of course, mind you, they're not all like that. Why, my mistress
would consider it a favor if you would get her a glass of wine, if
you thought she might not be feeling fit. Bow -a -days, people think
they do you a favor by even hirirg you. I can tell when a person has
something in back of her mind, like that friend of yours, Ursa. B.,
she gives me a fur coat, that she had no earthly use for, one day,
and the next day she wants me to work for hen i Well, I'll swan, she
can take the coat back, its just like when she give it to me, but I
won't work for her, no aireel‘
"You know when I worked, and the rich people would give
a. party, and give us extra work, and keep us up late, why, would you
believe it, the very next night, they'd give us a party, andwe'd have
Nam: Emily B. Moore Assignments Worcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Maria. Haggerty
Paper 7
just the same asthey had to eat and drink. The only thing me never
could do was to ask outsiders in, but they's always enuf there to have
fun. The best parties we ever had was in the minter, when my cousin,
that's the cop, well, he got lots of invitations to parties and
dances, and before I get engaged, he'd always take me. Yes, indeedie,
we danced and played games, and the like, and I always had a good
time. Oh, yes, there were fresh smart girls went, too, out we always
knowed how to get rid of them. Onct when I was at a party over in
Cambridge, we took the cook and two of the other girls with us. Well,
it was like this, the cook was a good woman, but the other two girls
was always fighting over their gentleman friends. Annie was the
nicest girli but Jenny was prettier and bold and forward, and she
always would do something to make the other girls mad. She got
Annie's boy friend away from her and was having the time of her life
when the cook took a hand. She marched right over and took Jenny
by the shoulders and started shaking her.. Well, as far as I could
see, she didn't hurt her none, but Jenny, being tricky, didn't know
what to do, so she just pretended, and fainted away. Well, I can tell
you, we all got skart to death. The cook took one look at her, and
marched away, but come back in a minute with a long pen -knife, and
before anyone could do anything, she pulled up Jenny's waist at the
back, and before we knowed anything, she out Jenny's corset strings.
Well, Jenny went flub -dub, and there was no party for her the rest
Name: Emily B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Titles Living Lore
Topic: Mrs. Maria hAggerty
Paper 7
of the night. The gentlemen all praised the cook, but Jenny had to
go home. Them days everybody wore big heavy corsets, laced in the
back, and onct you loosed the laces, why you'd be twice the size
you was, no matter how thin you looked.'
"We often went to shows in Boston, but they was not
like the shows now. Onct the 'Black Crooks' was playing in Boston,
and the antics of them actresses was somethinl awful. The bold
things had nothin' on but long black tights. Nice people never went
to them kind of allows. We liked shows like 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', and
the like, for them shows had lessons and morals to them. Then there
was Operas, and sometimes they had funny men that told jokes. I
was never much of a hand for ehows, and after I got engaged to Pa
we didn't go out much. After we got married, it was different, for
we had babies, and them days when a woman had got married, she just
stayed home, and did kirs house work and took care of.the babies. Pa
never wanted me to join things. He said women that belonged to clubs
and lodges just went there to gossip. I never belonged to a club in
my life, and the only things I did was go to church and take care
of the house. Funny, I never enjoyed women coming in my house when
Pa lived, but now I like to have people come. Sometithes I think I'd
like to belong to clubs or lodges, but then, I don't like people to
know my business, and women have a way of prying at your affairs.
John and Bill never want me to go to clubs, but Marie says many's the
time, it would be nice for me. Then I hear they talk about things
Name: Emily B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Titles Livina Lpre
Topic: Mrs. Maria Haggerty
Per 7
I wouldn't know about, for most of the club ladies are educated, and
I'm not, that is in that way. I was raised allright, with a regular
school education, and know what's goin' on about me, but, still, I
dunno.
"Oh, yes, I believe in education, the best you can afford, but
I'm talkin' about when I was a girl, women weren't educated then,
unless they was rich. Not very many went to college them days. Why,
I know a lot of people that could send their daughters to college, but
didn't, because they didn'tthink women ought to be educated. More than
one rich woman that I knowed, didn't have as much schoolin' as I had,
but it didn't seem important them days. I well remember one family I
worked for, the son was gettin' married to a girl that was second
girl for a friend of his mother, and I couldn't help but hear his
father and mother t alkin' about it, and both of them was pleased.
Now -a -days, a rich man or woman would hit -the roof if their sons
didn't marry one of their own kind.
"I never worked at a place before I was married that they didn't
treatme as good as any one in the family. Maybe the difference was
that I never said Imam' or never had no brogue. The only thing that
I can remember about, that I didn't like about working for people
we did have to wear uniforms, usually dark blue, and stiff white collars,
depending on what kind of work you had to do. Bein' next a nurse, I
wore about the same as she did, and if there wasn't any nurse in the
Name: Emily B. Moore Assignment: Worcester
Title: Living Lore Topic: Mrs. Maria Haggerty
family, I wore about the same as a parlor maid. We could frizz our hair, or
wear it like we wanted to, just so it was neat. No, I guess I never minded
being a maid, and to tell the truth, I'd rather my Marie was in some nice
family, looking after babies, or the like, than working as a waitress.
She'd be better off. I don't think I'd like her to work for rich people,
the way they live nowadays, but say, like here with you, taking care of
the boys, or gettin' your supper, while you worked, or something like that.
Kitty would never have made a maid, she's too fly=by -night and independ-
ent, but she's a good girl. I think Marie takes after me, in a way,
she's contented with her job. Oh, well, the poor girl, I suppose she
could have a worse one!"