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' «>i*<i 
 
'll^.i 
 
 
 1 'i 
 
 FATHER ABBEY'S WILL; 
 
 11 ^ 
 
 ' \ 
 
 il 
 
 a 
 
 \i 
 
 'W 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 TO WHICH 18 ADDED 
 
 A LETTER OF COURTSHIP 
 
 TO HIS VIRTUOUS AND AMIABLE WIDOW. 
 
 WITH 
 
 HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 PRIVATELY PRINTED. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE. 
 1854. 
 
 
V 
 
 ,57,t5 2.T 
 
 £l Fs. 
 
 k\ 
 
 -i«8P!«, 
 
PBEFACE. 
 
 The following notices of the ancient Bedmaker and Sweeper 
 at the College, and of his no less ancient Spouse, were prepared 
 for and published in the Cambridge Chronicle, November 18. 1854. 
 At the request of a few friends and antiquarians fifiV ^^P^^^ ^'^^ 
 printed in this form for private distribution. 
 
 John Langdon Sibley. 
 
 Harvard College Library, 
 Cambridge, November, 1854. 
 
 ..^^ 
 
"FATHER ABBEY'S WILL; 
 
 " To which is now added, a letter of Courtship to his virtuous and amiable Widow. 
 
 Cambridge, December, 1730. 
 
 " Some time since died here, Mr. Matthew Abbey in a very advanced age : He 
 had for a great number of years served the College in quality of Bedmakcr 
 and Sweeper: Having no child, his wife inherits his whole estate which hs 
 bequeathed to her by his last will and testament, aa follows, viz. 
 
 • 
 
 << rilO my dear wife 
 
 JL My joy and life, 
 I freely now do give her, 
 Mv whole estate, 
 With all my plate, 
 Being just about to leave her. 
 
 / My tub of soap. 
 
 Along cart rope, 
 A frying pan and kettle, 
 
 An ashes pail, 
 
 A threshing flail, 
 An iron wedge and beetle. 
 
 Two painted chairs. 
 
 Nine warden pears, 
 A large old dripping platter, 
 
 This bed of hay 
 
 On which I lay, 
 An old saucepan for butter. 
 
 A little mug, 
 
 A two quart jug, 
 A bottle full of brandy, 
 
 A looking glass 
 
 To see vour face. 
 You'll find It very handy. 
 
 A inusket true, 
 
 As ever flew, 
 A pound of shot and wallet, 
 
 A leather sash. 
 
 My calabash, 
 My powder-horn and bullet. 
 
 ./; 
 
h\ 
 
 c 
 
 An old sword b'.ndc, 
 
 A giinleii spado, 
 A lioo, a rnko, iv liidder, 
 
 A wooden cnn, 
 
 A cIosc-Htool nan, 
 A clyster-pipo and bladder. 
 
 A Rrensy hnt, 
 
 My old ram cat, 
 A yard and half of linen, 
 
 A woollen fleece, 
 
 A pot of grease, 
 In order for your spinning. 
 
 A small tooth comb, 
 
 An ashen broom, 
 A candlestick and hatchet, 
 
 A coverlid 
 
 Strip'd down with red, 
 A bag of rags to patch it. 
 
 A ragged mat, 
 
 A tub of flit, 
 A book put out by Banyan, 
 
 Another book 
 
 By Robin Cook, 
 A skein or two of spunyam. 
 
 An old black jiuift", 
 
 Some garden stuff, 
 A quantity of borage, 
 
 Some devil's weed. 
 
 And burdoclc seed, 
 To season well your porridge. 
 
 A cliafing dish, 
 
 With one salt fish 
 If I am not mistaken, 
 
 A leg of pork, 
 
 A broken fork, 
 And h;Of a flitch of bacon. 
 
 A spinning wheel. 
 
 One peck of meal, 
 A knife without a handle, 
 
 A rusty lamp, 
 
 Two quarts of samp, 
 And half a tallow candle. 
 
 My poucii and pipes, 
 
 Two oxen tripes. 
 An oaken dish well carved, 
 
 My little dog, 
 
 And spotteahog. 
 With two young pigs just starved. 
 
 This is my store, 
 
 1 have no more, 
 I heartily do give it. 
 
 My years are spun, 
 
 My days are done. 
 And so I think to leave it. 
 
 Thn.s father Abbey left his sponse. 
 As rich as church or college mouse, 
 Which is sufficient invitation 
 To servo the college in his station." 
 
ATJTHOnsnip or fatiieh abbey's will. 
 
 Tho Massachusetts MaRazino for 1794, vol. 6, pnp;o 090, ascribes to John Sec- 
 comb the authorsliip of " Fatlicr Abbey's Will."( 1 ) This statement wos called in 
 question in tho succceiling volume, page 32, and tlic authorsliip attributed to 
 the Rev. Joseph Scceomb, of Kingston, N. H. The editor, the Hev. Timddeus 
 Mason Harris, D. D., of Dorcliester, on p»go 301, settles tho question, in thcso 
 words : — 
 
 " From Thaddeus Moson, Esq., of Cambridge, tho only surviving classmate and 
 very intimate friend of the Rev. Jolm Scccorabc, the public may be assured 
 that he, the long reputed, was tho real author. His brother Joseph, though a 
 lively genius, never pretended to write poetry; but Mr. Mason was furnished 
 with several poetical effusions of his classmate's. They commenced an early cor- 
 respondence. And through this channel flowed many a tuneful ditty. One of 
 these letters, dated "Cambridge, Sept. 27, 1728," the editor has before him. It 
 is a most humorous narrative of tho fate of a goose roasted nt " Yankcy Has- 
 tings's " and it concludes with a poem on the occasion, in the mock heroic. * * * 
 Mr. Mason(2) wonders there have been any doubts respecting the rviil author 
 of this witty production. He is able and ready, were it necessary, to give moro 
 circumstantial, explicit, and positive evidence thon the present writing." 
 
 Wc know not what has become of the letter or of tho " mock heroic," and " o 
 cannot speak with certainty of the circumstances to which they owed tiicir origin. 
 But the following facts may shed some light thereon. Tho author resided in 
 Cambridge after ho graduated. In common with all who had received the degree 
 of Bachelor of Arts and not that of Master of Arts, ho was called " Sir," and 
 known as "Sir Seccomb." In tho autumn after his graduation several geeso 
 disappeared at different times from Cambridge Common. Tho loss occasioned 
 great discomfort to tho owner. Some of tho " Sirs " as well as undergraduates 
 were arraigned before the college government. At length several of them were 
 fined seven shillings apiece for being privy to and taking the " third " gooso, 
 and one of them was fined three shillings moro for " lying " about it. On tho 
 morning of Nov. 28, 1728, the sentence was announced. This was done in 
 the college hall, after the reading and before the prayer, and a suitable amount 
 of admonition was given against the immoralities condemned. The rogues were 
 required to indemnify the owner, and the one who first proposed to steal the 
 first gooso and for being concerned in stealing and eating the " three geese taken ou 
 
 (1) Abbey is a misnomer for Abdy. 
 
 (2) Thaddeus Mason, Esq., was born at Lexington, 27 Dec, 1706, 0. S., and 
 graduated in 1728. He taught school in Woodstock, Conn., in 1729, soon after which 
 ho became private Secretary of Gov. Belcher, by whom he was appointed Deputy 
 Naval Officer of tlie port of Boston, in 1731. In 1734 he was appointed Deputy Secreta- 
 ry of the I'rovince. He settled at Charlestown, and was appointed Clerk of the Court of 
 SoKfions anil of llio Court of Common Pleas, for Middlesex, in March, 1735-6, which 
 oftict" he held for rt years. He was olso, for several vcars. Registrar of Deeds for 
 the same county. Not long after the battle of Bunker's kill, at which time his mai. 
 Bion was burnt, ho settled in Cambridge, where I'e died, May 1, 1802, aged 95 years 
 and 4 months. He was married three times. On three successive Triennial Catalogues 
 he was the oldest living graduate, and no person who graduated as early as he did, 
 lived into the nineteenth centurj'. 
 
 y 
 
(I 
 
 tho Common" wns sent from college. How much this had to <1o with tho 
 inspiration of tho letter and tho " mock heroic" is not known; but tho writor 
 was a "Sir," nnd without douht wus well acquainted with '.he facts in tho case. 
 Jonathan IIastinf;s, Steward of tho college from 17130 to 1771), was an under- 
 graduate at tho time, nnd he was a son of Jonatlian Hastings, a tanner, who was 
 called " Yankee Hastings," and lived on tho spot at tho north-west corner of 
 Holmes Place, In Old Cambridge, where, not many years since, a house was built 
 by the late William romeroy. This " mock heroic" is the earliest and only poet- 
 ical composition of Mr. Scccomb, besides the Will of Father Abbey, of which we 
 find particular mention. With his wit and apparent genius for rhyming, it is 
 almost certain that ho must have '' thrown off " other verses, though they may 
 not havo como down to us. 
 
 POPULARITY OP FATHER ABUEY'S WILL. 
 
 " Through tho hands of Gov. Belcher, whoso secretary Mr. Mason then was, 
 Father Abbey's Will was sent to England, where it was much admired, and 
 published." In May, 1732, it appeared, both in tho Gentleman's Magazine and 
 the London Magazine. It was rc])rintcd in the Massachusetts Magazine, in 
 November, 1794. There havo been several imitations of it. Till tho present 
 generation, portions of it have been familiar to nearly all the good housewives of 
 New England, and wo " old folks " remember the interest with which we listened 
 to our mothers' recital of tho witty rhymes. 
 
 WOTI OF THE AUTHOR, THE REV. JOHN SECCOMD. 
 
 Peter Seccomb, of Medford.(l) Massachusetts, by Hannah Willis, to whom he 
 was married 25 February, 1702-3, had Willis, born 30 April, 1704, who died 15 
 April, 17-25; John, born 3 July, 1705, died 27 May, 1707; John, probably the 
 one who wrote "Father Abbey's Will," born 25 or 28 April, 1708; Charles, 
 born 15 January, 1709-10, died 28 September, 1730; Thomas, born 16 August, 
 1711, died about eleven o'clock at night. Fast day, 15 April, 1773. Thomas 
 made memoranda of the names of all the clergymen who preached in Mcdford, 
 together with the texts, the dates, notices r,f funeral sermons, &c., which are still 
 preserved. 
 
 John graduated at Harvard College in 1728. Ho subsequently studied divinity 
 and was ordained a CongregiUional minister in tho town of Harvard, Massachu- 
 setts, 10 Oct. 1733, the day on whicii the first church in that town was organized. 
 He was married, 10 March 1736-7, to Mercy, born 16 April, 1719, daughter of 
 the Rev. William Williams, of Weston, who was son of the Ilcv. William Wil- 
 liams, of Hatfield, a son of Deacon Isaac Williams, of Newton. Mrs. Seccomb's 
 mother was grand-daughter of the liev. Solomon Stoddard, of Northampton. 
 
 Respecting Mr. Seccomb's life at Harvard, a correspondent writes : — " In the 
 Church Records I find his name affixed to certain records of Church action, 
 which he made in the discharge of his official duty. Of the causes of the dissolu- 
 tion of his connection with the Parish ho is entirely silent — recording only that, 
 by his own request, ho was dismissed by an Ecclesiastical Council, and tigning 
 
 (1) Medford Town Records; Family Bible. 
 
 
d 
 
 his riftmo'John Scccomb," Sept. 7, 1757.' Vnguo nnd intlutinct trmlilioiis say 
 tliat ho wns impollcd to Icavo his parish, in consequence of a malicious charge of 
 his wifu (ii second Xanthippe) of" improper familiarity with a domestic. 
 
 "In about six years" after his resignation, " ho was installed over a Dis- 
 senting Church in Cliestcr, Nova Scotia, where ho passed tho remainder of his 
 days ; retaining in a remarkable degree, his mental powers, popularity, nnd useful- 
 ness; and continued to preach to his peoplp to good acceptance, when ho re- 
 quired tlip aid of others in walking to visit the sanctuarj of God. He lived about 
 sixty-five years after ho was graduated ; filled up life with duty nnd usefulness j 
 Calvinistie in his sentiments, pungent in his preaching ; his ministrations were 
 blessed to tho people in Harvard. A revival continued three years, and resulted 
 in bringing about ono hundred into tho lledccmer's Kingdom."(l) He died at 
 Cliester, Nova Scotia, in the latter part o( tho year 1792.(2) Mercy Seccombc, 
 who always added c to her name, though it was omitted by her husband, was Ex- 
 ecutrix of John Seccomb's Will, 9 August, 17t)3. 
 
 FATHER AllDY AND III8 ANCESTRY. 
 
 The father of " Father " Abdy, probably from tho parish of Stepney, was Mat- 
 thew Abdy, 15 years old when he embarked for New England, July 1, 16.35, 
 " Abord the Abigail, Robert Ilackwell, master." He was a fisiierman and lived at 
 Pulling Point or on ono of the islands in Boston harbor. Porliaps ho lived at 
 both places, as fishermen in those days changed their residences frcf|ucntly. In 
 1057, ho and other fishermen petitioned tho legislature of Massachusetts to ex- 
 empt them from military training during the fishing season. He is probably tlio 
 same who was living, at the age of 40 in 1669, it being easy, in transcribing, to 
 make tho mistake of writing 40 for 49 or 1069 for lOOO, by adding a tail to tho 
 cipher or omitting it in tho 9. Ho was married in Boston, 24 May, 1662, to Alieo 
 Cox, jjcrhaps daughter of Moses Cox, of Hampton, N. H. 
 
 By his wife Tabitha, who died in 1661 and who was daughter of Robert 
 Reynolds, a shoe-maker, who lived in Boston, Mr. Abdy had Mary, born 24 May, 
 1648, and Tabithn, born 24 Nov. 1052, besides Matthew, named in his grandfather 
 Reynolds's Will. This son Matthew, probably born about 1650, in or about Bos- 
 ton harbor, must have been the Father Abdy under consideration. Probably top 
 ho is the Matthew Abdy who was married in Cambridge, 10 April, 1688, to Deborah 
 
 (1) Rev. Thomas Noj'es, of Needhnm, in tho American Quarterly Register, 10; 58. 
 
 (2) Mr. Scccomb publislied " A sermon prenclied at Halifax, July 3, 1770, nt tho 
 Ordination of the Rev. Hruin Romcns Comingoe. Totlic Uutcli Calviinistic rresbyterinn 
 Congregation at Lunenburg. . . . IJoiiig tiic first preached in tiie Province of Nova-Scotia, 
 on such an occasion. To wiiicli is added an Ai)|)endix" containing the reasons of the 
 Ordination; witli the questions pnblicklj' propounded on tliat occasion. Tlic scnnon 
 is dedicated " To Mabiciiy Suiter, Ksq.," because of his " prudent and vigorous n eas- 
 ures" " to obtain and establish a fund for tlio support of sucli Dissenting llinisters in 
 the Province as needed assistance." It contiiins " grateful acknowledgements to those 
 charitable persons in Hoston, whose late bounty afforded us a very seasonable relief." 
 8vo. " llnVifax, printed by A. Henry, 1770."' In 1772 was printed at Boston, New 
 England, by Thomas and John Fleet, " A Sermon occasioned by tho death of the 
 Honorable AniGAii. Bklciieh, late Consort of .Tonatiian Beixhuu, Esq. ; late Lieu- 
 tenant Governor and Coniniander-in-Cbief, and His Majesty's present Chief Justice of 
 His Province of Nova Scotia, Delivered at Halifax, in 'the'said Province, October 20, 
 J771. By John Seccomue, of Chester, A. JL With an Kpistle, by Mather Byles, D. D. 
 pf Boston." Both these sermons are in the library of Harvard University. 
 
10 
 
 Wilson, dauplitcr of Andrew Stevenson, of Cambridge, and widow of Roi^ort 
 Wilson, of Sudbury. And this wus perhaps his second marriage, at least ; for he 
 was then about 38 years old, and it seems to have been a Puritanic doctrine, 
 which was clung to with more than wontc I Puritanic pertinacity, that every man 
 should bo married \ory early in life, li this bo so, he must have been rather 
 popular with the gentler sex, for he and his wife Kuth, who in this case would 
 have been at least bis third wife, were Ijaptized and admitted to the church in 
 Cambridge by the llev. Dr. Appleton, 25 February, 1727-8. 
 
 FATIIEK ABDT API'OINTED TO OFFICE. 
 
 In President Leverctt's Diary, Mr. Abdy's appointment to the honorable oflSco 
 he held in the college is recorded in these words : — 
 
 " Harvard College, Feb. 19, 1717-18. 
 " ^Matthew Abdy appointed Sweeper and Bed-maker upon probation, And As- 
 sign'd to him Stoughton-IIousc, excepting Mr. Scver's Chamber and the rooms 
 above and below the sd. Mr. Sever's(l) Chamber, and the whole of the Presidts. 
 House. Harvard College and the aforesaid rescrv'd rooms in Stoughton-House 
 continued to Mary Prcntise, And the Establishm't for the Bed-maker is to be paid 
 to them according to sd. licservation." 
 
 Tutor Flynt, in his private Diary and Account Book, writes : — 
 
 "April 16,1723. Paid Matthew Abdy 5sh for Quincy's two quarter bills for 
 sweeping." 
 
 " May 25, Paid Abdy .3sh for washing a groce of Bottles." 
 "Aug. 25, Paid for Quincy to Abdy 9d.'"{2) 
 
 (1) Rev. Nicholas Sever, born at Roxbury in 1680, n gi-iiduato in 1701, was a 
 member of the Corporation of the College and was Tutor from 1710 to 1728. Previously 
 to this he liiul been settled in the ministry at Dover, N. II., where he was ordained 
 11 April, 1711. He wps nl'tcrwiirils Juilpe of the Court of Common Pleas in IMy- 
 mouth County and died 7 April, 1704. While he was Tutor he was prosecuted at com- 
 mon law by Kbenezer I'ieroont, a graduate in 1715, wlio was refused liis degree of 
 Jlaster of Arts, on the ground of allegations brougiit against him by Mi*. Sever " of con- 
 temning, reproaching, and insulting the government of the College and particularly 
 the Tutors for their maniigcment in admission of scholars.'' Leverett and Flynt ex- 
 pressly say that the proceedings which grew out of the withholding of the degree 
 " threatened the dissolution of the College." 
 
 (2) JosiAii Quincy was grandfather of Ex-President Qnincy and a relative of Tutor 
 Flynt, who seems to have been his (Juardian or Patron while lie was in College. From 
 the Memoir of Josiah (Quincy,. fun., wo learn that he was the youngest son of Edmund 
 Quincy, and born in liraintree in 1709. Ho was graduated at Harvard College, iu 
 172», and entered info business as a merchant in iioston. In 1737, he accompanied 
 his father to England, passed several years in Europe at different periods of his life, 
 and finally returned to America in 1749. He was appointed in 175"), by Governor 
 Shirley, joint commissioner with Tlioinas Pownall, to negotiate with the Colonies of 
 Pennsylvania and Xew York, for assistance in erecting a frontier barrier against tho 
 French at Tieonderoga. In this mission he availed himself of tho iiilhieiice of Dr. 
 Franklin and was successful. The i)articular circumstances of this negotiation are 
 related in the Memoirs of that great man, written by himself. .losiah Quincv retired 
 in 1750 from business, and rcsi<led in Braintree until his death in 17fr4. llis latter 
 daj's were saddened by tho loss of his son .fosiah (Juincy, Jun., whose life is intimately 
 connected with the early history of the Americ"\n Revolution. lie was in friendship 
 and correspondence with Washington, Adams, Franklin, Howdoin, and other distin- 
 guished characters of that period. This ia the raau for whom when a lad iu College, 
 Tutor Flynt paid to Abdy a " 9d." 
 
 
11 
 
 "April 10th, 1727, Abdy washed 10 doz. and 5 bottles as ho says, tlio' wn 
 he brought them up he reckoned but 9 doz & 1 at 4d pd Down, Total 3sh. 8d." 
 " April 27, 1730 Paid Abdy 4sh for washing a groce of Bottles." 
 
 These dates show that he was alive and attending to his duties when these 
 charges were made. And this is all that is known of him wlio has been immortal- 
 ized in song. As his Will purports to be dated in December 1730 he probably 
 died soon after washing the last " groce of Bottles," thougli there is no evidence 
 that he died of over-exertion in doing it.(l) 
 
 MRS. ABDY AND HEtt LOVKK. 
 
 Soon after Father Abdy died and his Will was published, the sweeper and bed- 
 maker at Yale College, a widower, became grievously smitten with the charniB 
 of the widow. As there is no evidence that he had ever seen her, he may have 
 been a i)hilosoplier who fell in love with an abstract idea of excellence and beauty, 
 or he may have been a gentleman of a romantic turn of mind, whose imagination 
 invested her with the charms of an angel. We might have suspected him of 
 having an eye to the property left to Mrs. Abdy by her spouse, if lie did not ex- 
 pressly disclaim sucli an unwortliy motive and foundation foi his ardent attach- 
 ment. Be this as it may, it is evident from the tenderness of his language that 
 he was in great anguish. So great was it, that he was inspired to pour out liis 
 feelings in rhyme, and make an offer of his iiand and heart. In some mysterious 
 way a copy of the letter was procured. It must have been done without the 
 knowledge of Mrs. Abdy, we are confident, for it was entirely inconsistent with 
 what wc may suppose to be her refinement and delicacy, to tell any person that 
 she had received a letter from one whose heart was deeply interested in her- 
 A copy was obtained probably in a surreptitious manner. It was shown to a 
 few very particular friends — a matter of course. It was admired. It was found to 
 be replete with genius and tender feelings, and was withal so natural and " so 
 simple", that it was necessary to print it in order to satisfy the public — especially 
 that portion of the public which consists of widowers and old bachelors, and 
 of some ladies. A copy was despatched to England, where new editions of it ap- 
 peared in the Gentleman's Miigazine in June, and in the London Magazine in 
 August, 1732. It was reprinted in the Massachusetts Magazine, in November, 1794. 
 As the copy before us appears to be the original edition and is on the same Broad- 
 side with Father Abbey's Will, it occurs to us — though wc run the risk of being 
 charged with partiality to the literature of Hsrvard and unjust to that of Yale — 
 that possibly it may be by the same author. 
 
 MRS. ABDY'S lovers LETTER. 
 
 We print the letter, and the introduction, as we find it on the Broadside, with 
 the difference of substituting capitals for small letters at the beginning of sereral 
 of the lines : — 
 
 (1) Hon. James Savage; Collections of the Mass. Hist. Society, 3d series, 8; 267: N. 
 B. Shurtletr, M.D. : Cambridge ToAvn Records: Cambridge Churcli Records: Rev. L. R. 
 Paige, the " painful" city clerk of Cambridge : Diaries of Leverett and of Flynt. 
 
"NcWhaven, January 2. l73l. 
 " Our sweeper having lately buried his spouse, and accidentally hcariii}? of the 
 death and will of his deceased Cambridge brother, has conceived a violent passion 
 for the relict. As love softens the mind and disposes to poetry, ho has eas'd 
 himself in the following strains, which he transmits to the charming widow, as the 
 first essay of his love and courtship. 
 
 « ll/flSTRESS Abbey 
 
 Ifl To you I fly, 
 You only can relieve me^ 
 
 To you I turn. 
 
 For" you I burn, 
 If you will but believe me. 
 
 Then, gentle dame, 
 
 Admit'my flame. 
 And fjrant me my petition, 
 
 If you deny, 
 
 Alns ! 1 die 
 In pitiful condition. 
 
 Before the news 
 
 Of your dear spouse 
 Had reached us at Newhavon, 
 
 Mv dear wife dy'd, 
 
 Wio was my bride 
 In anno eighty-seven. 
 
 Thus being free, 
 
 Let's both agree 
 To join our hands, for I do 
 
 Boldly aver 
 
 A widower 
 Is fittest for a widow. 
 
 You may be sure 
 
 'Tis not your dow'r 
 I make this flowing verse on { 
 
 In these smooth lays 
 
 1 only praise 
 The glories of your person. 
 
 For the whole that 
 
 Was left by Mat. 
 Fortune to me has granted 
 
 In equal store, 
 
 I've one thing more 
 Which Matthew long had wanted. 
 
 No teeth 'tis true 
 
 You have to shew, 
 The young think teeth inviting} 
 
 But, silly youths! 
 
 I love those mouths 
 Where there's no fear of biting. 
 
 A leaky eye. 
 
 That's never dry, 
 "these woful times is fitting. 
 
 A wrinkled face 
 
 Adds solemn grace 
 To folks devout at meeting. 
 
 <r 
 
13 
 
 [A furrowed brow, 
 
 VVliere corn niiglit prow, 
 Such fertile soil is seen in't, 
 
 A long hook nose, 
 
 Tho' scorn'd by foes. 
 For spectiicle3 couveuient.(l)] 
 
 Thus to go on 
 
 I would put down 
 Your charms from head to foot, 
 
 Set nil your glory 
 
 In verse before ye. 
 But I've no maid to'do't. 
 
 Then haste away. 
 
 And make no stay ; 
 For soon as you come hither, 
 
 We'll eat and sleep, 
 
 Make beds and sweep 
 And talk and smoke together. 
 
 But if, my dear, 
 
 I must move there, 
 Tow'rds Cambridge straight I'll set mo 
 
 To touse the hay 
 
 On which you lay, 
 If age and you will let me." 
 
 r^ 
 
 i 
 
 MBS. ABDY S SUBSEQUENT LIFE. 
 
 It is not known how much coquetting and cooing and wooing and sparking 
 may have been carried on between the widower and tlie widow ; but it is certain 
 that they were never married. Tho disconsolate widow continued to live, " a 
 single life." We do not find that she ever deviated in the least from the strictest 
 propriety in any respect — unless some may think she erred in not preventing tho 
 publicity given to the poetical epistle of the afTictionate widower. There is no 
 evidence that she ever laid aside her weeds of mourning. The sun rose and 
 set each day as usual. Month followed month and year followed year and she — 
 continued to sweep and to make beds. After Mr. Abdy's decease she never 
 changed her name. To the last it was Ruth Ahdi/. Finally, at a very advanced ago, 
 she passed away. The college rooms no longer resounded with the clatter of her 
 feet and the dump of her pail. The spiders had nothing to fear from her broom. 
 So far as she was concerned, the bugs slept quietly in their beds, except when 
 they issued forth to take a walk or in quest of food. With her the family, as 
 is tho case with almost all illustrious families after a few generations, died out. 
 Even the name of Abdy became extinct in Cambridge. 
 
 MRS. abdy's death. 
 
 The good old lady's departure was announced in the Boston Evening Post, 
 Monday, December 13, 1762, in these words : — 
 
 " Cambridge, Dec. 10. Yesterday died here in a very advanced age Mrs. Abdy, 
 Sweeper for very many years at Harvard College, and well known to all that have 
 
 (1) We think this stanza may be an interpolation. It is found in tho London Maga-- 
 sine ; but not in the Gentleman's Magazine or on the Broadside. 
 
14 
 
 . , sv.-., iUn. nrPQPnf Tenturv. She was Relict of Mattliew 
 
 T c!l " Chy Records say that Ruth Ab.ly died at Can^bridge, 10 Decern- 
 , i?o at he aoc of 93. The tradition is that the Ahdys lived on the spot 
 iVr^ Mr LyLn Thurston now resides, south of the Rev. Dr. Albro^s meet.ng- 
 where ^ • ^\";'^" '' . ^.^. . ^^^^.^ of Mount Auhum and Ilolyokc Streets, and 
 'rt^rl:!! s n 1 sZu Ite in front of Mr. Thurston's house No 
 ™ umento r kind marks Mrs. Abdy's resting place or that of her hus an . 
 Thorhboth of them lived in humble life they were as worthy and the.r deeds 
 r acceptable to God as many over whom have been reared pUes of marble. 
 Truly does the fine old hymn of Herbert say : - 
 
 " Teach me, mv God and King, 
 
 In all thiiic;s Thee to see, 
 And, what I do in any tiling. 
 
 To do it as for Thee." 
 * * * * 
 
 » A servant with this clause, 
 
 Makes drudgery divine; 
 Wlio sweeps a room, as for Il.y laws, 
 
 lilukes that, and the action, Inie. 
 
 (1) Communicated by Joseph Talmcr, M. D., 
 
 of Boston. 
 
ih 
 
 w