Juin 1870.8 HEAR WHAT MA'AM GOOSE SAYS! My dear little Blossoms, there are now in this world, and a will be, a great many grannies besides myself, both in petticoa pantaloons, soine a deal younger to be sure; but all monstrous and of my own family name. These old women, who neve chick nor child of their own, but who always know how to bri other people's children, will tell you with very long faces, th enchanting, quieting, soothing volume, my all-sufficient anody cross, peevish, won't-be-comforted little bairns, ought to be laid for more learned books, such as they could select and pu Fudge! I tell you that all their batterings can't deface my bea nor their wis e pratings equal my wiser prattlings; and all imi of my refreshing songs might as well write a new Billy Shakes as another Mother Goose: we two great poets were born tog and we shall go out of the world together No, no, my Melodies will never die, HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY FROM THE FAMILY OF GHARLES CLIOT NORTON NOVEMBER 16, 1927 [Copyright secured.] HISTORY OF THE GOOSE FAMILY. [From the Boston Transcript.] COTTON MATHER AND MOTHER GOOSE. Mr. Editor:- Your correspondent, N. B. S., has so decisively given a quietus to the question as to the birth place of Cotton Mather, that there is no danger of its ever being revived again. But there is another question of Who was Mother Goose? equal importance to many, to the literary world in particular, which should in like manner be put to rest. world? and when were her melodies first given to the These are questions which have been often asked, but have never been satisfactorily The recent publication of a book called "Mother Goose for Old Folks" has again answered. Ju 1870.8 ᄂ HEAR WHAT MA'AM GOOSE SAYS! My dear little Blossoms, there are now in this world, and a will be, a great many grannies besides myself, both in petticoat pantaloons, soine a deal younger to be sure; but all monstrous and of my own family name. These old women, who never chick nor child of their own, but who always know how to brin other people's children, will tell you with very long faces, tha enchanting, quieting, soothing volume, my all-sufficient anodyn cross, peevish, won't-be-comforted little bairns, ought to be laid a for more learned books, such as they could select and pub Fudge! I tell you that all their batterings can't deface my beau nor their wis e pratings equal my wiser prattlings; and all imita of my refreshing songs might as well write a new Billy Shakesp as another Mother Goose: we two great poets were born toget and we shall go out of the world together No, no, my Melodies will never die, HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY FROM THE FAMILY OF GHARLES ELIOT NORTON NOVEMBER 16, 1927 [Copyright secured.] HISTORY OF THE GOOSE FAMILY, [From the Boston Transcript.] COTTON MATHER AND MOTHER GOOSE. Mr. Editor:- Your correspondent, N. B. S., has so decisively given a quietus to the question as to the birth place of Cotton Mather, that there is no danger of its ever being revived again. But there is another question of equal importance to many, to the literary world in particular, which should in like manner be put to rest. Who was Mother Goose? and when were her melodies first given to the world? These are questions which have been often asked, but have never been satisfactorily answered. The recent publication of a book called "Mother Goose for Old Folks" has again revived these questions, which serves to sho that the subject has not yet lost its interest Many persons imagine that Mother Goose i a myth, — that no such person ever existed This is a mistake. Mother Goose was not onl a veritable personage, but was born and resid ed many years in Boston, where many of he descendants may now be found. The last tha bore the ancient paternal cognomen died abou the year 1807, and was buried in the Ol Granary Burying Ground, where probably li the remains of the whole blood, if we ma judge from the numerous grave-stones which mark their resting place. The family orig inated in England, but at what time they came to this country is unknown,- but prob ably about the year 1656. This was the Wealthy family of Goose," which is immor talized by Mr. Bowditch in his book of Suffolk Names, who at the same time has immortalized 66 |