Door of the Larcom House where Mrs. Dow lived
OLD DAYS
AT
BEVERLY FARMS
BY
MARY LARCOM DOW
PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY
NORTH SHORE PRINTING CO.
FIVE WASHINGTON STREET
BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS
1921
COPYRIGHT 1921
BY
KATHARINE P. LORING
PREFACE
During the last month of his life, Mr. Dow asked his friend and pastor,Rev. Clarence Strong Pond, to see that "Old Days at Beverly Farms,"written by Mrs. Dow, was printed. He also asked me to write a sketch ofher life to publish with it. The answer is this little book, a lovingtribute from many friends.
Beside those whose names appear on its pages, Mrs. Alice BolamPreston has drawn the front door and knocker of the "Homestead." Mrs.Bridgeford and Mrs. Edwin L. Pride supplied the originals of theportraits. Mrs. Howard A. Doane, "Elsie," has collected information,in which task she has been helped by many of the neighbors. The money,without which we could have done nothing, has been given by Mrs. F.Gordon Dexter, Mrs. Charles M. Cabot, Miss Elizabeth W. Perkins andMiss Louisa P. Loring.
Mrs. William Caleb Loring bought Mrs. Dow's house after her death andgave it to[Pg 6] St. John's Parish for a parish house. She directed that atablet should be placed in it to preserve the memory of our friend.
In examining the titles Mr. Samuel Vaughan found that Mrs. Dow'sgreat grandfather, Jonathan Larcom, did not sell his slaves. He wasadministrator of his father, David Larcom's estate in 1775. In theappraisal, six slaves are mentioned by name, valued at £106 13s. 4d.but none are mentioned in the division. It appears that they becamefree when their master died. All slaves were considered free inMassachusetts when the State Constitution was adopted in 1780.
Katharine P. Loring
CONTENTS
| Page | |
| Sketch of Mary Larcom Dow | 9 |
| Old Days at Beverly Farms | 25 |
| Lucy Larcom—A Memory | 63 |
| Letters written by Mrs. Dow | 68 |
| Appreciation by Sarah E. Miller | 79 |
| Extracts from letters about Mrs. Dow | 81 |
THE LIFE
OF
MARY LARCOM DOW
"It seems as if th