This story is a wonderful example of how one
person can make a difference. I would like to read you the story as Ellen
Jackson told it:
"In a household where the heads of the family
were both generous and kind, there could not fail to be a constant daily
charity to those needing it. But in 1878 was began a large and continued
philanthropic work, organized and kept in motion by the continuous and
systematic efforts of Mouse [Ellen’s sister Cornelia}. It is called the
Santa Claus Agency, and is at its height at Christmas. Like most great
enterprises, it had a small beginning. A few weeks before Christmas, in
1878, she was walking in a part of Newton where the people are mostly poor,
and found one family of many children who looked not forward with any
pleasure to Christmas, as Santa Claus had never found them. Mouse wrote an
article for the Newton Journal appealing to those children who would be
[overwhelmed] with gifts to send some of their abundance they already had,
that these and many other poor children might not be forgotten, and she
would be Santa Claus agent.
Her appeal was heeded, and she had many gifts
to gladden the hearts of the little people. She then wrote a cute story of
Santa Claus’ visits to the children." The next year it was printed in a
pamphlet and sent out, resulting in a generous contribution for the poor.
"The nursery of the homestead was given up to the toys and comforts that
might come in for the poor, and it is always filled to overflowing by
Christmas. Two days before, six or eight young lady friends come in and pack
them all in baskets, labeled for the family to which they are to go. Beside
the toys, there are stockings, mittens, hoods, clothes, candy, nuts, fancy
crackers, in lace bags. The day before Christmas, the Expressman takes them
to their destination, making glad more than one hundred poor children. A few
years after this joyful charity was begun, Mrs. Charles Lord commenced the
excellent charity of furnishing shoes for the poor, collecting them from
those who had an abundance, and also a sum of money to have them repaired.
She soon joined her good work to Mouse, and the week after Christmas all the
poor children would come to the "homestead" to be fitted to shoes there were
besides the second-hand shoes, cases of new ones and rubbers. Ten or a dozen
ladies would be gathered in the large old kitchen to fit the children, and
many a heart-rendering case would be there."
"Report for Christmas, 1897:
108 children made happy by receiving toys,
books, candy, clothing, etc.
138 prs. Of boots given
113 pairs of stockings given
98 handkerchiefs
96 articles [of] wearing apparel
112 books
During the year 39 families have been helped with clothing, fuel, and
groceries
294 articles of clothing
113 prs. of boots."
Story Three: A Compilation of Three Abolition Tales
My first tale is about the Underground
Railroad.
We often talk of the Homestead as being a
stop on the Underground Railroad. Because it was too dangerous to write down
anything about the railroad, it is unusual to have any documentation about
the stations. Our Homestead is lucky that Ellen wrote down one story that I
would like to share with you.
"One night, between twelve and one o’clock, I
well remember, father was awakened by pebbles thrown against his window. He
rose, asked what was wanted. Mr. Bowditch replied, it was he with a runaway
slave whom he wished father to hide until morning, and then help him on his
way to Canada, for his master was in Boston looking for him. Father took him
in and next morning carried him fifteen miles to a Station where he could
take a car for Canada. He could not have safely left by any Boston station."
At that time, many slaves were escaping into
Canada. When they arrived at the Homestead, they were destitute. A sewing
circle used to meet at the Homestead to make clothes for them. Some of the
cloth that these women sewed was used in draping the public buildings in
Boston at the funeral ceremonies of the late President Lincoln. Ellen was
the first President of the sewing circle, which became the Freedman’s Aid
Society. Ellen was the representative of the Society at the graduation
exercises at Hampton Institute in 1878. She formed a firm friendship with
General Armstrong, President of Hampton Institute, and with Booker T.
Washington, President of Tuskegee, both of whom were entertained at the
Homestead more than once".
My second tale is the story of Ellen’s
brother Edward who was involved in the first year of the Civil War.
"He (Edward d1882) was one of the home guard
of St. Louis. One Sabbath day, he saw three soldiers harassing and abusing a
colored man. He ordered them to desist; when one of them caught up a stick
and struck him on the head, crushing his skull and nearly killing him. He
was ever after blind in one eye, lost his sense of smelling, - also at times
he lost consciousness."
My third abolition tale is well documented in
the Abolition Room in the Children’s Gallery.
It is about Francis Jackson, brother of
William Jackson, and Lewis Hayden, a former slave living in Boston. Francis
was treasurer of the Vigilance Committee. Lewis Hayden was a committee
member and a friend of Francis’. Hayden let fugitives who were being hunted
stay in his house. He kept two kegs of gunpowder in the basement and said he
would blow up the building if any slave-owner tried to kidnap a fugitive
hiding there. Francis Jackson bought their house in 1853, possibly to help
cover up Hayden’s underground activities. Story 4 and 5...
