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A Story About A
Little Good Boy
1795
o
GENERAL PELEG WADSWORTH
J748-I829
STORY
A so to
LITTLE GOOD BOY
How he became a great man and
had little good boys of his own
Gen. Peleg Wadsworth defending hi* home
(From an old print)
PORTLAND, MAINE
1903
E Lol
\\t ( *&. w
Copyright 1903 by
LUCIA WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
Portland, Maine
Privately Printed
at the Press of
Lefavor-Tower Company
TO THE READER.
Ninety-six years ago this story was written in
the city of Philadelphia for some little boys in
Portland, Maine*
The story is autobiographical* Through its
unconscious revelation we learn how Peleg Wads-
worth, its writer, grew up to be a man of heart
and courage and charming personality*
In the story, we know him more particularly
as the " Little Good Boys, " devoted and admon
ishing Papa* In his private history, we know
him as a graduate of Harvard College, a soldier
of the Revolution, a member of Congress, and an
honored and beloved citizen of Portland, where
he built a house, spoken of at the present time as
the " Wadsworth-Longfellow House/ whose
rooms, the favorite shrine to-day of pilgrims
passing through the town, are filled with treas
ures of a bygone age, and overflow with dear
memories and old associations*
Of the personal appearance of Peleg Wads-
worth, gentleman and soldier, we have the
iii
M168507
following word picture, found in a letter from his
daughter Zilpah :
44 Imagine to yourself a man of middle age, well propor-
tined t with a military air, and who carries himself so truly,
that many thought him tall* His dress, a light scarlet coat,
buff small clothes and vest, full ruffles over the hands, white
stockings, shoes with silver buckles, white cravat bow in
front, hair well powdered and tied behind in a club, so called."
Let us add to this picture a three cornered
black felt hat, which among other family relics
may still be seen in the old house*
Of the character of Peleg Wadsworth, surely
there can be no more complete summary than
that briefly recorded on the stone which marks
his grave:
" He was a Patriot, Philanthropist and Christian/
Of his high thinking and feeling, of his natu
ral grace of expression these few chance selections
from his many delightful letters are best able to
testify.
In the first, a letter to his wife, we obtain a
pleasant knowledge of his affectionate intercourse
with his family*
"Philadelphia, 24th Jan y. J799
Not a line, my love, have I to acknowledge this morning
from any of my dear family. I know it is not because I
have lost their love, but I suppose it is because they are agree
ably engaged some other way amongst themselves. This is
not an unpleasing idea to me for I delight in their enjoyment.
IV
I hope John and the sisters will not cease to engage the
attention of the little boys to something that may be useful
and improving The behaviour of the little ones of a family
very much depends upon the attention paid them by the great
ones. I promise myself that my little ones will not suffer by
the neglect of their elder brothers and sisters, but that they
will at all times concur and cooperate with their Mama in
rearing the little branches
In about a month after this reaches you, my dear, I hope
to be with you, The time will soon be past. The hours
are in full pursuit of those that have gone before, and are
lessening down the mass of time. All we have to do, my
love, is to improve them as they fly ; to seize the present mo
ment and to do with a good will all we find to do. The
past is gone ; the future may never reach us ; neither are
now in existence Tis what we are is all the question. One
thing be assured of
I am your very affectionate husband,
P Wadsworth.
written in Philadelphia, April J6, J800.
In a letter to his daughter Zilpah, replying to
one which contained his daughter s confidences
on the subject of a rejected suitor t he says :
44 1 believe, my dear, that love is an involuntary passion,
that it is an essential ingredient in matrimonial happiness, and
that that voyage ought never to be undertaken without a
sufficient stock of that indispensable article. Unless the way
is lighted by that ethereal spark, it will be at the best but dark
and gloomy.
This passion of all others ought to be treated with ingenu
ity, candor and tenderness, for it is a spark of Deity ; without
it, this world is a wilderness, and well has it been said by
Inspiration, * Where love is wanting, all is wanting, yet how
often is it treated the very reverse and instead of being the
great source of happiness, it is made the snare and bane of
You will perceive, my dear, that I would never advise a
couple to enter the state matrimonial, where there was not a
mutual affection. Till that shall happen to any or all of my
children, I shall be very happy to have their company in my
family as at present, and I will try to make them as good and
as happy as I can " - - - -
In a letter to his wife, written in "Washington,
January, J803, we find a liberality of thought
in regard to religion quite unusual at that time*
- - - - " In the morning, we all went to church in the capitol ?
Dr. Grant our chaplain, gave us what some would call a
Hell-fire sermon I could not join with him in more than
half he uttered and yet he called upon me to believe or be
d d. Now I do not believe that my faith depends upon
my will although we are apt to believe or think we believe
what we wish to believe, yet unless I am convinced of the
truth of a fact, how can I believe it to be so ? - - - - The God
whom I have heard preached to day was a vindictive God,
very different from my God, However I have charity for the
preacher and have no doubt he has been preaching what he
believed to be the word of God But then I must claim the
same liberty which he has taken, to judge for myself
I ever wish to instill into the minds of my family the principles
of benevolence, justice and good morality, that is a love to
God and love to man, and with these they shall have the lib
erty to chose their own mode of putting them into practice/
The Portland house was built ten years before
the writing of the story to the " little good
boys/
It has generous rooms of fine proportions, and
a broad stairway, whose low steps were especially
designed for the comfort of the mistress of the
mansion. The many windows face on the front
VI
toward the sea and on the back, across a long
garden toward distant hills and the sunset* But
that was in the days when the house was sur
rounded by green fields* The town has crept
about it now, and it looks upon a busy street*
In the rear there still remains a suggestion of the
old garden with its elm trees and syringas and
lilacs, and from the western windows one has a
glimpse of the sunset sky*
An historic house in the midst of the pleasant
town, it bears witness silently but with gentle
eloquence, to the underlying principles of good
building, principles, which the illustrious grand
son of Peleg Wadsworth later expressed in song*
Build to-day then strong and true,
With a firm and ample base.
And ascending and secure
Shall to-morrow find its place.
It was to the first children of this house, the
Wadsworth children, one of whom in after years
became the mother of the poet Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow, that this story, with its divi
sion into fifteen little volumes, was written, and
sent week by week in as many letters*
Fifteen little volumes, each of a single chapter,
containing a most varied and entertaining nar
ration of an old time childhood, boyhood and
VII
manhood! The original manuscript is now
the cherished possession of a granddaughter,
Mrs* Lusannah Wadsworth Hubbard of Hiram,
Me*
One of the concluding chapters gives a descrip
tion of the writer s capture during a period of
military duty on the coast of Maine* An inter
esting supplement to this account may be found
in the following extract from a letter written by
General Wadsworth to his wife, after he was
taken prisoner at Thomaston*
Bagaduce. Fort George 19th of Feb. J781.
It is with supreme gratitude, my dear Betsey, that I ac
knowledge the preservation of my sweet family in the late
hostile conflict. I recall to have seen my whole Family, ex
cepting my Little Charles, for whom I am under much appre
hension, knowing that his Zeal and activity is such that he
would certainly have come to his Father s aid, had he been
awake, altho but five years old. Heaven grant that the dear
boy may be safe. I am extremely afflicted at the idea of
your situation. The windows dashed, the Doors broken, the
House torn to pieces and Blood and Slaughter around, You
without help without your Bosom Companion.
After I left you I was conducted to the gigg, then taken on
Board a Small Privateer commanded by Mr. Lang and
landed at Bagaduce on the afternoon of the same day. On
my passage and since my arrival I have received the great
est Civility and am treated according to my rank. My
Wound is as fair as possible, it being with a Musket Ball
passing through my left arm just above the Elbow, touching
the Bone without fracturing it
The enemy s Party consisted of fifteen men, two of which
were badly wounded, besides the one left at Mr. Fales, who
Viil
if living I desire may have good care taken of him, as also
old Hickey, who lay -wounded in the kitchen
I pray you would send me by the bearer four shirts, 2 pair
Breeches a Westcot, Coat, Stockings, Buckles, Stock, and
Hanger and Waist Belt, with an account of your situation - -
My best wishes attend my sweet Family.
Adieu
P Wadsworth.
Mrs* Wadsworth.
Long departed is the hero of this story, and
the beautiful young lady his wife* Long silent
are the " little good boys " for whom the story
was written, and the lovely young girls, who
were their sisters, yet they seem to breathe and
speak again, to go in and out of the rooms of the
old house, and to watch from its windows for
the coming of the post with the eagerly expected
letters, as with ever increasing delight we read
the pages of these fifteen briefest of volumes,
sent from Philadelphia to Portland, some hun
dred years ago*
HARRIET LEWIS BRADLEY.
96 Fifth Avenue, New York*
April, J903.
CHARACTERS IN THE STORY.
PARENTS OF "LITTLE BOY P." Deacon Peleg and
Lusanna Sampson Wadsworth.
" LITTLE BOY P." Peleg Wadsworth, writer of the story,
born in Duxbury, Mass., 1748. Died in Hiram,
Maine, 1829.
" THE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY . Elizabeth Bart-
lett, born in Plymouth, Mass., 1753. Married
to Peleg Wadsworth in 1772. Died in Hiram,
Maine, 1825.
U. URIAH, brother of " Little Boy P."
L.
c .UNKNOWN PLAYMATES.
O. j
DOCTOR DEANE,
ESQUIRE FROTHINGHAM,
ESQUIRE FREEMAN,
MR. MERCHANT STORER,
MR. PRINTER WAIT,
GENL L. General Solomon Lovell.
OLD HICKEY. Soldier and afterward life long dependant
of General Wadsworth.
CHILDREN OF GENERAL PELEG WADSWORTH
AND ELIZABETH HIS WIFE.
A. ALEXANDER, J774-J775, the little boy who died in
camp at Dorchester*
CHARLES. Charles Lee Wadsworth, J776-J848.
SISTER ZILPAH. The oldest daughter, J778-J85J,
mother of the poet Longfellow*
SISTER B. The second daughter* Elizabeth or Betsy,
sometimes called " little girl E ", 1779-J802.
JACK* John Wadsworth, J78J-J880, an accomplished
scholar and linguist.
LUCIA* The third daughter, J783-J864*
HARRY* Lieut. Henry Wadswortfa, U. S. A., J785-J804,
killed before Tripoli.
GEORGE. 1788-18J6.
ALEXANDER Scammel. 1790-1854. Commodore in the
U. S. Navy.
SAMUEL. 179M874.
PELEG. 1793-J875. A General in the Militia of Maine.
STORY ABOUT A LITTLE
GOOD BOY HOW HE BE
CAME A GREAT MAN AND
HAD LITTLE GOOD BOYS OF
HIS OWN
VOL. I
ONCE there was a little Boy, his name was
P.* & he had a little Brother whose name was
U.f but U was not so big as P. Those two little
Boys, P & U lived in the country. Now P was
a pretty good little Boy sometimes, & he was a
very good Boy to go to school & the Master
always called him a very good scholar, tho some
folks call d him a Rogue, because he lookd like
a Rogue but that was not true for if he did
look like a rogue that did not make him one, for
he always said his prayers night & morning &
did not swear nor speak wicked words as the
Boys did L & S* with whom P* & U used to
play* Now L & S were two cleaver Boys ( if
they had not used such bad words ) they lived
*Peleg* tUrfafu
a little off of P & U* and P & U used to be
naughty sometimes & they would run away to
Play with L & S* to get Birds Eggs, without
asking their Mama s Leave* who was often much
frighted about them lest they should be lost or
fall down off of a high Tree when they were
getting the Eggs out of the poor little Birds nest,
& kill themselves how crewel it is for little
Boys to get away the poor little Birds Eggs when
they have taken so much pains to build their
Nests & taken so much pleasure in laying their
Eggs in them to hatch their little young Birds !
Did you never see how sorry the poor little
Birds are when they flutter round a Boy when
they think He is going to get their Eggs or their
young ones? They seem to cry & take on as
much as your Mama would do if the Indians
were going to catch her little Boys & carry them
away* But as I was going to say P was a pretty
good Boy & was always sorry & frighted when
he heard L & S swear so, & thot that He would
never swear himself because it was wicked &
would make God angry with him, but yet P &
U loved L & S very well & were very fond of
running away to Play with them* One Evening
when it was warm weather all four Boys P &
U & L & S had been playing out in the Corn
field & runing & hiding amongst the high Corn
till it was almost dark & then they thot they
would go into the Stack yard where there was a
great many stacks of hay & play there* So they
all went & run round the hay Stacks a spell &
that did not do much hurt, but at last they
boosted one another up upon the Stacks of hay
which was naughty because it wasted the Hay
& spoiled the Stacks did you ever see a Stack
of hay, my little Boys ? This Stack yard was
close to P & U s Papa s house, and by & by
when all the Boys were on the top of the Hay
Stacks ( I don t know how the last got up ) &
it was pretty dark, & they were hollowing
The End of the first Vol : to be continued
Philadelphia J7 Jany J795
VOL. II
JUST at the time that those little Boys P &
U* & L & S were all on the Top of the Hay
Stack hollowing (as I said) P & U s Papa * came
out of the House to see what was the Noise &
when he found all the little Boys on the top of
his Hay Stacks, he felt very angry at them be
cause they were so naughty as to spoil his
Stacks* & He came softly along towards the
Stackyard & as he was getting over the fence
the little Boys spying him, jumpt & run ; but P
& IPs Papa catchd three of them and gave them
a good whipping* P saw his papa a little sooner
than the rest, but was not able to make it known
to them ; so he slipt off in the dark rather sooner
than they so as to escape a whipping* & ran &
got into the house where there was a great deal
of Company, before his Papa by & by his
papa came to the door & calld P* P* but P was
by this time got into bed in the Bed Room with
out any one noticing him, altho He past thro
the midst of them, all frighted as he was lest he
should get a good whiping too, for he knew
what was to pay with the three boys that were
catch d, for he heard them cry before he reached
the House* So P laid still & did not answer*
*Deacon Peleg Wadsworth of Duxbury, Mass., J 7 15- \ 774.
This I think was naughty, for if He had been
naughty & his Papa called him, I think He
should have answered when he heard his papa
call, altho he had got a whipping by it, but as I
was saying, P* laid still & his papa came in &
sat down with the Company & went to talking
as if nothing had happened, & glad was P* by
& by when U had done crying he came creeping
into the bed Room to go to bed too, & there he
found P. & he did not know but P. had had a
whipping as well as himself & he says P*
have you had any supper ? P said no he did
not want any & told U that he had better come
to bed without his, as there was Company & if
he was hungry in the Morng when he waked,
he could get up & get a good Crust* So U went
to bed & both went to sleep* Their Mama*,
before she went to bed, after the Company was
gone, asked where the little Boys were that they
did not come to their supper* Somebody looked
into the bed room & said they were both abed &
fast asleep She wondered when they went to
bed & why they went without their supper*
The next morning P s papa was not angry, &
said if He had catch d Him last Night he should
have whiped him because he was very naughty
to tear his Hay Stacks to pieces* P told his
Papa he was very sorry & would not do so
again, & so his Papa forgave him & they (P &
U) were both very good Boys for a long time
* Lusanna (Sampson) Wads worth.
after* They did not get up on the Hay Stacks
again, nor run among the Corn to break it
down, nor run away to rob the poor birds &
frighten their Mama but, as I said, they were
both very good; P because he had escaped a
whipping & U because he had had one*
The end of Vol. IL to be continued*
VOL. ni
P* was a very good Boy generally & a very
good Scholar as I told you, and as he grew
bigger he began to go to the Schools that were
farther off, for in the Country they do not have
a School all the time in one School House as
they do in Portland but when they have kept
School long enough in one Place, then the Mas
ter goes to another place & keeps there to teach
other folks little Boys* But then He will let
those little Boys that are very good come to his
other School if they are big enough to walk so
far. So P as he grew bigger & bigger went
farther & farther till at last he was big enough
to go to all the Schools in the Town* And there
was four Schools* The nearest was one mile off,
one was two miles, one was three Miles & one
was four miles off I suppose you think that it
would take a great deal of time for a little Boy
to go so far to School every day But the little
Boy was now grown bigger P* was grown as
big as Jack * & tho it did take him two hours to
go to the farthest School yet he did not loose the
time, & P had to go alone too for his little
Brother U was less than he was, & was not big
enough to go so f ar & L & S did not love their
* John "Wadsworth*
School well enough to take so much pains to go
to school but had rather stay at home to play
with their little Boats & Vessels in the little
ponds they made in the Brooks by damming
them up & going a birds egging in the summer
& playing Ball almost all the time tho their
papa would have been glad they should have
gone to school all the time* when P found that
He had to go so far alone, he did not much care
for that, for he knew how to improve the long
Walk so as not to loose the time He would
get up early in the morning & while his Mama
or his Sisters were getting him some Bread &
milk for his Breakfast, P was combing his Hair
& washing his Face & hands (for P was a very
neat Boy) & by the time he had eat his Break
fast (for he did not wait for the Family) his
Mama would give him some Bread & Cheese or
something else that was good to put into his
pocket for his Dinner, and so P always set out
very early to go so far to school As soon as
he was going on alone P would always say
his Prayers as he went along and pray God
not to let anything hurt him as he was going
along or the whole day, that God would help
him to learn his Lesson well that he might
become a great & a good Man As I said P al
ways began his walk by saying his Prayers
tho he had said them once already before he got
out of bed in the mprng. After P had pray d
God to keep him safely all day, he always took
out his Book & began to learn his Lesson by
8
heart & by studying as he went along he fogrot
to be tired a walking, & by the time P had got
to the School House he had got a good long
Lesson, and the Master would wonder how P
could come so far & yet get so good a Lesson*
He did not know that P studied his Lesson
walking, till he told him of it*
End of the HI Vol : to be continued
VOL. IV
P was a pretty Scholar as I told you, & tho
he knew how to improve his time very well in
School time & the Master was very fond of him
yet He, P t was as fond of play as any of the
Boys at noon time All the Boys stay at the
School house in the Country at noon time be
cause their homes are too far off to go home at
noon & so they all carry Something to eat in
their Pocketts & when they have eat it up, then
they have nothing to do but play till the Master
comes in the Afternoon* After School was done
at night P had a great way to walk home, but
as some of the Boys lived his way he was not
alone, & as far as the Boys came with him they
were merry enough ; & by the time P got home
it was almost dark, & he was quite hungry & a
little tired too* P was very well beloved by
every Body because he was a good Boy & He
was now grown quite a large Boy & so Folks
called him Master P* As Master P was so fond
of his School his papa did not make him do a
great deal of work, but let him go to School al
most all the time, & bought him books & let
him learn all he could* In a year or two Master
P had grown up almost as big as Charles * &
* Charles Lee Wadsworth, the General s eldest son.
JO
had learn d to write & cypher, & english Gram
mar & Greek & Latin & was so good a Scholar
that his Papa let him go to College The Col
lege is a great School for young Gentlemen ; &
Master P was now a young Gent* himself* So
now we will call him Mister P now what do
you think is become of U & L & S* why I ll tell
you* U was not big enough to go so fat to
School along with P* till P had got so far before
him that he could not overtake him & he had
rather stay at home & work than go to School
& L & S did not love their School at all when
they were little Boys* & now altho they are all
grown up as big as Mr P* yet they dont look
half so well* nor know half so much & so I
believe I will not say anything more about
them,
Mr P was living at College all this time & He
liv d there four years* A young Gentleman
ought to learn a great deal to live at College
four years* And then he went home again to
his Papa s House to live in the Country Soon
after, some Gentlemen wanted Mr P to go to
Town * to keep School & teach their little Boys*
So now Mr P has become a Schoolmaster him
self & he had twenty pretty little Boys in his
School* He loved them all very well & the lit
tle Boys loved their Master* Mr P* as well as he
did them* & PH tell you how & what he taught
them, that made their School such good fun to
* Plymouth, Mass.
U
the little Boys & so agreeable to their Master*
For, as I have just told you, they were very fond
of one another The little Boys were all Gentle
men s sons & they were all well dress d with good
Cloths & were well bred, for they behaved very
well indeed* the biggest of them was about as
big as Harry t & the least of them about as big
as George t* In the next Volume I will tell you
how the School was kept that made it such good
fun for the little Boys to go there*
t Henry Wadsworth and George Wadsworth, two of the
little boys for whom the story was written.
End of the IV Vol : to be continued
VOL. V
MR, P* kept his School of twenty little Boys in
the Court House in the Town of Plymouth a
great way off of Portland* There was a nice
large room made in one End of the Courthouse
Floor for the School to keep in & when the little
Boys went out of the School Room, there was a
fine great Floor for them to run about upon*
But I am going to tell you all about the School
When the School Bell rung in the morning all
the little Boys come running to the School nearly
together* & then they attended prayers. For
Mr* P always went to prayer with the little Boys