Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

January/February, 1996

Norland Outreach Programs--Poverty and Welfare
Mercy Lovejoy Shares Humor of 19th Century Life
by Al Kamnick, Illinois DDS

THIS IS PERHAPS ONE OF the most unusual presentations by a very charming storyteller, Billy. As she never gave us her name, this is the only name I was able to retrieve from a third party, who spoke to her after the session in the corridor. She is in her 80’s but very much alive and founder of the Norland Outreach Programs. As she was being introduced at the front of the room, a voice came from the back wondering why so many people were sitting around doing nothing this early in the afternoon. She was surprised as most people she knew were working and never had the opportunity to sit around until late evening. She was dressed per the period in a gray-black cape and bonnet.

The woman introduced herself as Mercy Lovejoy, who had recently been to a funeral of Jesse, who lived on a “poor farm” similar to hers. Before Jesse crossed over, Mercy and Abner sat with Jesse during his last days. She said that she had found out many interesting things from those about to pass over, such as, the truth of who was whose father. But she continued with her claims to fame. She could make the smoothest gravy and without any lumps. The other was that she could lay out a body well. What was unusual about this funeral was that Jesse had a wake and a Christian burial. Usually, the poor are just doubled over, stuck into a barrel and then sent to the Medical School of Maine for anatomical purposes. But someone spent $15.00 so Jesse would have a fine funeral including a horse drawn hearse and a grave at the Waterhill Cemetery.

She had a little problem laying Jesse out as he was beginning to double up. But Abner helped by putting holes in the coffin to tie the body down. She continued impressing upon us how nice everything was going and how everyone got to say good-bye to Jesse. That is, until Abner and Floury’s cat got into the house. Floury wanted the cat caught and the quicker the better. She yelled at Abner, “Get that cat out of here now!” Well, Abner did his best but that cat gave him a chase not to be forgotten. The cat jumped on top of the casket and escaping Abner’s grasp, got behind the casket. Abner was on all fours under the casket reaching as far as he could reach. Then he grabbed what he thought was the cat’s tail as the cat yelled. Abner pulled as hard as he could. But to his surprise, he had the rope, not the cat. Jesse sat straight up and the two coppers fell from his eyes as they opened. “You never saw such an uproar!”

This was her style of relating the stories and history of the time. Mercy was a real person from the era. The handout listed the Lovejoy family in the Livermore town records of 1817 - 1820. She had married at the age of seventeen and had five children. She was left alone to raise the family which led them to be poor. Every spring the town would place the poor families by holding auctions and placing them with the lowest bidder. This allowed all the town to share the good workers instead of the higher bidder always getting them. The bid that won the family would be responsible for housing and feeding the family. The owner could do with them what he pleased which usually meant getting as much work out of them as he could. The Livermore town record dated May 3, 1819 shows the Lovejoys--wife and five children--were auctioned for $3.95 per week. But to their delight they were elevated to the bid of $2.20 the following year. One of Mercy’s concluding statements was that they may be poor but they have their integrity.