The Friendly Club and Other PortraitsParsons, Francis
History
The Friendly Club and Other Portraits
Parsons, Francis
Authors, American; Hartford (Conn.) -- Biography
One is that she was a remarkably good woman. She carried her Christian
precepts into her daily practice in a way that few of us seem to succeed
in doing. In spite of a little harmless vanity, everyone who came in
contact with her appears to have admired and loved her.
In the social life of the old city she was a leading and popular figure.
Samuel G. Goodrich in his "Recollections of a Life Time" describing
Hartford in the second decade of the nineteenth century says of Mrs.
Sigourney, then Miss Huntley: "Noiselessly and gracefully she glided
into our social circle and ere long was its presiding genius. . . .
Mingling in the gayeties of our social gatherings and in no respect
clouding their festivity, she led us all toward intellectual pursuits
and amusements. We had even a literary cotery under her inspiration, its
first meetings being held at Mr. Wadsworth's." Before the writer lie a
half dozen of Mrs. Sigourney's letters written in her distinct and
regular handwriting. They relate to business matters, to social
engagements, and a few are letters of consolation. Perhaps they seem a
little stilted and formal, but in all the personal notes there is
evident a very genuine and very charming spirit of sympathy and
kindliness.
The other trait that has been largely forgotten is that she was a
natural teacher of youth. In her early days in Hartford she conducted a
school for girls on singularly successful and somewhat original lines.
This she relinquished on her marriage, but for nearly half a century
those of her old pupils who lived never failed to meet annually with her
in remembrance of their early association. Clearly, she inspired in
them all an ardent and lasting affection.
On the writer's desk, among her letters, lies an ancient school
copy-book containing the transcript of an address she made to her old
scholars August 17, 1822, "on their meeting to form a Charitable and
Literary Society." It is characteristic that the greater part of this
composition is concerned with affectionate and what now seem rather
pathetic sketches of the five young girls of her flock who had died. The
address confirms what we know from other sources--that her school was
started in 1814, soon after she came from Norwich to Hartford.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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