"Expect no character when you go away unless I choose to give it. . . If you refer to me the bad will come out," said John Pratt to his hired man in 1814, in a list of instructions which has been acquired by Widener Library.
The original instructions were written in 1814 for an employee of Pratt, Boston merchant, ship owner, and grandfather of the late Josiah Parsons Cooke, professor of Chemistry. Mr. Pratt captained his own ships for years in trade routes between Boston and the West Indies.
In 1814 he moved into a large three-story house, known as "Harris' Folly," at Pearl and High Streets, and lived there until his death in 1838. The name of the man whom Dr. Pratt employed to do the work in the house is unknown.
The "Mem. of Items for a man to do who lives with John Pratt," is as follows:
Do not go out without asking leave which will not be granted.
See which way the wind blows.
Go to bed when I do, but see that you get up early.
Be temperate--Keep no bad company, go to church, be civil, tell the truth and use no bad language.
Keep a good fire while I am sleeping after dinner.
Fruit Warder
See that the boys don't climb over and steal the fruit.
Clean brasses--Go and come when bell rings.
Clean and rub furniture--Take in and pile wood.
Split wood for oven--Split wood for kindling fires.
Make fires--bring in wood from wood house for use as it is wanted and chips.
Read more in News
Engineering Society to Show Film on Tennessee AuthorityRecommended Articles
-
At Ed. School, Wood Touts Room to ReadArguing that increased literacy leads to higher GDPs and life expectancy rates, John J. Wood praised the work of his award-winning non-profit Room to Read, which builds schools and libraries in the developing world, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education yesterday.
-
Centipede Robot Wins Photo AwardA photograph of a centipede-inspired robot won two Harvard affiliates an “Honorable Mention” in the 2010 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge last month.
-
Harvard Professor Marc Hauser Replicates Findings in Study Cited in Misconduct InvestigationThe journal Science will publish on Friday a replication of a 2007 study co-authored by Psychology Professor Marc D. Hauser, who was found to be “solely responsible” for eight charges of scientific misconduct in a University investigation last August.
-
Professor Receives National Science Foundation AwardHarvard Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Robert J. Wood will be one of this year’s recipients of the Alan T. Waterman Award from the National Science Foundation, according to a recent NSF press release.
-
James Wood Named Fellow of the Royal Society of LiteratureHarvard English professor James Wood joined a list that includes writers Samuel T. Coleridge, William B. Yeats, and J. K. Rowling when he was designated a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature last week.
-
John A. Wood: From Scientist to PainterWood’s work shows that art can an appreciation for art can come to people with a non-traditional artistic background at all points in life.