The Helping Hand Society-1882

12 The Helping Hand Society -1882

ONE AFTERNOON, in the spring of 1882, members of the Helping Hand Society of Nantucket had completed a meeting and were chatting pleasantly. Suddenly, one of the members turned to her companion and asked: "By the way, Lydia, what can we do to help you?" The reply was prompt: "You may all come over to the house and clean it for me."

The retort drew a laugh, and for the moment forgotten by most of the members. But, in the minds of some it lingered, and was soon a subject of considerable conversation. So much so, that on the following Monday morning, Lydia responded to a knocking at her front door. Upon opening the door she found twenty of her fellow members there assembled. They were armed with dust cloths, scrubbing and whitewash brushes, brooms, packages of soap and pearline. Their leaders quickly announced: "Here we are, Lydia, ready to get to work!"

The lady of the house was dumbfounded. She recovered her composure, however, and invited them all in, with their equipment, and then fled to the kitchen to put the tea kettle on the stove. Although there was actually little cleaning needed the helpers fell to work with a will. A few hours later, the band of Helping Hands sat down for tea and buns.

Word of the incident was soon passed about the town, and William Hussey Macy, then with The Inquirer and Mirror, found opportunity to compose the following poem, which duly appeared in the newspaper's columns:

On this little isle of the sea there dwell

A band of worthy dames, Whose works of love we know full well;

I need not tell their names.

But now, as over all the land Shine April's sunny days, The labor of the Helping Hand Assumes a different phase.

To help their friends in cleaning house,

They lend their timely aid; And for this purpose they have formed

A brush and broom brigade. Their president, one morning, sat

Within her quiet home, Indulging in a social chat

With a lady who had come