Yes, I'm alive, in spite of fate

One 的 Society's most recent acquisitions, this broadside is remarkable in several respects. First, it is written by a black Bostonian, 和—more interestingly—features a portrait of him. 第二个, it is from a street sweeper—an unseen, yet essential worker doing a terribly dirty, physical job with little more than the rake, 喷壶, 和 broom illustrated below 哈代's picture. 第三, it gives us a glimpse at the life of a person, torn by "villains … from his native shore," cast upon "the world to die" when "his strength was spent with want 和 toil." Despite his hardships 和 advanced age, 哈代 asks nothing more than "a mite" for himself 和 his new fourth wife from those whose streets he kept clean.

Although 哈代's poem fits neatly into the genre of materials known as 新年致辞, in which workers exhort their employers for gratuities, this one has a bit more to offer. 第一行， 《征, which translates to "Behold the proof," exhorts the reader to look upon 哈代's 图像 和 really see—perhaps for the first time--the elderly man who, 尽管他身体虚弱, has labored hard for years to keep the streets of Boston clean 和 to be generous with him, 因为如果他得不到 小变化 很快,他 伟大的 和 最后的 近了." The text suggests that 哈代 is well aware of his advancing age 和 infirmity, yet he maintains a positive outlook, nothing that "cold as is my winter bed, 'Tis warmer than where sleep the dead."

哈代 published at least two other broadsides in 1819 和 1821, 和 also placed advertisements in Boston newspapers to thank his customers 和 ask for their indulgence. The 3 January 1816 issue 的 哥伦比亚Centinel features an advertisement in which 哈代 "Takes this method publicly to return his grateful thanks to his friends of Marlborough Street, 康希尔, &c. for their kindness to him during the past season …. [despite his being] under the influence of a distressing 和 debilitating disease," praying that they not "forget him … or suffer him to become 和 [sic] inmate 的 Alms-house …" In the 哥伦比亚Centinel 1816年12月31日, 哈代 again thanks his patrons, asserting his belief that they "will not be backward to render the ensuing Winter, in which the scarcity of corn will be so severely felt by the poor dependent, 像我这样, 和以前一样舒适."

查尔斯·哈代是谁??

The published records of Boston provide a few clues to Charles 哈代's life 和 times. He appears sporadically in the Boston directories 的 era: in 1816, 哈代 is listed on Butolph Street in Boston; by 1826, he has moved to Garden Street, 两个毕肯山地址. In addition, 哈代's third 和 fourth marriages appear in the city's vital records. On 3 June 1800, "Charles 哈代 & Peggy Allen (Blacks)" are married by Rev. 托马斯·鲍德温波士顿. 1824年9月14日, 哈代 weds his fourth wife Miss Cylinda Man—the record lists them as "P[eople] of Col[or]." Although no record of his death has been found, an obituary for a Charles 哈代, 71岁, appears in the 31 May 1832 issue 的 波士顿快递.

Although we credit 哈代 with authorship, 和 certainly this poem reflects the thoughts 和 feelings of this elder street sweep, 哈代 和 his ilk may well have had ghostwriters assisting in their New Year's pleas. 一封奇怪的信 新英格兰星系 on 8 January 1819 from a gentleman signing himself "P.P." claims authorship of a poem "written at the particular request of a learned Librarian of this town 和 … meant for the use of Mr. 哈代, or some other of his profession" which "did not appear among the Addresses of 最后的 New-Year’s Day." "P.P.的“诗, 虽然幽默, lacks the particular pathos 和 personal details that Charles 哈代 put into his solicitations.

新年致辞

到目前为止, the most common type of 新年致辞 in the MHS collection are the annual "carrier’s addresses" published by newspapers each year as combination holiday greeting, 回顾年度, 和 plea for gratuities on behalf 的ir carriers. These addresses usually feature long, often humorous verses 和 were printed on a single sheet. After wishing the reader all the blessings 的 New Year, the addresses never fail to prod the conscience 的 reader to "grant to us some small 小费, Our future wishes to secure," as in this example from the carriers 的 新英格兰钯 in 1807.

Others involved in service industries also participated in the New Year's tip crusade. In addition to street sweeper Charles 哈代's address, the MHS has addresses from city watchmen in 1820, 1821, 1824, 1826, 和 1834; from the lamplighter in 1824; the dry dirtman in 1834; 和 from the city scavenger in 1834.