Radio Script #598

Little Talks on Common Things

January 19, 1964

George Flood never married, but that does not mean that he had no interest in the opposite sex, nor was he, especially as a young man, averse to the recreations of the time. In January, 1860, when he began the diary, it was in the midst”of the long winter vacation at Colby, and Flood was teaching a rural school in his home town of Clinton. Today, when teachers complain if they have charge of more than 25 pupils, they ought to remember the 1860’s. George Flood had 58 pupils in his oneroom school, and he was, of course, the only teacher. But he intended to have some fun, even if he had a lot of work. On Jan. 9 he recorded in the diary: “Mr. Emery threatened to horsewhip me for letting my scholars slide down hill.” Now note how Flood responded to that threat: “Jan. 10 – Slid down hill with my scholars. Mr. Emery tried to stop us but did not succeed.”

Skating was another recreation: “Jan. 12 – Tolerable skating on the bay. Feb. 4 – Skating on the bay is now excellent. Feb. 18 – I broke one of Boutelle’s spring skates. Got Mr. Brown to mend it for 50 cents.” The first mention of any girl outside his own family pops into the diary on May 8, 1860: “Rode horseback with Mary Milliken. My horse was a trotter.”

George Flood was partial to no girl; he played the field: “July 21 – Rode horseback with Miss Bradbury and Miss Seavey.” The latter was the daughter of the Elmwood proprietor. “Oct. 4 – Invitation to go to surprise party with Miss D. Did not accept.” Flood attended a lot of parties: “Jan. 25, 1861 – Party at Dr. Boutelle’s. About 50 present.” March 6 – Attended Shakespeare club at Mr. Noyes’. July 4 – Boutelle Noyes had a little party this afternoon and evening. We shot fireworks.”

In that summer of 1861 Flood saw much of the girls: “July 13 – Went to ride with Clara Mower. She is a very nice young lady. Saw also Ellen Drummond. Aug. 27 Went to Waterville and saw Sarah Snell, who is visiting at Mr. Noyes’. Rode horseback with her. Sept. 4 – Picked flowers in the garden with Sarah Snell. Oct. 19 – Played backgammon with Helen Brown.”

During the rest of the war years the diaries are strangely silent about the girls, but on June 23, 1865 Flood wrote: “Went to Waterville and took a sail with Lizzie Philbrick, Emma Alden, Martha Morse and Miss Davis. Sam Philbrick was with me.” Then on June 29: “Came to Watervi lle and went for a sail up the stream with Miss Morris, Miss Morse and Miss Davis. Sam Philbrick went along. We did not get back until 10 p.m. Sunday, July 9 – Went to Dr. Sheldon’s church in the a.m. with Sarah Morrill and to Baptist in p.m. with Miss Brayton. Cal1e~ on Helen Brown a while. She has been baptized. July 21 – Rode with Sarah Morrill to West Waterville to see the Cascade.”

In the spring of 1866 Flood seemed in danger of getting trapped by one of the young ladies: “April 2 – Came to Waterville and called on Mary B. She told me I was the one she most cared for on earth, but that she had engaged herself to another until I wished to change it.” George was evidently put on his guard. The diary never again mentioned Mary B. By the middle of July he was playing croquet with another girl, and a few days later he took her up the stream for a sail. A year later it was Virginia Paine he was accompanying to services at the Unitarian Church: “Sept. 23, 1867 – Boutelle and I, with Miss Paine and Kitty Lombard, had some pictures taken. Then the four of us started on a picnic on one of the ponds at West Waterville, but it started to rain when we got there, so we drove back and had our picnic in the Noyes house.”

In 1870 Flood joined a group called the Roundabout Club, partly literary, partly social, that met in the members’ homes. On April 12 he recorded that the club had met at Franklin Smith’s for the last meeting of the season. Then in January, 1872 the club went to Skowhegan on a sleigh ride, 35 young people in single and double sleighs, one four-horse sled, and a hack. Flood says: “I had a single sleigh and took Emma Alden. Had oyster supper and a good time. Returned at 10 p.m. ”

It was 1873 when the diary first mentioned a woman who was to play an important part in George Flood’s life, would become his faithful housekeeper in 1890, would nurse him in his last illness in 1895-96, and would ardently guard his property after his death. The diary of Jan. 21, 1873 says: “Mr. and Mrs. Noyes, with their cook Fanny, started for Newport, R.1. to stop with Boutelle for a while.”

Boutelle Noyes, who had graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, was in 1873 a naval officer stationed at the base in Newport. Then on March 25 Flood wrote: “Mr. and Mrs. Noyes did not return today, but sent their cook Fanny Woods.” For the next ten years there are occasional references to Fanny Woods, her loyalty to the Noyes family, her excellent cooking, and her genial disposition. More than once she nursed George Flood during his frequent illnesses — usually runs of fever — in the Noyes home. Then on Jan. 1, 1884 comes this sorrowing notation: “Mr. and Mrs. Noyes are going to Florida this winter and will shut up the house except for one room, which I and my brother will warm up and occupy. The man Oscar will take care of the two cows and the horse, and the French girl, Virine, will go home. The other girl, Fanny, will visit her brother and sister. With my poor health it makes me sad to have the house left alone. I feel the need of a good home and could not stand it to move about and rough it.”

Twenty days later Flood wrote: “Fanny Woods was here for a few hours and put my room to rights. ” Then in mid-March of 1884 came areal blow: “March 15 – Fanny Woods, who has worked for Mrs. Noyes for 17 years, is to marry James Brimstone of Vassalboro.” Then again on March 17: “Fannie Woods, who has been a very good friend to me in sickness, I fear is to be married.” On March 26 Flood was still brooding: “I shall miss Fanny Woods, when she leaves Mrs. Noyes’ house, where I have boarded for 28 years.”

Eight months went by and Fanny Woods still had not married. Then on November 7, in a long diary entry, George Flood wrote just what he thought of the situation. This is what he wrote: “Fanny Woods, who has lived at Noyes’ for 18 years, is now engaged to one James Brimstone of North Vassalboro Woolen Mills, where he gets $32 a month. He is a widower with one child and owes for his house. He is a few years younger than she. I think, if she marries him, she will be unhappy. I have advised her not to do so. I do not think she has ever been sick. She has done the cooking every day and has never been absent over night when the family were at home. During the 18 years she has been here I have had my home here and have had many sick turns, some of which lasted several weeks and were dangerous. Fanny has taken good care of me and she has been the kindest of friends. She has also taken care of my clothing, repairing it when needed. She is a girl of good judgment, frugal, conscientious, perfectly truthful and honest. When she goes, I shall miss her very much.”

In March, 1888 Edwin Noyes died suddenly in Boston, and George Flood was the person who had to break the news to the stricken widow, who thereafter became more and more dependent upon George. She insisted that he accompany her to Boston on shopping expeditions, that he open up the cottage at Squirrel Island, that he take her on drives about the countryside near Waterville. She was by that time getting well along in years and had been used to the attention of others, especially servants, all her life. She became more and more imperious in her demands. But in gratitude to the many acts of kindness he had received from her and Mr. Noyes through a quarter of a century, George Flood bore it all with patience.

When Mrs. Noyes herself died in 1892, George Flood was already building a home for himself on Upper Main Street on part of the big Stackpole farm. Fanny Woods never did marry the Vassalboro man, nor anyone else, nor did George Flood ever marry. Probably, even before Mrs. Noyes died, it had long been agreed that, if the time ever came when Mrs. Noyes no longer needed her, Fanny would keep house for George Flood, and in the fall of 1892 she entered upon that duty, to which she remained completely faithful until Flood also had died.

Over the years from 1891 until a few days before his death in January, 1896, George Flood made frequent mention of the faithful, ministering Fanny: “Jan. 5, 1893 I enjoy my Sunny Hill home very much, as Fanny Woods keeps my house very nice and makes everything pleasant. Jan. 8 – Fanny went to church. I drove her down at 10 a.m. and went after her at noon. Jan. 15 – Took Fanny down to her church, the Episcopal, and went for her at noon. Though I am not well, I take care of my furnace and do part of the other chores. Fanny has washed today. Since I got back from the woodlot she has been cross and complaining and threatens to leave.” But the very next day Flood took the once more cheerful Fanny to the wedding of Annie Murphy and Edward Gray. In May he took Fanny to see the dressmaker, Mrs. Macomber. On Memorial Day George and Fanny performed together a service of remembrance and gratitude: “I have been to the cemetery with Fanny Woods and decorated the graves of the Noyes family. We bought the flowers of Amos Stark.” On July 25 Fanny had picked enough currants from the garden to make five gallons of currant wine in addition to canning ten quarts of currants. A few days later Fanny’s brother George came and helped her pick the gooseberries, of which Flood says he had a fine crop.

On August 9, 1893 Fanny had a bit of good luck. The diary tells us: “Fanny received from Percy Gilman $10 for finding a good stop watch which he lost in the hay field four weeks ago.” On Jan. 17, 1895 Flood wrote in the diary: “Fanny takes care of feeding the chickens. I give her the money she gets for the eggs, also the butter money. She is a very faithful person and is my kindest friend. She does all one could for any sick person.”

By October, 1895 George Flood was mortally ill: “Oct. 17 – Fanny drove me to the foot of the hill going to Fairfield Center, across to the Gifford School House, and home via the Ridge Road. Did not get very tired and feel better. Oct. 19 – Rode to Fairfield Center and stood it well.”

Then came almost the last service in which George Flood and Fanny Woods participated together. Flood was concerned for some of the men who had long worked for him and had no other employment. One was a man named Joe Paradis. On Dec. 13 Flood wrote: “Joe Paradis is hauling chips and sawdust from the woodyard to keep his mother and brothers and sisters warm. I give them the rent of their house and have done so for more than a year. Dec. 23 – Took Fanny downtown to buy some Christmas presents for the Paradis children. Dec. 25 – Took Fanny up to Paradis’ to distribute presents to the 8 children from one to 17 years of age.” Two weeks after that gracious act by him and Fanny, George Flood was dead.

Year: 1964