C. Harding Pinx.ᵗ Pendleton’s, Lithog.ʸ Boston.
Your friend
Hannah Adams.
A
MEMOIR
OF
MISS HANNAH ADAMS,
WRITTEN BY HERSELF.
WITH
ADDITIONAL NOTICES,
BY A FRIEND.
BOSTON:
PUBLISHED BY GRAY AND BOWEN.
1832.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1832,
By Gray & Bowen,
in the Clerk’s office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
PRINTED BY I. R. BUTTS BOSTON.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
The autobiography of Miss Adams is written withthe modesty and unobtrusiveness which distinguishedher character. It appears as if composed reluctantly,under the feeling that the community could hardlycare to know anything about the struggles, disappointments,hopes and purposes of an individual so humbleas herself. She undertook the task at the requestof some of her friends, who thought that the circumstancesof her life, and the traits of her character,well deserved to be remembered. But herprincipal motive in executing it, was to leave it as alegacy, which she hoped might be of some smallbenefit to an aged and very infirm sister, to whosecomfort she had devoted her little savings for manyyears. It presents a lithographic drawing of herself,which will recall the features of her mind to thosewho knew her, and give some idea of them to thosewho did not.
The continuation of her life is by a lady, one of[Pg v]those friends whose kindness she has acknowledgedwith warm gratitude towards the conclusion of herown narrative. It could not have been confided tobetter hands. The discrimination and delicacy withwhich the retiring virtues, and nicer shades of hercharacter are delineated and produced, will explainto those who did not know her, what was the charmthat drew genius and wealth, and youth and beauty,to minister with so much interest to the infirmities ofa poor old woman.
Miss Adams was indeed deserving of such interest.Her life is, in many respects, full of instruction.Among those who have overcome great and peculiardifficulties in the pursuit of knowledge, she holds adistinguished place. She became a literary woman,when literature was a rare accomplishment in ourcountry. She has produced one work, her Historyof Religions, which is the best of its kind, eminentfor its great impartiality. But it was not merely forher powers of mind that she was remarkable, but forher warm affections, her glow of gratitude, and herchildlike simplicity. It is honorable to the communityin which she lived, that an individual, destituteas she was of all adventitious claims to distinction,should have been properly estimated and respected.
This note is prefixed by the gentlemen to whomshe left the charge of publishing her manuscript.
A. N.
J. T.