Page:Woman of the Century.djvu/583

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578
POLK.
POLLARD.

the greatness of our country and stated it to be his intention to cross the Atlantic, accompanied by his wife, and pass a year in foreign travel before settling down in the home he had purchased in Nashville. A few days after his arrival in Nashville, Mr. Polk was seized with cholera and survived but a little while. He died generally regretted. His widow since then and until her death lived faithfully devoted to the memory of her dead. She gave herself with earnest purpose to the work of malting others happy. She was a center of social attention in the city, and with gracious tact and unfailing kindness she made her circle bright. Having no children of her own, she took a little niece, two years old, and reared her with motherly care. From her she received the dutiful and loving devotion of a daughter, and her age was gladdened by the voices of children and children's children gathering about that daughter and her child.


POLLARD, Miss Josephine, poet and author, born in New York, N. Y., 17th October, 1814, and died there 15th August, 1892. Her father was a native of New Braintree, Mass. While he was a child, the family removed to Cazenovia, N. Y. On reaching his majority he went to New York City to make his fortune, and succeeded in a few years, by his own efforts, in becoming one of the leading architects in the metropolis. Miss Pollard's mother was of good old Puritan stock, well educated, and a woman of noble impulses. At an early age Josephine gave evidence of poetic talent, and, while a pupil in Springier Institute, she wrote a poem descriptive of Cole's pictures, the "Voyage of Life." which were then on public exhibition. JOSEPHINE POLLARD. That was her first published poem. In school, composition day was her delight, and her efforts were nearly always in rhyme She wrote many verses and songs, that have been widely sung. In person she was never strong, the frail body often hindering her in her good work. Many of her poems appeared in the Harper periodicals and in the New York "Ledger." She was a frequent contributor to those periodicals. She wrote many stories, among them the "Gypsy Books " Her later works were written in words of one syllable, "Our Hero, Gen. Grant," "Life of Christopher Columbus," "The Bible for Young People" and "The Wonderful Story of Jesus." When the Sorosis Club was organized, she was one of its charter members. Owing to her continued ill health, she felt constrained to withdraw She remained in warm sympathy with the club and was always interested in its welfare.


POLLOCK, Mrs. Louise, pioneer kindergartner, born in Erfurt, Prussia, 29th October, 1832. LOUISE POLLOCK. Her father, Frederick Wilhelm Plessner, was an officer in the Prussian army. Retiring from active service and pensioned by Emperor Wilhelm, he devoted the rest of his life to literary labors. His history, German and French grammars, arithmetic and geometry were used as text-books in the Prussian military schools. He took special delight in directing the education of his youngest daughter, Louise, who at an early age showed a marked preference for literary pursuits. On her way to Paris, where she was sent at the age of sixteen to complete her knowledge of French, she made the acquaintance of George H. Pollock, of Boston, Mass., whose wife she became about two years later in London. Even at that time she was interested in books treating of the subjects of infant training, hygiene and physiology. In 1850. with five children constituting their family, Mrs. Pollock was first made acquainted with the kindergarten philosophy, by receiving from her German relatives a copy of everything that had been published upon the subject up to that time. Her first work as an educator was in her own family. Her husband being overtaken by illness and financial reverses. Mrs. Pollock began to turn her ability to pecuniary