nd here Washington crossed the river at his last visit
to New England. It is said that a French ship lay at the wharf near the
ferry, and displayed the French flag over the American because of the
French feeling against the policy of Washington's administration.
Washington refused to land until the obnoxious flag was lowered to its
proper place.

It was a one-story cottage on Friend Street, Amesbury, to which the
Whittiers came in July, 1836--a cottage with but four rooms on the
ground floor, and a chamber in the attic. The sum paid for this
cottage, with about an acre of land, was twelve hundred dollars. The
Haverhill farm was sold for three thousand dollars. Accustomed to the
comparatively large ancestral home at Haverhill, it is no wonder that
there was at first a feeling of homesickness, as is evidenced in the
diary kept by Elizabeth. This feeling was naturally intensified by the
prolonged absences of her brother, who from 1836 to 1840 was away from
home most of the time, engaged with his duties as secretary of the
anti-slavery society in New York, and as editor of the "Pennsylvania
Freeman" in Philadelphia. During these years, the only occupants of the
cottage were Whittier's mother, his sister Elizabeth, and his aunt
Mercy, except when his frequent illnesses, and his interest in the
political events of the North Essex congressional district, called him
home. But in 1840, his residence in Amesbury became permanent. At about
this time he made the tour of the country with the English
philanthropist, Joseph Sturge, who noticed his straitened
circumstances, and out of the largeness of his heart, in a most
delicate way, not only gave him financial assistance at the time, but
seven years later enabled him to build a two-story ell to the cottage,
and add a story to the eastern half of the original structure. A small
ell of one story, occupying part of the space of the present "garden
room," was built by Mr. Whittier when he bought the cottage in 1836,
and this was aunt Mercy's room. At the later enlargement of the house
this small room was lengthened, and a chamber built over it. In the
lower floor of this enlarged ell is the room which has ever since been
known as the "garden room," because it was built into the garden, and a
much prized fruit tree was sacrificed to give it place. The chamber
over this room was occupied by Elizabeth until her death in 1864, and
after that by Mr. Whittier.

[Illustration: THE WHITTIER H