Elizabeth Akers Allen

Allen, Elizabeth (Chase) Akers. (Strong, Maine, October 9, 1832-August 7, 1911, Tuckahow, NY). Daughter of Thomas and Mercy Barton Chase. Married Marshall Taylor (1851-1857), Paul Akers (1860-1861), and Elijah M. Allen (1865-1911). Attended Farmington (Maine) Academy (later Maine State Teachers College). Taught briefly. Associate editor in Portland, Maine, of the Transcript (1855-1859) and the Daily Advertiser (1863-1865) and volunteer worker among the hospitalized soldiers. Contribute of essays, letters, and poems to various newspapers and magazines (chiefly the Atlantic Monthly) from her fifteenth year on, using the pseudonym "Florence Percy" for the first few years. Published her poems in book form from time to time. Allen was one of the favorite household poets of her time, but is now remembered chiefly for one poem, "Rock me to sleep, mother," first published in 1860. Its well-known opening lines are:

Backward, turn backward, O Time in your flight,
Make me a child again just for tonight.

-Anastasia Van Burkalow, DNAH Archives