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FACTS, HEARSAY AND MEMORIES - Page 20 As children we had a pretty good supply of books. I have one now with the date of 1892 in it. It was much read, still intact, with the back carefully sewed to keep the pages together. I am happy to still have several. We had all the customary games such as dominoes, checkers, jackstraws, parchesi, authors, tiddledy winks, and many spinning games. Sophia had one game called "Poultry Show." The board had brightly colored pictures of a turkey, hen duck, and rooster in the corners. By spinning and obtaining the right number you might land on a spot giving a prize for turkeys, etc. This was a favorite game and treated with utmost care by Sophia, and she instilled it in Mabel and me also to a certain extent, but not sufficiently that she could trust it to me unless she was present. Mr. Weeks who boarded with us carefully made a board for me coloring in squares, and I played alone with it by the hour impersonating him as another player. Sitting by the coal stove, I recall interrupting his studying to say, "I beat you, Mr. Weeks." His usual reply was, "You probably cheated." How I could have omitted an account of him when speaking of High School teachers I can't imagine, but suppose I was sidetracked. He was at our house for several years, first as a teacher, and later studied law by himself as I believe was customary then rather then attending Law School. He came to feel very much at home and often took the liberty to express himself on our behavior. He was very fond of me and I also of him. Once I recall when I felt he had overstepped his self-imposed authority, I boldly stated to him, "You are neither my father, my mother, or the boss of this house." I cherished for long after I could not wear it a little ring he gave me. He took me once to May Taylor who did some photography in a small way, and had a picture taken of me with my arm on his shoulder. During the time he was studying law he became very ill with rheumatic fever, and it was a very long siege. His funds were very low, and my mother and father cared for him as best they could for weeks. Since he was a Mason some of the members came to their relief by planning for two to come each night "to watch" with him. While this plan allowed my parents a night's sleep it was of dubious value to my mother as the "watchers" possessed excellent appetites and consumed large quantities of food. I can remember the big pot of coffee, doughnuts and mince pie put in the top of the coal stove as well as other things at hand. When the long illness was over the Masons presented my mother with a workbasket in recognition of her care. To return to our amusements, beside our owns books the library, small as it was, filled a need and no Saturday afternoon passed without several of us going for books. We had sleds in the winter, but mainly we played in the house. The big combination living room, dining room, and town clerk's office was the center of family living. We did play in the porch chamber warmed by the kitchen fire, but couldn't in the evening as lamps up there were too dangerous. So dolls, doll carriages, doll beds, and toy tin kitchens were left for games around the big table. Thursday night as very special as the Youth's Companion never failed to arrive. Some of its stories and other books were read aloud. One winter evening task was the wrapping of the soap stones to be placed in the beds in rooms as cold as ice, and often an extra dashing trip was made upstairs through the icy rooms to change them around. When Aunt Lib next door bought the first hot water bottle it was fine and much more cozy than a stone. Gradually they were relegated to the past. They had been used, too, for the carriage on winter drives to the city. The long handled warming pan which could be filled with hot coals to slide over cold beds became an ornament with its polished brass cover. The daily trip of the stage was an event each morning and night. It not only brought the mail, carried passengers, but the stage driver had the carefully wrapped newpapers which he tossed out to the customers. Arthur Lawrence was the driver for many years and beside his regular duties did all sorts of errands for people along the way. There were four seats in the stage, the back seat, the middle seat, the one going backwards and the front seat. There was a rack on the back. In the summer the rack, heavy with the trunks of summer boarders, caused the back to sag, and the inside was so full of passengers that Arthur Lawrence sat down on the foot board. These were the days of the hotel, and I recall seeing the long piazza full of summer visitors when we drove down to the Point to take our fist ride over the then new bridge which is no more. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
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