Читать книгу Up the Hill to Home - Jennifer Bort Yacovissi - Страница 16

Happy as a Bird

1903-1908

From Emma’s diary:

Monday, March 16, 1903: Lillie came from school today and told me that her teacher had said to the children in the school, If you all would read as well as Lillie, you would do well. She is very proud of this and works very hard. She says, I am not afraid to work. The days are beautiful and warm, and Lillie is working out in the garden, making her garden. She enjoys it so much, the cow and chickens are a source of great pleasure to her. She calls Blossom a spoilt baby, and says I am Blossom’s mother and papa is Blossom’s father.

Thursday, June 18, 1903: Blossom’s little calf came to town on Monday, May 18th at 5:30 p.m. Looks just like her, marks just like her. Baby was sick with measles when Blossom’s baby came, and we told her nothing of it until she was more than a week old. So one day I carried her back in the garden where Blossom was standing. The baby was lying down on the other side of her mother and Lillie did not see her immediately. Finally Blossom moved aside, then Lillie saw the little brown heap with her little head resting on her feet, and her bright eyes shining at us from under the honeysuckle. I think I never saw anyone so surprised. Oh! mamma what is that? And before I could answer, she said, Blossom’s dear little baby, why you dear little dot of a thing. Who brought her mamma? So she has petted her and fed her, and now she is one month old today. And we tie her in the garden, let her eat grass and feed her, but as she still sucks her mother, she is not very particular about eating. She is a beautiful baby, and Lillie calls her Dimple.

Tuesday, July 28, 1903: A lovely day, baby is eight years old, and this evening she has had her party. About twenty-four children were there, the bale was set on the lawn, we had the lanterns all around the garden. Mr. Dorisey came out and took the pictures of the group, Mr. Brown came down with the Graphophone, which the children enjoyed very much. Lillie’s spoon is very pretty and quite heavy, bought at Mr. Hines on F Street between 9th and 10th, cost $1.75.

December 16, 1903: Wednesday, looks like snow. Lillie wrote a letter to Santa Claus at the request of her teacher Miss Cole. She said in her letter that she had everything she needed, all she wanted was a baby sister. Dear little Lillie, she is so lovely and such a sweet baby herself, so well and so full of life and romp, just the happiest little thing in the world, and her cheeks are just as red as red roses.

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Thursday, July 28, 1904: A hot day, cloudy and showery. Lillie had her party, thirty-five children, but a storm came up just as the children were having their pictures taken, then such a scramble for the porch and house. Then, after the party was all over, the moon came out beautiful and bright. The children had a good time however; plenty of cake and cream, peanuts, caramels, peanut brittle, bananas, chocolate cake, jelly cake, coconut cake, and white cake iced for the birthday cake with nine little candles. Nine years old, dear little baby, just the same sweet child, and just as much a baby as ever, but she is growing so tall.

Thursday, September 8, 1904: Charley, Lillie, and I went to N.Y., had a nice time. Arrived in N.Y. at one p.m., went over to Brooklyn to see Sister. She is living at 365 Hoyt Street. Went down to Coney Island that night, saw the beautiful ocean, and all the many things that are to be seen at Coney.

Thursday, October 6, 1904: Charley and Mr. Reddy are building a small addition to the kitchen, and a covering for the cellar and kitchen steps.

Monday, October 31, 1904: Lillie started in with music, the Fletcher system. She is getting along lovely, and her teacher says she is the most delightful child she had ever taught. She is very fond of music, and I hope she will make a good player.

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Friday, July 28, 1905: A cloudy uncertain day, but we had the party, which went off very nicely. There were forty-four children, and they all had a good time.

Monday, September 18, 1905: School opened and I went up with Lillie. She looked very sweet in her little baby blue suspender dress of linen and silk and a very pretty embroidery, and white goods for a waist, and her hair in curls. She went to the fourth grade, her teacher is Miss Alice Clark.

Thursday, September 21, 1905: A beautiful day. Lillie started her music with Miss Payne again, lessons $1.00, or $1.50 for two lessons.

Monday, November 27, 1905: Had Lillie’s piano brought out, a Knabe, $500.00. It is lovely. She knew nothing of it until I took her into the parlor after dinner, then she smiled her sweet little smile, and buried her little head in my arms. She was delighted, and sat down and played her little exercises for us, but she was so nervous and excited. She did very nicely. Grandma came down to celebrate, Gussie was there, Charley and myself.

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Wednesday morning, June 6, 1906: A lovely morning. Lillie was not feeling very well. I remained home from the office and sent for the doctor, Dr. Waters. He is one of the finest men I have ever met. He talked and joked with Lillie, and when I asked him if he thought that milk made her bilious, he laughed and said, Did you ever hear of a bilious calf? This amused Lillie very much. While the doctor was talking with her, Father Mackin came in to give mamma communion and when he had finished with her, he came downstairs, and as the doctor had left, he sat down to have a chat with my little girl. And there in the hall, as she lay on the couch, windows and doors open to let in the lovely June breeze laden with honeysuckle and roses, Lillie made her first confession to Father Mackin of St. Paul’s church. She is ten years, eleven months old, and Father Mackin was so lovely to her that he quite won her heart. She is a sweet, lovely child, pure and untouched by the world, and always good and obedient to all.

Monday, June 11, 1906: Lillie is better and has returned to school. Last week was quite an eventful week for Lillie. She moved out of my room into her own little room, and I slept with her for two nights until she got used to it. She was rather timid, but she loves her little room so much and keeps everything lovely.

Saturday, July 28, 1906: It was a lovely evening. There were fifty children, and they all had a lovely time. We had the little donkey pinned up on a sheet on the west side of the house, and they had great times over that, then the peanuts were hidden in the bushes and the flower beds, and the children had a grand scramble for them.

Tuesday, November 20, 1906: Began exray treatment for my hand.

Tuesday, November 27, 1906: Second treatment.

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Friday, March 1, 1907: A cloudy, cold, raw day. Lillie went to confession to Father Rosensteel for the first time. This was her second confession. She is just as lovely and sweet and pure as ever. We have our own little chats every night and she tells me all of her day’s fun and troubles.

Saturday, July 27, 1907: A beautiful day and night. We had the party, thirty-eight children and about twenty grown people. Ice cream was furnished by Freund and was very nice. We had nine large cakes, a half-bushel peanuts and seven pounds of candy.

Sunday, September 15, 1907: A perfectly beautiful day. Cardinal Gibbons came to Forest Glen to confirm the children of that church and the children from the church of the Nativity at Brightwood. We had fifteen girls and seven boys, there were about fifty in all. Father Rosensteel, Father Mackin from St. Paul’s Church, and Father Dougherty assisted the Cardinal. The children looked very nice in their white dresses and veils, and Lillie looked particularly sweet and innocent, which she is. After the services, the Cardinal stood on the porch of Father Rosensteel’s house to welcome those that cared to see him. It was a beautiful picture, the Cardinal in his beautiful scarlet robes, the children dotted here and there on the lawn, in their white dresses and veils, people standing around in groups, the lovely lawn, the beautiful flowers, the birds singing and everything in harmony for the occasion. Lillie chose Cecelia as her confirmation name, Lillie May Cecelia Beck.

Sunday, September 22, 1907: Father Bischoff said Mass for the first time in our church. It rained all day.

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Wednesday, March 11, 1908: Lillie is well and happy, is twelve years, seven months old and eleven days, and the dread time has arrived. It seems so soon, as she is still a baby in knowledge. Mrs. Hazzard, Ethel and Frank came over today to see us. Ethel and Frank went up to the school to see Lillie. She was as happy as a bird.