Comments are closed.
Scrambled brains and Chicken pie.
December 10th, 2009
I realized I never told you what this month’s postcard said! So sorry, my brain seems to be a little scrambled. Speaking of scrambled brains–Miss Shirley retired and I missed her party! Miss Shirley worked with my mom for ages and she faithfully reads thehuckablog everyday according to my mom. Happy Retirement Miss Shirley, make sure you still check in everyday now that you are not bored at work anymore!
And, back to the saga of Martha and Fred.
December 22, 1915
Martha B, Scranton Pa.
Dearest Martha,
Please excuse this card instead of a letter until after Christmas, I was thinking I wrote last morning. Am sending a little package, not much. Have been out today helping solicit for a chicken pie social-next week, 29th. A man died this morning leaving eight children, mother is dead. Your guest, about seven. Best wishes to all. Helen wrote too, and love by Mary.
~Fred
So do you think the chicken pie social was to raise money to help those eight kids? Because wow, that is some fast work–guy died and the fundraiser was planned all in the same morning. If not that, then why would he interject that cheery bit of news on his Christmas card? And your guest about seven? It is all very confusing. Could be the fault of those scrambled brains.
Filed under vintage | Comments (4)4 Responses to “Scrambled brains and Chicken pie.”
How could we possibly know what the chicken pie social was for? I’m curious about what he meant by love by Mary (Martha’s mother) unless she sent her love to him via Helen’s (Martha’s sister) letter. Regarding, guest about seven, I would presume she was expecting someone to visit and inquired in an earlier note about when she should expect their arrival. But, this too is only a guess.
I can clear up the confusion over the guest about seven……
The card says, “mother is dead youngest about 7.”
So it wasn’t about your guest, it was youngest. Sad story with a strong message of the power of community. Seems we have lost some of that sense of community once held so dear by so many.
oh, and an A.D.D. moment: maybe if everybody still sent post cards so often the postal service would be operating at a profit instead of a loss…just saying.
How funny about your guest/youngest.
You’re right husband about the loss of community. Not only did you and Hey You inherit the legacy of Methodism from this couple, but, also the legacy of Masonry/Eastern Star. One of the primary purposes of these two Masonic fraternities is to care for the widows and orphans of Master Masons. So it is quite possible the chicken pie social was a fund raiser for the orphans. Sadly, as the number of men becoming Masons decreases this communal care for those in need diminishes too.
I, for one, am doing my part to keep the good ol’ USPS in business. I still pay all my bills by mail, I still send out Christmas and birthday cards via snail mail AND I have one brother who is adamantly internet-less, so I still receive and send letters to him via Benjamin Franklin’s institution.
As for the postcard…thanks for the solved mystery. That was really going to keep me awake tonight (no, seriously, it was).