3. More About Papa

The summer came on early, bringing beauty and perfume to the honeysuckle vines that shaded the southern verandah, and quart buckets of mammoth black cherries from an old tree in our front yard. Bees with huge cargoes of nectar had trouble taking off from pink apple blossoms.

At dawn, one day about the middle of April, we had climbed into the carriage with a large basket containing cold fried chicken, deviled eggs, potato salad, home-baked bread and peach pie, which we ate in a shady grove on our way to Cincinnati. We turned onto the “pike” at Florence and continued on it into and through Covington. Three times we stopped to pay a pittance at tollgates. On each occasion an elderly woman came out of the tollhouse, which was also her residence, and cupped her hand for the three pennies before turning the crank that lifted the long bar. Papa would have a friendly word for her and before we moved on she was chattering amiably. Frequently we came, upon an old man, sitting beside the road with a hammer, breaking chunks of limestone into little pieces which he tossed onto a pile near by.

It was an exciting day. Flora wasn’t sure she wanted to risk the ferry boat but when she saw that the other horses already on board were standing there half-asleep, with one hip sagging, she bravely took her place in line and presently we tooted and were away on our voyage. The big city was full of noise and confusion.

The enormous store where we went to do our shopping was called Shillito’s. It is still there and I am told that it is the largest department store in Cincinnati. Mama and Lou each bought a pretty summer dress. Mama’s dress was very large and loose, for she was getting fat. I came off with a suit of clothes that would be about the right size when I was six and what would now be considered an absurd little gray bowler hat. We also had new, high-buttoned shoes.

As for the size of my clothes, whenever my parents bought me a new pair of trousers, during the years of my rapid growth, they prudently selected a pair that would fit me about six months from now. By the time the pants were the right size they were shabby. However, Papa and Mama were doing their best with what they had to spend. I never fretted about it.

After our noon dinner we went to visit the Zoological Garden. It was my first glimpse of wild animals. Lou and I giggled at the monkeys and hoped we weren’t hurting their feelings; but Papa assured us that monkeys were not easily embarrassed. He said he believed that the monkeys themselves thought they were funny.

There were little ponies to ride, for a nickel, but Mama was afraid we might be thrown off. Mama always took good care that we kept out of danger. This was so, all through the years to follow. I should never have learned to swim if I hadn’t sneaked off with the other kids, and lied about it later.

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