The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1911-01-05

The very first evening he came to
see me father brought out all my old
| photographs to show him. My photo
graphs are more than a joke-they
are a family disgrace. Mother says
II she didn't have me to exhibit In
proof that | don't really look like
them she would throw them all away
First there was my baby picture
that looks like a compromise between
monkey and scrambled egg. Then
there Is the one with the short sleeves
and abbreviated skirt that makes me
look as II | had on pantalettes. To
add to the fearful sight there are two
little round curls pasted on the brow
like something dreadful that had hap.
pened before the war. The worst OF
It was that, no matter how narrowing
they were, they were all unmistaka-
bly,. unquestionably and indubitably
me.
After Fred had seen all the photo
graphs the family sat around and
hsrked back to the days of my nm
regenerate youth All the horrible old
family traditions about me were
trotted out. They told how always
made straight for the coal bucket
as soon as was nicely washed and
dressed. They said never was
known to be clean Ave minutes after
the great feat OF dressing me-which
you would think required the help
of half dozen strong men from the
way they tell it-had been accom-
: pllshed. They told how I shriekod
when was bathed. how stuck beans
, in my ears and cut off my hair SO
that my head had to be shaved They
related how I had to be spanked every
day when mother tried to teach me
to read and thousands of other anec-
dotes that long since should have
been consigned to oblivion.
Mother told OF the attack of ~,
phoid fever l had at an age when no
well-regulated child would have
dreamed Of such thing, She went
3 on to describe in detail all the In
. fantile diseases that I used to bring
9 home,
Never once did the family leave
the subject of poor me during the
= entire evening. Finally Fred's face
. took on set smile and his eyes
d grew so CLASSY that was afraid he
d was going to have a fit.
a "The next day we went over to see
Il II ~
! sort of second mother to me all m,
life. and whose heart would have beer
broken II she hadn't been the frs
one outside OF the family to NEE
y Fred. Aunt Lizzie started In with m,
l. first appearance on the scene Deal
:, me. what a good time she did hav,
/ telling about II! She said was tn,
& ugllest. reddest scrap OF humanity sh,
N had ever seen.
# Fred has always said that wha
r appealed to him most strongly abou
me was that I was so entirely fem
= mime He never has cared for ath
7" letic girls. or course, never breathe,
y that was noted for being the great
II est tomboy in town. Coming hom
from Aunt Lizzie's we met Tor
Meyer.
TON Just stuck his hands In hi
d pockets and grinned and said 'HellC
Il. Mabel, as though we we're both al,ou
- ten years old.
{ when we got home and mer
toned that we had met Tom. I'll
l. brother, of course, had to tell abou
u the time Tom pushed me into tn
s mud and l got up and fought him 4
I'd It. Brother Dicks really proud OF tn
le way used to fight He thought Ere
o would be delighted to know that
could lick any boy of my size whe
:, was six years old
q. "The climax came when our ol
a rector came to call and after tellin
- how | tried to climb into the fol
- when he baptized me he shook b
" finger at me waggishly and said
Fred: You'll have to watch this your
'p- lady carefully or she'll give you Il
II 1