The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1911-03-24

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-thev
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 compromise between
monkey and scrambled egg. Then
there is the one with the short sleeves
and abbreviated skirt that makes me
look as If l 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
1t 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. ALI the horrible old
family traditions about me were
trotted out. They told how always
made straight for the coal bucket
as soon as l was nicely washed and
dressed. They said never was
known to be clean FIVE 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-
plished. They told how I shriekcd
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 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 ty.
phoid fever had at an age when no
well-regulated child would have
dreamed of such thing She went
on to describe in detail all the In
fantile diseases that l used to bring
home.
Never once did the family leave
the subject Of poor me during the
entire evening. Finally Fred's face
took on a set smile and his eyes
grew so CLASSY that was afraid be
was going to have a fit.
"The next day we went over to see
dear old Aunt Lizzie, who has been
sort OF second mother to me all my
life, and whose heart would have been
broken II she hadn't been the first
one outside of the family to meet
Fred. Aunt Lizzie started In with my
first appearance on the scene Dear
me. what good time she did have
telling about It! She said was the
ugliest, reddest scrap Of humanity abe
had ever seen.
Fred has always said that what
appealed to him most strongly about
me was that was SO entirely fem
inine. He never has cared for ath-
letic girls. OF course. never breathed
that l was noted for being the great
est tomboy in town. Coming home
from Aunt Lizzie's we met Tom
Meyer.
tom just stuck his hands In his
pockets and grinned and said, Hello,
Mabel as though we were both about
ten years old.
When we got home and men
toned that we had met Tom. MY
brother. OF course, had to tell about
the time Tom pushed me into the
mud and got UP and fought him for
1t. Brother Dicks really proud of the
way l used to fight He thought Fred
would be delighted to know that
could lick any boy OF my size when
I was six years old
ssThe climax came when our old
rector came to call and after telling