Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-04-17
THE ~SKY PARLOR- FAMOUS
ANNAPOLIS ONTHF MAP
The New York Papers Advertising
CavyeI Hall Through The Little
Mother Stories,


Another of the Mother-of- AIidshin.
. men" stories recently published in 1
New York paper concerning FOUNDING
home here for midshipmen to spend
their idle" hours and to be mothered
runs like this:
Into the yard of the Naval Academy
at Annapolis steps a quick little wo-
man with bright eyes and a warming
smile. and before she has progressed
four short steps she finds herself. sur
rounded by a crowd of midshipmeu
who have popped out mysteriously
from nowhere and everywhere.
Hello, Little Mother. VIII you take
Us in tow"
Yes; come along" she smiles. and
they I'll march OF together. the tow
ering big fellows OF the Academy with
the wee woman in their midst.
At a motion picture show in town a
group of navy officers and their wives
look down into the audience from their
box 10 a long line of students Ming
into the seats, with little woman be-
tween them. way below the stature OF
the huge shouldered lads. but quite
the centre OF their gallant attention.
How many children in the family
today whispers an officer, jestincly.
leaning over TO her.
only Fifteen" she replies. And
fifteen bags of peanuts"
In sitting room at the very tiptop
OF the historic old Carvel HalI-the
very same that Winston Churchill
wrote his "Richau Caryel" m-there
is a mob of Academy boys SPRAYING
over the couch. making cocoa around
the tea table, dancing together TO the
noise of the photograph, making yhe-
atrical speeches. BY the fire Oh d
shabby old chair is the same woman
laughing over the noise and fun drink
inc quarts of Cocoa-fOr each one must
serve her. and she cannot be partial
and telling her OWN jokes and stories.
much to the vociferous delight OF lhe
company.
This is the Little Mother of Auuap-
oils. Mrs. Gabrielle Jackson. who for
nine years has been the chum and com
panion Of 5000 boys in the Academy
whose sitting room SKY Parior," as
they call it-has been their only recro-
alton place, for the Academy i'm CON
trast TO colleges, has no clubhouses.
and the town furnishes nothing of LIe
kind, not even a public library
I found her in her room. overlook
ing Central Park, West a room plas-
tered with photographs of cookbook
ing boys. ian their dress uniforms. "ro
my dear Little Mother" written across.
a room of honey things and a busy
looking desk Even her hotel quarters
show that Mrs Jackson is a home per
son and a writer. And in her own
bright fashion she told her story OF her
nine Association with the boys at
Annapolis: how she went first. after
an illness. TO be with her godson how
he brought his friends over 20 her
room; how she stayed until he was
graduated. and then on and ON after
ward And then she TOLL how now she
is here frankly for the purpose of rails
ing money % build large house
We've oUtgroWu ours elves you see.
she said. Nine hundred boys are a
good many to accommodate in the
SKY Parlor"
Nine hundred boys?" ] gasped.
How do you entertain nine hundred
boys"
oh / don't They entertain them
selves. The graphophone is there,
books, magazines, papers, games are
at hand comfortable chairs (can any
one find such a thing anywhere in
Bancroft HallO q bic couch to stretch
at length upon, a tea table to mess at
an open fire to stoke Sometimes ]
real aloud 10y the hour, or spin yarns
as | sit dawning a sock that may once
have possessed toe. Tt is a common
thing for me to have three or four
giants squatted upon hassocks at my
feet, pouring forth all the dope. which
is their lingo for all that has taken
place during the week.
1T is Just the inner self that comes
to the surface up there in Sky Parlor-
their hopes, disappointment, Joys or
sorrows, ambitions or failures, pranks
and escapades- they know that
am interested in all because l love
them The funny part of it is that
they are not happy unless ] am right
there, too"
Each weekend. the only time they
are permitted to take meals outside OF
the Academy, Mrs jackson tries TO
have some of them to luncheon or din
ner 1t is a sort Of reward of merit
and greatly appreciated There is not
a midshipman in tic Academy who
does not understand that the Little
Mother has his interests and welfare
close heart and that she longs TO sec
developed all that is finest in his char
acter.
The dears miss their homes 80
much, too, though they'd die before
they would let on, Mrs. Jackson con-
tiuuoi. But they need the affection
and the relaxation am all the indie
scribable little things that barren bar
racks do not have and that homes do. /
That's what the Sky Parlor gives
them"
Every encouragement has been given
Mrs. Jackson by the authorities TO con
tinue her interest in the Academy mid /
and all are anxious for her to
have the larger accommodations. II
s-