Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-04-15
LITTLE MOTHER"
OF M|DSH|PNEN
Wants "HOme Place" for Future Ad-
mirals at the Naval Academy
big House" Needed.
GABRIELLE E. JACKSON
Says She Has Aided Many Homesick
Middies in "Sky Parlor" Here
Hopes 10 Enlarge Work---An An
napolitan' Resents it---Calls it
Injustice.

Injustice.
Many Annapolitans and a large num-
her of the regiment at the Naval Acad
| emy have resented recent articles ap-
pearing in New York papers.
! Not long since the New York Evening
| Mail published the following together
with picture of Mrs. jackson. The
Little Mother" who is well known
| nore.
The Mail says
Down in the quaint old town of An
| napolis. and way up under the roof OF
Caryei Hail. the hotel Just at the en-
trance to the Naval Academy. is one
room the midshipmen have named
sky parlor" BY that name il known
almost the whole world over
This is the living room of the little
suite in the east wing of the hotel
occupied for many years by Gabrielle
f. Jackson, author of many books OF
juvenile fiction. And in this room at
least en- of the books published ,lur-
inS the past ten years, and many other
stories for young people have been
written.
Nrs. Jackson Went to Annapolis sew
eral years ago TO recover from seri-
Gus illness, and her godson. then a
mldshipman, at the ACADEMY. often
brought his classmates with him to
the coy living room. which was dub
bed the SKY parlor" because it was
on the top floor and commanded SUI
perb view Of Chesapeake Bay
The he stess of the SKY parlor" was
christened the little mother" and bv
this name she has been known ever
since by the lads AS the years pass
ed more and more boys went to the
sky parlor" and its limits became tax
el to the utmost. for often forty or
fifty lads were there during an after
afternoons liberty.
Until recently all the classes were
represented among Mrs. Jackson's
guests, but not long ago visiting i'm
any OF the hotels of the twon was for
hidden TO all but first classmen be-
cause OF indiscretions of two or three
who have since exchanged their uni
forms for civilian clothes
The result has been to deprive the
of a home" place. Mrs. jackson has
been urged TO take a house and broad
en- the scope OF the sky parlor.' Her
work has the approval of the officers
at Annapolis, but her labor OF love has
outgrown her purse as she is depend
ent on her pen for her livelihood
There is such a tremendous oppor-
tunity for helpfulness down there" she
satl today. and certainly nv expert
ence and rewards have been wonder
full But it should be carried on upon
a much larger scale. and this / cannot
possibly dc without larger financial re
ces than : command" Mrs Jack
on added:
That is one reason why am spend
ing this winter in New York where
ann striving n every way in my power
10 secure the means 10 establish 4
home club or, as they term it. a home
place for which at times the longing
ol the boys is intense.
And such a place is so needed. An
napolis has no Y NJ. C.. A. building, no
library. OF any place 10 which these
boys may so during their brief hours
oil liberty. The regulations prohibit q
club or fraternity house, such as col
logians enjoy ami the only way IN
which this project can be carried on
must be through the interest of some
one. approved by the authorities. and
fond enough Of the boys to devote her
time to it.
Who will act as their hostess in
large way as | have done in a small
way? If ! only could spare $4,000 a
year to devote wholly TO it what Won
dcrs could accomplish"
An answer to the foregoing was sent
the New York Mail above the super
scription "Annapolitan. which covers
the real facts in the case. and resents
the Mrs Jackson constituting herself
the Missionary" and" Guardian Angel
OF The midshipmen at the Naval Acad-
envy The communication is appended
| herewith
Quite by accident ! saw a recent
cop9 of your paper. in which there was
an article written by Mrs Gabrielle
Jackson, on the subject OF a home for
midshipmen in Annapolis. 1t was as
toundingly bold in misrepresentation
and the public in general has so little
knowledge of the Naval Academy, that
il is only iuctice TO that institution
| that the facts of the case be shown
The hallucination of Mrs.J. that she
Is a combination OF missionary and
guardian angel TO the naval schooi is
well known here. has caused much
| amusement and some irritation among
naval people. Her own imagination
| evolved the terms OF Little Mother'and
Sky Parlor.' the latter a very small
Stuffy room in the top of the hotel used
rs q sleeping room byMrs. J. would not
hold fify men al one time. as she
| claims if they were packed like sar-
dimes. She says she is spending the
winter in New York. hoping 10 secure
means of opening a home