New Britain herald., 1926-09-08
PEnics and Fun

eats. Each lady would carry along some special thing. Some would make potato salad; some would bring cakes and pies; some would see to the pickles, cheese. etc. Mother al- ways took sandwiches.
 She loved cooking and puttering in the kitchen and knew how to make lovely German dishes-pot roast, apple-cake, sausage-roll and such wonderful sandwiches. Often she used to save something for Mir. Hall when he came around and he'd make a big fuss and enjoy every crumb. Mother would be as happy as kid.
 One day she was making sand wiches to take to a picnic.
 "We must have lot for Mir. Hall" she said.
 What kind does he like?" I asked her.
 "Guess".
 "Oh, some fancy stuff, I suppose. Preserves with chopped olives and cream cheese?"
 Wrong, said mother.
 "Caviari"
 Not a bit of it''
 '' Peanut butter and -"
 "Oh, youll never guess. It's tuna fish. Just plain ordinary tuna fish with my dressing. And he loves a combination of tongue and cheese with little chopped pickle. What do you think of that!"
 I thought 1t was funny. because MT. Hall was so used to nice things over at his home. I imagined everything they had was expensive and elegant, and I guess it was. Per haps that's why he used to like our plain stuff.
 I believe the two or three years before mother died were the hap piest of her whole life. Anyhow, she laughed more and sang, and seemed gayer. We used to take walks together just like two girls. As jolly as anything. Wed make comments on whatever we saw, and laugh over what was funny. l never had a girl friend l liked better than mother.
 She used to talk great deal in those days about our going off to- gether, just her and I, and having a nice little home somewhere. I didn't think very much about 1t; just left 1t all to her. But if she had suddenly come to me and said: Charlotte, we're going to move out of here this very day and live by ourselves" l would have picked up my things and gone gladly, without asking question. I'd have known mother knew what she was about and would take care of us.
 As I look back, I see 1t In a It. tie different light than I did then. I feel sure a plan had begun to form in both their minds-Mr. Halls first and then mother's-that they would some time go away from New Brunswick. I don't think they had any clear idea how, but that they were determined to find a way: if not one way. another. I don't remember Of thinking about 1t at all except to be glad and hope 1t would happen. I would have gone anywhere, anyhow, anytime, with m other.
 We always had good times at ( 'b risf mt a Tho ,1 1a make great deal of Christmas, and my six aunts, (mother's sisters) and four uncles Cher brothers) made parties and presents and we all visited and look at one anothers trees.
 I generally ate too much cake and pudding and got sick, but I had q wonderful time anyhow. That's another one of the things I've got over. along with the movies-eat- ing too much. Eating never inter ests me any more. l certainly don't get that from Father; he always was perfect crank about food.
 Mother could manage to please him most of the time but even her cooking sometimes made him grum- ble. and since Mothers death. Fath- | CT gets his own meals and for my brother Dan too. l clean up the | house and dust, but I leave most of | the kitchen work for him and he | doesn't mind doing it.
 l hope I haven't given a wrong | Of my father or spoken | iisrespectfully. l have had one or | .wo wh!ppings from Mother because was pert to Father. We someA now never seemed to "belong" my | 'ather and me. and Mother under ,tood. but all the same she had the German idea that a ,hild must be respectful 10 parents tnd whenever l was naughty in that way, l suffered for it.
 He is your father" she'd say, and if you cant be anything better -ou can be obedient and silent"
 All the same she and I had our battles with him. Mostly over money ffairs. I can't remember any time n my life that we weren't worrying 'ver the lack of money. That is, Iother and I worried: Father was cry easygoing. He just seemed 10 i've inside of himself and doesn't are very much about anything. It's ifs way. Mother used 10 flare up but she wouldn't let me
 rad story in q newspaper late 7 that said Mother used to make srrible scenes and throw pieces of ric-a- -brac" and even strike my ather. How terrible to write such