Saturday, April 02, 2022

Aunt Emma ...

I have mentioned my Aunt Emma often over the years. She was from Brattleboro, Vt. and still alive when I was born in 1933. However the few times that I met her I found her to be uncommunicative and severe. After she died I was given 12 of her diaries and I couldn’t wait to read what she’d written. Maybe I would finally get to know my mysterious great aunt.

I knew that she was a spinster and a very frugal one at that; but I had no idea that her life was so devoid of enchantment or just plain fun. Page after page recorded nothing but the weather conditions for the day and the exact price of everything she bought but not much else of interest until … imagine my surprise when I read, in her diary of 1912: “I stood on my front porch and waved to President Taft as he rode by on the trolley.”

I couldn’t wait to research this and, sure enough, here is a picture of the trolly tracks and a caption that reads: “In the early years of the 20th century, the town built a trolly which traveled the length of Main Street and out Western Avenue to West Brattleboro.”


And here’s the big man himself speaking at a town just North of West Brattleboro. 

So I guess Aunt Emma had a special treat that day ... even if her New England stoicism made it hard for her to express it!







5 Comments:

Blogger Marie Smith said...

Emma was impressed by the sound of it, in her own way…

10:29 AM  
Blogger Arkansas Patti said...

It is sad that she had nothing outstanding to write in her 12 diaries but one sighting of the president. One would like to think she kept the good stuff to herself.

12:09 PM  
Blogger Bonnie Jacobs said...

Now you're making me think about what information I'm leaving for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. For one thing, there's my blog with all sorts of stuff on it. Books, of course, but also things about me and my life, about places I've been or things I've seen and done. Mostly, I guess, I write about things that interest me. Maybe my family will consider it dull, but that isn't really our concern in the long run, is it?

6:58 PM  
Blogger Anvilcloud said...

Your online journals and subsequent book will make much better reading fior those who follow. And, most importantly, I suppose, is that they gave you more satisfaction in their creation as you explored so many memories — including this one.

5:23 AM  
Blogger Joared said...

Glad she recorded some joy she had.

11:19 PM  

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