Page 200 - Always Virginia

188 Virginia Day Fritscher

Jack: He was one of the Days. Tell me about him.

Mary Pearl: He was a steamboat captain. He was a good guy.
He was married once and his wife died and he never remarried, and
he had one child, Howard. I met Howard a couple of times, but I
don’t know whether he’s living or dead, or what now. Of course,
naturally, he wouldn’t have kept track of me, and I didn’t him,
because I didn’t know how to do that, wherever he’d be.

Jack: Of all the things you remember in your life, what sticks
out most in your mind?

Mary Pearl: Oh...I don’t know....I can remember when I was
18, though, when my mother knew they were going to bring me a
surprise party, but I didn’t. I can remember laying there. I just put
my head down on the dining room table, and I was half asleep, and
I heard the bell, and I said, “There’s some funny looking people at
the door.” And she said, “How do you know they’re at the door?”
And I said, “Well, I heard the doorbell.” And she said, “Well, go
and see who it is,” ’cause she knew who it was, and when I went,
I thought I’d die! They had pans and were hitting on them with
spoons and everything else and were making noise.

Jack: Was this for your birthday?

Mary Pearl: My 18th birthday. [October 2, 1906]

Jack: Who were these people?

Mary Pearl: Oh, lord! Dora Friederling and Hattie Austin and
Bertha Powell and Francis Devine and George Devine and Jim
Hill. I can see Jim yet. He was a little short guy. He was a nice fella.

Jack: Did they bring you presents?
Mary Pearl: No. I think they brought me a big bouquet of
flowers. We had lots of fun. My mother knew they were coming
and so she had a big cake baked. How she ever baked it with me