Monday, February 12, 2007

Lives in Letters: Postcard about Papa

I'm running late today, but wanted to share this postcard quickly.

Postcard
Hooker’s Trout Pond,
Mt. Pocono, Pa.
Tobyhanna, PA
August 6, 1908

Addressed to
Mrs. Mary S
Haledon, N.J.


Dear Grandma,
We like it
here very much.
Papa is going home
to-night. Says he’s
gained 6 lbs. in
6 days and is
coming up again.
He’s very sorry he
has to go home.
Hope you are well.
Lots of love from all,
Mabel

Notes:

I love the name Mabel. It's such a wonderfully old-fashioned name that I think deserves a comeback.

I also love that she calls her dad "Papa."
.
This postcard was from the early days of summers in the Poconos. From a time when the mother would take the kids away from the hot city for the summer, and the father would come visit for a week, or even just weekends. Like "Seven Year Itch" but 50 years earlier.
.
I did some very quick research on Mt. Pocono, and found out that I picked the perfect Valentine-themed postcard. After all, it was in the area of Mt. Pocono that a very important invention came about:
I love that!

1 comment:

Little Willow said...

Mabel makes me think first of Mabel in THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE - then Mabel in MAD ABOUT YOU.