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FEDERAL WRITERS, PROJECT
Miami, Florida
3,500 ,:ioris
THE MILLER FAMILY
February 15, 1939
The Lapham Pamily(lhite)
1008 Jefferson Ave.
Miami Beach, Florida
Artist
Dorothy Wood, 'Plotter
In a modern three room apartment on Miami Beach in a build—
ing located near the main street and the ocean, lives the Miller
family. There are four floors to the building and the Millers
live on the third one. The place is always quiet, with only the
noise of automobiles passing by. Palm trees shade the narrow
lawn in front of the building. The other buildings in the block
are quite similar to the one I enter. Most of them :lave lawns
equipped with lawn ()hairs and large, brightly colored sun umbrel—
las. The chairs are usually occupied because the people who live
in these houses have plenty of leisure hours to spend in such
fashion. There is an atmosphere of contentment and restfulness
every -There.
As open the screen door I enter a small lobby, furnished
tith easy chairs, tables, and reading lamps. Placed conveniently
pear the chairs are smoking stands for the use of the tenants, and
the netiest magazines are on the tables. I pass through the lobby
and to the left find the stairs leading to the floors above. I
climb two flights of well carpeted stairs, ani knook on the door
at my left.
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Entering the front door, I come directly into the dining
room, a very small, cozy one, almost a breakfast nook, equipped
.1ith a small table placed in the middle of the room, and four
chairs. In the center of the table a potted plant or bowl of
flowers is usually placed on a crocheted center cloth, made by
the wife. The floor is stained a light color, and a figured
linoleum extends into the kitchen, which is separated from the
dining room only by an arched opening. All the walls are painted
a licht cream and have several fruit prints hanging on them.
The tiny kitchen has a built-in sink, drainboard and cup-
board exterding almost the entire length of one side. On the op-
posite side is a porcelain, four.burner gas stove with oven, and
an electric refrigerator. There is one window in the room, at
the far end, which is hung with a green checked cotton curtain.
At the right of the front door is the entrance to a spacious
living room and bed room combined. The room is bright and airy,
always cool. To the left of the door is a green covered studio
couch, Two easy chairs, one upholstered in green, the other in
brown, make one desire to sit down and' rest immediately. 1Tear one
of the chairs is a floor lamp, providing an ideal spot for read-
ing. On a table next to the all is a radio, and on either side
large, life -like, tinted photographs of the tro members of the
ruler family. The bed is the in -a -door type, commonly called a
MIrphy bed. Then it is made for the day, the room is at once a
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comfortable living room again. The two windows at the left have
ecru colored lace curtains, with draperies of the same color at
either std.. A rug with a green background covers the floor.
A door at the left, as I enter the dining room, leads into
the bathroom, furnished in a color scheme of orchid and green.
The floor is tiled and there is a tub and'shower, with plenty of
hot water. A green rag rug is spread in front of the lavatory,
and a built-in medians cabinet is above it. The entire house is
always neat and immaculately clean, giving one the impression
that it has just been swept and dusted. It Ills the people who
live in it, they are so clean and neat, too.
Hazel Miller, the wife, is a tall, stately person, with long,
blonde, permanently waved hair, hanging loose on her shoulders,
beautiful brown eyes and a clear, smooth complexion. She is a
trifle above normal weight, tut by means of active sports keeps
her weight down as much as possible. She is always cheerful and
ready to go anywhere that promises entertainment.. Most of the
time she wears slac4s, or shorts, the typical day -time dress of
this beach resort. When Hazel dresses to go out she is a stunning
looking person. Her well tailored sports olothes that she usually
Tears, fit well. She always looks well groomed, although her
clothes may not be new. Her nails are seldom painted, because she
dislikes bright flawsr nail polish on them.
Bob Miller, the husband; is six feet tall, a blonde with blue
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eyes, and he has a very low, pleasant voice, indicating culture.
He is 32 years old and makes a comfortable living by his chosen
profession, art. He and Hazel have been married a little more
than five years, and are very happy together.
01,10N are you today?" I inquire, as Hazel inviten Ine to enter.
"Fine," replies Hazel. "Bob isn't at home, he went to see a
man about painting a picture in his hotel. This time of year is
the busiest for him and he is gone most of the time." It is a
warm, sunshiny day and Hazel feels the urge to take a sun bath.
"How would you like to go down to the beach for a while?"
The provides a bathing suit for me and after donning them,
we walk the three blocks to the beach.
"Last night Bob and I went to tne s:lo," continues Hazel. "110
very seldom go out but Bob didnot work last night so we deoided
to spend the evening by taking in a movie. rie saw spencer Tracy
in Loy's Ic%11 and it surely was good. Both of us like him.very
much. Bob likes to sec the toad End boys play, too, ard never
misses a picture they play in if 'le car help it. I like to ao to
the sLo4 but, of cure, you know I prefer r!ornething 7ith riore ac—
tion an exercise than you can get at shows. They are too tame
for to. I play baseball nearly every 7iednesday night, balminton
two nights a week, and basketball once a week. 'II:very afternoon I
go over to the park and play tennis a couple of hours. That keeps
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my weight down and I have to do something all the time so I won't
get too fat. Bob says when he was young, fat girls chased him
and he had a horror of them, and here he has married one.
"If we could only have our own home it would take more of my
time to keep house. As it is, I have the apartment all cleaned
in two or three hours, with too much time on my hands. I mould
like more than anything to have two children, a boy and a girl,
but 3ob doesn't want any. He says he can easily take care of the
two of us, but if we had any children, he would be tied down too
much. He wants to be able to pack his clothes and leave any time
he takes the notion. Of course, you can't do that way with child—
ren, so he is set on not having any. If I could only persuade
him to buy a home, then we could soon get it paid for and settle
down for good. If I could once get the home, I think after awhile
he would be willing for us to have two children. I don't believe
in having them if you can't take oars of them properly and give
them the advantages of a good education and a happy childhood, but
I feel that we could do that without any trouble.
am the only child in my family and I am 27 years old. When
I -vas fourteens my father died. He left us a home but no ready
cash so my mother started giving dancing lessons to take care of
us. After a while my mother met Mr. Atkins, and they got married.
He is a contractor, and a very wealthy one, too. I got married
not long after they did so don't know him very weli. Tor two Viers
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Bob and I lived in the northern part of the state, but three years
ago Bob leoided he would get more work to do if he came to liami,
so we moved here.
43ob has two brothers and two sister a, and be is the oldest.
He is quite proud of his ancestry, too, especially the artistio
ones. lie grandmother on his mother's side rtas a short -story
writer. The wrote some of the most weird stories I have ever read.
All of ilob's people are from the lorth. Hie father played around
-Tith machinery as a hobby, and has made some very valuable in.
ventio:is, although they were never patented. He used to be an
airplane test pilot, too. One day he vas supposed to go up in a
plane, but when it started to take off, he suddenly decided he
wouldn't go up this time. He said he had a funny feeling he
shouldn't. So another pilot took the plane up. It crashed and
the pilot was killed instantly. Bob's father died right after we
got married and we surely did miss him. Everbody was crazy about
o3ob's mother is a very fine music, teacher. She plays noth-
ing but classioal music and for many years she added to the family
income by teaching. The graduated from high school when she was
217teer years old, went to college two years, and started teach
tug Wrench in a high school in Massachusetts when she ias eighteen.
The has acoompanied several of the outstanding radio stars of to.
day.
"3ob is restless here and malts to go baok 'North beeauee he
thinks he oan make more money there and I think so, too, bat iS
ionet have the money ahead to leave here now: Tie makes about
12000 a year down here, but the work only lasts about six months
of the year. We have to budget ourselves so this will last a
whole year and that's hard to do. It's so easy to spend it when
you have it and I guess we are not as foresighted as we should be.
I suppose that should be enough for us but we have just finished
paying for our oar, and I am glad it is our own now. Bob has to
have a car in his business so we bought a good one while we were
at it. Besides, a Ohrysler has always been his favorite of all
oars. Out of this n2,500 we have to pay rent, whioh is a big prob-
lem here in the minter especially, light and gas bills, buy gro-
ceries and clothes. le feel that re must have a nice apartment
at a good address but sometimes luring the summer we are so broke,
I'd like to have some of the rent money in other thir,Gs."
At this point Hazel and I deoidesi we had had enough nun so
we gathered our belongings together and returned home.
"There did 3ob go to Ic'aoolVe I as.
He graduated from high eohool up North. His father and mother
liked to travel and they cams to Florida nearly every winter. Of
course, all the children had to be taken out of school there and
started in down here. Bob says he really got his education from
practical experience. as great ambition and desire has always
been to be a second Rembrandt or lookwell, so he has studied art
all of his life. He says that every night for years he sat up un—
til three or four o'clock in the morning reading books on art and
making sketches. Bob never attended any art school or took any
lessons. All he knows he has learned by himea:f for his parents
never reslly helped him but he net his head and nothing could stop
him. A friend of his, an old man who is also an artist, was yery
much interested in him and encouraged him to keep at it.
NI graduated from high school myself but didn't go to college.
1./hen I las twenty years old, I got married instead. I have travel—
ed quite a bit and have been all over the T.Torth. le lived up North
some when my father was living, but I met Bob in Florida. He is
a born artist and some day I believe he will really be famous. He
is proud of his work and I am, too. Unlike moat other artists,
if his work is slaok and he can get something to do in another line,
he won't take it. He will wait until something in his line comes
up, regardless of how badly we need the money.
NLots of times ihen Bob in at =7ork I lit homeand read or sew.
I have a library card and get books from the library here at the
beach. Then I read madasines, too. I al-tlys buy the lal, ma7-,zine
because 3o1 uses pictures out of it in his 'fork. And I 7-eep up
with al, the gossip about the movie stars, too. Bob in too serious
-Andea i.ml arbitious to spend muolvtime reading books of that sort.
He always reads books on art or mythology, or some such subject.
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Sometimes he reads detective magazines, but usually he spends his
time reading books that will teach him something and do him some
good.
"Sob doesn't like to go out much when he is working but spends
his leisure hours at home reading a book or sketching. We go more
in the summer time when he doesn't have much work to do, some—
times he plays tennis, his favorite out —door sport, and he likes
to go swimming, if the water is rough. When we go out at night,
sometimes we go bowling, play miniature golf or some other game.
One of Sob's favorite sports is sailing and he wants a sailboat
about as much as anything else. He used to own one and he says
pome day he is going to get another one. I suppose we should save
some of the money we spend on good times, but we both like to go
out so much that it is hard to do.
"Bob is interested in sculpturing, too. He makes a hobby out
of this, although he has designed one or two statues and made
models of them, which he has sold. In fact, his whole life is
centered around art of one form or another. He sees art in every—
thing, but he doesn't paint portraits much. One or two people
have asked him to paint theirs but somehow that isn't in his line.
He just finished an oil painting for a friend in New York. This
friend is a tailor and in return for the picture he sent Bob a
tailor—made gray suit and for Christmas he sent me a tan one.
"I like to crochet. For Christmas presents, I made five oro—
cheted pocketbooks for my family and friends. lometimes my eyes
bother me and I have to stop. I really need new glasses; mine
3re broken, but I don't have the money to get them right now. And
I hate to put them on, too. They are such a bother and so unbe-
coMing to me. I have just finished making an afghan. that I think
is very pretty. These chair -back sets on the chairs I crocheted
too. fleveral of the pieces you see on the tables I made. Some-
times I embroider but Clanst really care for that much.
IX.ven though me don't have any children, we had a oat we
called our child. His name was Tabby. He was just a plain cat
but unusually large. Sob and I got him right after we were mar-
ried and both of us had become very attached to him. we called
him Mutt most of the time. I bought special food for him and
never fel him anything I -youldn't eat myself. There was one spe-
cial chair he liked to sleep in, no I made a cover for it and he
spent lots of his time in it. On Christmas I always gave him a
present, the same as I mould a person. But a couple of weeks ago
he got sick and we took him to the doctor. He finally told us
there was nothing he could do for the Mutt. I don't know what was
wrong 7ith him, but the doctor said the only thing to do was put
him to sleep. So now our Mutt is gone and we have made a resolu-
tion not to have any more pets, we become too much attached to
them. Bob petted Mutt so much and he misses him an much as I do.
Guess it's the thwarted parental instinct in both of us. Every-
where we turn we see things to remind us of him, and then we real-
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ize tat he is gone for gooi." The tears start streaming loin
Hazel's cheeks and I realize how much they lid love the oat, as
much as if it were a :Iuman being.
In order to get Hazel's mind off of her sorrow, I ask, "Do
you like to cook?.hat kind of foods do you eat?"
"Because of the climate down here, we eat lots of cold salads
and meats, too. I studied all about diet when I lent to school
and can cook good meals when I /ant to but I had rather play ten—
nis, or basketball than mess around in the kitchen. Bob likes
potatoes and has to have them for dinner all the time, and I sup—
pose his next favorite dish is soup --any kind. He just loves it.
70 like sea fools a lot, too, especially shrimp. Sometimes I get
ambitious and bake cakes, just when I take the notion I want to
cook. -7e eat lots of fruits md make orange juice quite often.
They are good for you. Lots of times I have to wait and wait for
Bob to come home from work so we can't have regular hours to eat."
"Do you go to church regularly?" I ask.
"No, I surely don't. I've never joined one. Bob's people
are all Jatholics but he doesn't go to church either. He has one
sister who is a devout Catholic. But I just never did cans about
going to church myself. There are certain morals I live up to but
I don't believe it's necessary to go to church to live right. 7e
don't drink and do all those kind of things because we don't like
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to. Bob has is own friends dnd I have mine. 30 71aVe to have
sopLrate interests bee use llob is away at /ork r!o much of the
time.
/Bob is a very independent person. Ihen he is bidding for
a job he sticks to his original price, regardless of whether some—
one else bids lower or how badly he needs it. And he usually gets
the job. He says he puts into a picture exactly what he is paid
for it, no more, no less. For an artist, he has a lot of business
sense and can drive a good bargain.
"A year ago last Ohristmas Bob and I took our first airplane
trip. 'le went to Jacksonville so we could be with our families.
That was one of the things we had always wanted to do most. It
cost lots of money and we pail double for it all last summer when
work was so scarce. But the trip was so pleasant, we were there
almost before e knel it. It took just a little more than three
hours to make the trip. Flying in one thing we both like rd we
are trying to save enough now to take a long plane trip. If I
can't have a home and family, we might as well use our money to
fly where we want, to."
"Hazel, do you like to work out?* I ask.
"Yes, I do. T have been thinking lately about getting a job.
Before I got married I worked in an office -lnd I worked in a large
hotel on the beach two years ago when Bob didn't have any :cs k and
re were broke. But Bob doesn't like for me to work. He says I
On work when he gets to the point where he can't, so I lust
haven't tried very much to get a., job. I would love to work at
the ball park teaching some kind of sport, I like sports so well."
'Do you vote?* I ask.
*I don't know a thing about politics. I think one politioian
is as dirty as another, so I just don't oars to vote for any of
them. Bob doesn't vote either. 10 are both Demoorats and we read
the paper every day. President Roosevelt has been a good prtsi.
dent, and has really done his best to help the country. But as
far as voting is concerned, it doesn't interest me at all."
*How is the foot you dprained?" I ask.
"Ohl it's all right now," Hamel replies. "It seems like every
time I turn around lately I get hurt playina ball. I was playing
tennis the other day and a girl hit me right under my right eye
with her racket." ghe shove me her eye, which is still a little
swollen and blue. *It's almost well now but it surely was sore
for two or three days. It was swollen so badly I could hardly
see, and I was even afraid to play tennis for a few lays, it hurt
so much. But that is about all I have to worry about as far as
sickness is concerned. Bob is healthy an can be. He had a bad
cold the first of the winter but I doctored that with Vioks and he
got alright. We don't have to spend much for doctor bills. They
.,771e 1 L'ir t of rri.ec;."
"Well, Hazel, I must be going now," I say, as it is getting
late.
"Hurry back to see me and we will go for another swim," says
Hazel, as I walk to tie door.