Document text
October 14, 1939
Geneva Street
Newton, N.C.
Ethel DeRi, Iriter
Lila J. Bruguiere, Reviser
Original Names:
Geneva Street
Madge Street
Lucy Street
Osce Blankinship
Mrs. Herman
Johnson City
Asheville
Mitchell County
Newton
Ihenballs Mills
Changed NRmes:
Minerva Boyd
Polly Boyd
Grace Boyd
Dan Seymore
Mrs. Ballard
Freeman City
Merryvale
Pelham County
Brompton
'Aliteford Mills
The boarding house stood on a level lot close to
the street. It was painted white and spread over the
green lawn like a mother hen trying to cover her chicks.
Shrubbery surrounded the wide porch and flowers bloomed
beside the walk that led from the street. In the living
room a pretty girl with dark curly hair and blue eyes sat
in a chair beside the window. As she talked to me she
turned frequently to look out at the pleasant picture of
lawn and trees flooded with the declining sunlight of a
summer afternoon.
'My name is Minerva Boyd. I am twenty-two years old
and I was born on my father's farm in Pelham County. He
owned two hundred and ninety acres up there but it didn't
bring in much. Money was scarce and our family was larre.
There were eight girls and no boys. We girls had to take
the pine° of boys in the farm work, but we didn't mind and
we had a happy home. Father and. mother were quiet people and
asked nothing more of their crowd of girls than to be Chris-
tians and be an aid and comfort to their neighbors and
friends. Large families are lots of fun. The house is
never dull where there are eight lively girls and when our
work was done or on rainy days our time was our own. I
was the book worm and my sisters always let me have the
best chair. Polly liked to sew and made pretty things for
us all. Grace had talent for drawing. he would keep the
whole family laughing over her pictures.
";hen I wa: -en years 01, tore E leader in ay leg.
Somehow it just wouldn't heal and after weeks of treat -lent
in e hospital my leg had to be amputated. Father didn't
buy me an artificial leg until I was sixteen because I was
growing all the time and we were too poor to have a new ome
every year. or six years I was on crutches. That's why
my sisters always gave me the best chair.
"My first job outside the home was in a hosiery mill
in Freeman, Tennessee. I made fifteen dollars a week but
I wasn't satisfied because my one desire was to take a
course in beauty parlor work. I saved my money and when
T. had five -hundred dollars I went to Merryvale and took a
course at the Academy there. I wanted to oven a shop of
my own but I didn't have the money so I got a position as
operator in another woman's shop. I liked the work fine
but r had to stand while workin1/4e and the pressure on my leg
was too great. It got bruised and I had to have another
operation and two more inches tarcen off. :!.y salary at the
Beauty Parlor averaged twenty dollars a week. That's more
than I can make at the Hosiery All but there I can sit down
to my job. I'll never be able to do anythine:; that requires
standing all the time.
"Then I was taking the Beauty Parlor Course in
erryvale I met a young school teacher named Dan reymore.
Ne spent long hours together driving over the mountains and
picknicking along the way. Dan had a car and it was fine for
me because I can't do very much walking. We plan to be
married soon and Dan is building a home for us. It's nothing
fine, just a four room cottage with bath and electric lights
and screened in porches. I think it's lovely. It stands
on a hir-h hill and has a beautiful view from every port.
im saving all the money I can to help in the furnishing.
"I don't mean for our marriage to be a two way affair.
we're going to pull together and make it a success. The first
thing a couple seems to think about these days if thines
don't o to suit them is getting a divorce. I don't believe
in divorce and if it wasn't so easy to get there would be
fewer separations. The Bible allows a divorce for only one
thing and that's adultery. When a cowele wants a divorce
todc.y they hire a lawyer and frame each other to get it.
'Half of them don't know what the Bible says and the other
half don't care.
Irince mother died I have been on my own. Father re-
married and I didn't care to stay at home. Things are
different after you lose your mother. I've been here in
Brompton seven weeks. I work for the Nhiteford Mills and
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make fourteen dollars a week. My board costs five fifty
r1 week. I dress myself and save somethinc besides. My
life is very quiet. I spent so many years on crutches I
got out of the habit of going places. I can't take part
in active sports but I'm fond of croquet and play a good
game. I've taught myself to like puzzles and cards but
most of my spare hours are spent in the public library
readin books and magazines. Our folks are all Baptists
but Dan is s .Tethodist ana I'll join his church if he wants
me to. Ittl a Democrat. I like our President fine. He's
on the aide of the working men. I hope we don't have to
at mixed up in this war. If we do Dan may have to go but
I'll send him off with a smile and do my moaning and groan-
inr, while he's gone. I love him too much to make a coward
of him.
-rc. Ballard, the boarding house keeper, h -d entered
the room while Minerva was speaking.
4Thrt's a silly thirF- to any. I've been married four
weeks an I wouldn't think of letting my husband go to war."
Mrs. Ballard didn't look like a bride. he weighed
two hundred and six pounds and wore a washed out cotton
dress, of undecided color,about two sizes too small for her.
"No sirree, my man's not k-oinJ, to any war. If the
President wants to send men over there and have them butcher-
ed for fun he can't send mine.
Probably not, s1 Minerva sweetly." Your husband
is past the Ewe limit."
'io's only forty-five. Iri fifty two. It takes a
good looking woman to ketch a man that age."
a ree, said Minerva.