The Comstocks of Cornell-The Definitive Autobiography by Anna Botsford Comstock;Karen Penders St. Clair;

Author:Anna Botsford Comstock;Karen Penders St. Clair;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc. (Tier 3)
Published: 2019-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

{A momentous change in our household occurred during my absence, although it was planned before I left. Mrs. Margery Smith, who had been a day helper in the home for twelve years, came to the house to live, bringing with her youngest child, Norman, a young boy. Forced by illness and death of her husband, from comfortable circumstances to work by the day to support her family; she was heroic in her bravery and achievement. She was an English-woman of refinement and ability; her personality was pleasing, and she had a dignity that no one infringed upon. She came into our home knowing that I was teaching and writing and had less and less time for household cares, and she was ready to assume the responsibility of running the house. She remained with us nearly seventeen years, an efficient, conscientious housekeeper, as devoted to our interests as if they had been her own;—a sympathetic companion and the treasured friend which she remains to this day.}

{Mr. Comstock’s letters gave news of the social life; of Margaret Cook and her devotion to mother; of Alice Simmons who came to make music with her “fiddle brown”; of the chipping sparrows that built in the vine directly over the entrance to the porch; of William A. Riley and his winsome bride; of the joke on Dr. Riley, who chanced to overtake one of our former students and walking along with her, when they met Mrs. Gage, who said; “I suppose this is the new Madam Riley,” at which Little Billie, utterly confused, stammered; “I am sorry to say it is not.” Mr. Comstock also wrote, “Ross Marvin came this morning to say Good-bye; he is going with Lieut. Peary and they sail next week. He is very happy because he has secured the best possible position he could hope for. He is to be a member of Lieut. Peary’s personal party, which included only eight people. Marvin’s function is that of observer, astronomical, meteorological, and biological. He receives at least $50.00 a month and expenses.}

{My work at Berkeley was finished August 4th. On the whole, it had been satisfactory, although I was handicapped with lack of knowledge of the natural environment. However, names of plants and animals were not so important. When I took a volunteer class into the field we studied the habits of plants until we knew their secrets before we learned their names. I found my class in Nature Literature knew nothing of the poems or writings of Bret Harte or Joaquin Miller, although both, especially the former, had written exquisitely of plants and animals.}

{The Californians so resented the pictures of their early history as shown in Bret Harte’s stories that they would have none of him. I think I showed them their mistake. One woman who attended my classes attracted me greatly, Mrs. Florence Halstead of Los Angeles, who has since endowed so liberally the chairs of Zoology and Botany at Pomona College. She is a rare woman with deep sympathy for nature, and the friendship established between us then, has continued unbroken.

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