A Friendly Neighbor

Our next door neighbor, Mrs. Draper, taught shorthand, typing, and bookkeeping at the College. She was a widow when we knew her. Her husband had been a doctor.

Her thirty-ish daughter, Miss Hazel, was an invalid. I don’t know why she was an invalid. She had had something like surgery 15 times. As I usually do, I assumed that she was neurotic, and I wouldn’t even have known that word in those days. Ha.

Miss Hazel was lonely though, and she gave me lots of her undivided attention. She invited me over often and introduced me to lots of cultural advantages. The years that I spent next door to Miss Hazel were enriched with games and reading. She taught me Solitary, how to shuffle, and deal and handle cards.

At Christmas, birthdays, and other times, she and her mother gave me the “Little Colonel” books. I read them and reread them and almost wore them out.

Santa also visited me when I was a little girl.

Mother had no money to buy toys for me, but somehow she did.