Anna Louise Tittman Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Anna Tittm
not that. We mt around in the homes.
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I think we mt about once a honth.
Q. Did Vachad write you a poem?
A. No, he wasn't in it then. I guess he was off on his onliat trip,
you know, where he sold, he paid for his bread with poem Did you know
that? When he made his trip out . . .
Q. I've heard it, yes. You'll have to tell me about Va Lindsay some
time.
A. Well, I only rernenher seeing him at church wlth his mqther. !they just
had their shoulders together like so a llthmw the seqce.
Q. why?
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A. Just so they wouldn't get away *om each other, I se, something
like that.
Here, this is the way the diary starts: '%y 3, 1919. Avonlan Club
gave m a farewell in honor of prospective mission to aberia, At$ the
horn of MaYy (Millie) Rich after a program on Americanizat$on, each of the
mnS3ers present in twn came to m, presented rn with a Fx$n Ward Rose,
giving a little original poem or a few words to wish me weLl. The president,
Miss Welsh, came last, and with her rose was the beautiful,wristwatch, Swiss
movements, and my narrae engraved on the back. The poems
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so forth were;
Gn a trip across the sea/I wish you'd be as happy as can b the ocean
glve you rest and your efforts find success. This was lvIol y Rich's oontribution.
Now does this suit you? :
Q. Oh, I'm fascinated, yes. I think you were an awfully $rave little girl.
A. (chuckles) You'll think so later. "In Siberia, I am told, there; are
ni&ts both bad and bold& turn a blank face to the smile$, and len& a deaf
ear to their wiles/And as for doctors and Amy officers, well, just let them
have their say/IVm mighty glad that you are on a contract anyway." That
was Miss buise Crowder. I didn't tell you who that first one was. Well,
that was Wllie Rich, the hostess. She was one of my hi@ school classmates.
We Avclrdans clalm you, Sweet Maid/Of nothing do you seem
off to a distant land/to lend a guiding helping hand/And
in sun or shade. I' That's Addie Elkin Bell.
Q. Eddie?
te*
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A. Addie, A-D-&I-E. She's passed away. All these have, uise Crowder,
Mollie Mch. Now this is not original, but it was approp "For thou&
leagues divide us/our thoughts can span the widest seas to each Annie
Jack. Amie Jack mrr3ed the pr5ncIpal of the P b r Scho She's not
living either. I'm, Anna, you are going far, far away/Now efore you leave,
there is one thfng I would say/We wish you health and happmess and work that
you adom/But when you've had enough of it, please cane baq to us once more."
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