David and Leah

Chronicler

David and Leah

     David’s first gift to me was set of William Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. But it
was a long time before David and I could marry. His mother insisted that her oldest
daughter Mae, who had become engaged to a New York man, should marry first. And
John Soble, Mae’s fiancée, got sick with a serious something or other – partly heart
condition I believe, and Mae departed for New York to help his old mother nurse him. It
was a year before he was well enough to marry, so David and I kept postponing our own
wedding until Mae and John had theirs. At last my trousseau was completed – I had
embroidered dozens of towels and napkins myself.    We had chosen a nice little
apartment. Finally, on Nov. 16, 1909 we drove in auto taxis (that) were new to Pittsburgh
then, to a synagogue, our own was out of town. I was twenty-two by that time, and
David, 4 ½ years older. We traveled by train that evening to Buffalo and then to the
Roycroft Shops* which I had described enthusiastically to David. But, Hubbard wasn’t in
residence at that time. The Inn was cold ind the fall weather, so we changed plans and
went to New York for a couple of weeks honeymoon – the big city was enchanting as
ever. We went to the Metropolitan Opera House and heard the famous sopranos and
tenors of the day. Then to another grand opera house. I believe it was called the City
Opera House where we saw the famous Mary Garten in Salome and the Dance of the
Seven Veils. So now I saw New York. David bought me beautiful pearl opera glasses to
further enhance the beauties of the theater. I have them still as they are functional as
ever. Then back to Pittsburgh and our own little apartment – all furnished and ready,
mostly with gifts from our families.
     I knew nothing of cooking except some sessions in cooking school in high school for
a season. I remember one evening when I had invited my parents and David’s mother and
sister. I rashly chose to cook fricassee chicken for the chief dish. I never had (made) it
before. For some reason I miscalculated the time and it never seemed to get tender. I
went in to the living room in despair and confided to my mother-in-law. Try a pinch of
ginger said she. I luckily had the ginger and behold, the fowl turned eatable.

*Roycroft is/was an artist colony founded in the early 1900s. It is
located in East Aurora, New York, between Rochester and Buffalo.
Learn more at:
http://www.roycroftcampuscorporation.com