Autograph Books

It has been interesting and fun to read the comments in Mom's autograph book from 1927. I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of my mother as a teenager, too. Today I would like to tell you of some more things written in it.

I suppose it has been tradition for decades to write a short poem in friends' autograph books, because there are many in Mom's book. There are some in my book as well. Do people still do that? Do people still use autograph books? Are they still available? I don't recall seeing them in the store I go into. When my kids were in high school they passed their school yearbooks around and had people sign them. I know friends wrote comments, but not sure they were the poems of old.

Here are examples of those written in Mom's book.

Love no man, not even our brother.
If girls must love lots, love each other.

Never let your school work
interfere with your studies.
(doesn't rhyme but interesting)

May your life be bright and sunny.
May your husband be fat and funny.
(written by at least 3 people)

There'll be a page for summer school,
Within your life's book,
And may you also find me there,
As backward you let your memory look.

Remember me early,
Remember me late,
Remember me at the golden gate.

The following was written 9 years after they married, by a young nephew:

Oceans may between us roll,
And distant be our lot.
So should we never meet again,
Dear Aunt (name), forget me not.

In memory's golden chain,
Remember one link bears my name.

When the (hometown) lights are low
And your mind from care is free,
When of others you are thinking,
Won't you sometimes think of me.
Yours till the pillow slips.

(does anyone call them slips anymore?)

I wish you health,
I wish you wealth,
I wish you gold in store.
I wish you Heaven after death,
What could I wish you more.

(first name) now,
(first name) forever,
(maiden name) now,
But not forever.

Yours till Ivory Soap sinks.

When you go east and I go west,
Remember me among the rest.

If you want to see Heaven,
And all of its joys,
Think more of your books,
And less of the boys.

When twilight folds its curtain,
And pins it with a star,
Remember me dear friend,
Tho I may wander far.

When you are old and cannot see,
Put on your specks and think of me.

In after years when this you see,
I wonder what your name will be.

Go little book, go far and near,
To all of (name)'s friends so dear,
And have them write upon a page,
To comfort her in her old age.

(the following written by Dad's younger brother 2 years before they were married)

When you get married and live upstairs,
Don't send your kids down to borrow our chairs.

To meet, to know and then to part,
Is the saddest of a school girl's heart.
And (name) please remember that
A bit of moonlight, hug and kisses,
makes a Miss a Mrs.

Wasn't that fun? I don't know how they all remembered those little gems when it came to write in the books. I know I can never think of anything like that. Maybe they just memorized one and wrote the same in each book?

Well, there you have seen a little of what life was like in 1927 in small town, rural, middle America.

The 1920's were known as the "Flapper" Era. I am sure most of you get a picture of what a Flapper looked like during that time. Most of those pictures are more of the big city and Hollywood type, people with lots of money. It wasn't quite that way here, but I am sure the girls tried to copy the styles as best they could. My mother's hairstyle was an example. I found some interesting facts about the Flapper Era here.