Friday, May 10, 2013

From a Long Line of Mothers


Along with the war correspondence of the men in the family, Agnes Tully Stevens—the woman from whose pack rat tendencies I gained a treasure trove of family documentation—also passed along the dainty keepsakes only a mother could love.

While I’ve mentioned before that I’ve come to the end of the many letters she passed along, there are several other cards and items I’ve reserved for the special occasions they were originally intended to commemorate.

Some of these are cards for Mother’s Day. Whether they were presented to Agnes by her own children, tokens tucked away by her own mother—or her mother—or fanciful items she just purchased for the sentiment or presentation, I don’t know. Today through Mother’s Day, I’ll bring these treasures back out from their storage spot to share for the occasion.

This gilt card, tinted in lavender and printed in purple, seems to come from a former age that appreciated simple beauty. Thanks to Photoshop, though, I was able to enlarge the picture to read the barely perceptible marking just below and to the left of the verse. Though my eyes can hardly be trusted, the line seems to contain the date 1978, and the name, “A. M. Davis Co.” If that is so, printed only a few years before Agnes, herself, passed away, could the card have just been something that caught her eye? Or did a family member tuck it inside a Mother’s Day card—yet not sign or date the enclosure?

Whatever the story behind this little remembrance, to my eye, it looks like a token of a time long since past.


With Love for Mother

Your love is like a sunbeam
That gives its warmth to me.
And brightens every pathway
Where I may chance to be.
Because I have the blessing
Of love so good and true,
It always makes me happy
To tell my love for you.

12 comments:

  1. I think your reading of the date on the card and its publisher is correct.

    Such an elegant piece. I can see why she saved it, even if no one knows where, when or who!

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    1. I can totally identify with that, Iggy. I've picked up some cards over the years--unusual ones that just struck my fancy--and tucked them away. Just wanted to save them...or, of course, send them for that special occasion that truly merited it.

      In a wordless way, it gives us a peak at what Agnes thought was special.

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  2. What a heartfelt keepsake that was. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

    Happy Mother's Day, Jacqi!

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    1. Linda, wishing you a happy Mother's Day, too. Still enjoying remembering the wonderful time we had at coffee when we met last February!

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  3. Replies
    1. Colleen, I'm loving doing the blog tour of my genea-blogging friends, and seeing the wonderful keepsakes and heartfelt sentiments that are being posted this year!

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you, Andrea--and what a lovely remembrance you posted for your own mom in your blog yesterday!

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  5. It does look like a card from the past. But beautiful and with simple honesty. The strange thing is, some expressions are always coming back into fashion. I just sent a Mother's Day e-card to my daughter, who is 6 months pregnant, and the sentiment (even the design) was very much like this card. Just plain happiness and love and praise.

    Maybe some feelings are eternal, or at least they recur from generation to generation.

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    1. Interesting how you discovered a card with a similar look, Mariann. I guess some designs are timeless. On the other hand--and I'm really no expert in this--when I first saw this card, the time period that immediately popped into my mind was the 1920s. How wrong I was!

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  6. Happy Mother's Day a bit late! Beautiful little card..worth saving..I think as I get older I save more things like cards and notes:)

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    1. Belated wishes back to you, Far Side. Understandable, considering the busy weekend you've had!

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