Friday, November 30, 2012

Calvin's Baby Booties

You remember Calvin Shearer, I'm sure.

I was delighted to find that the Hobart Historical Society museum has a pair of baby booties made for Calvin by his Aunt Bliss — probably in 1914, when he was born.

Calvin's booties
(Click on image to enlarge)

I certainly like to think it was Aunt Bliss's own hand cutting the scallops in the leather, sewing those tiny stitches and painting that lovely design. Three years ago I would have believed it without reservation; but these days such thoughts enter my head as that Aunt Bliss might have bought these for Calvin, and over the years in the telling and the understanding of this family story, "bought them" morphed into "made them herself" — in all good faith, for our minds play tricks on us.

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