Grandma's Silver

Times were hard when Grandma and Grandpa married. They set up housekeeping on the farm and she went to work teaching music in the local school. They worked hard and made ends meet, but there wasn't much left over for extras.

Their main entertainment was visiting in other couples homes. They would gather and enjoy refreshments prepared by the hostess. Then Grandma would play the piano while everyone would dance or sing. From hearing her talk about those times, I know she enjoyed every minute of it. She used to laugh and say she would always be invited to every party because she was the piano player!

She was a wonderful cook and when it was her turn to be hostess it was her time to shine. I can visualize the spread would include country ham they had cured, homemade bread, salads, vegetables and her wonderful desserts. However, she always had one regret. She had lovely linens, handmade by her mother, and her mother's blue china, but she didn't have any silver. This was a time when every young bride collected her silver flatware as wedding gifts. They had eloped and settled quietly into marriage with lovely, useful gifts from family and friends. Still, she wanted that silverware to go with her dishes when it was her turn to be hostess.

When she would go to town she would dream up an excuse to pass the window of the jewelry store to gaze at the patterns of silver displayed there. She would linger longingly over them when she took her watch in for repairs. Finally, the owner caught on that she really wanted that silver. Now, he had a daughter whom he wanted to have piano lessons and the deal was struck. Grandma would give lessons and he would pay in pieces of silver.

Grandma would teach all day and then go to the jeweler's house to give lessons to the daughter. It soon became evident that a career in music wasn't in the child's future. However, they both struggled on. Grandma would scour her books for songs that might tempt the young lady, then rewrite them in a simple score that she could play. She went to music stores and found current hits and rewrote them for her student. She even made up songs, but nothing seemed to work. Grandma struggled on some more. She kept at it until both were dreading the lessons. They endured until Grandma had that last piece of silver, then the lessons were over! She said later that she didn't know who was happier that day, her or the daughter!

That silver became a prized possession. It was brought out only for special occasions, Christmas, Thanksgiving, visiting preachers, and when she was hostess for their friends. She treasured that silver and never forgot the hard work and patience that was required to obtain it. She also never forgot the little girl who received diligent piano lessons whether she wanted them or not!