Great News. Both old and new.
~*~*~Chicago, 1903~*~*~
I gazed out mine and Brina's bedroom window. We had shared this room for over 10 years now and we finished up high school this month. I thought back to everything that had happened since I first moved into the house. Brina and I have become closer and are now even more like sisters then friends. I've finally learned how to talk but choose not to for I'm always scared that someone will make fun of what I have to say.
My favorite thing to read is the newspaper from New York. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Chicago Sun, but the New York World and Sun are much more interesting. Ever since I convinced Matthew(Mr. Monroe) to buy a copy for me every week, I've kept every copy. He was able to get a copy for me because he was the assistant editor of the Chicago Sun. He first started to buy me the newspaper in 1896 so I have several hundred papers.The weekly newspapers were one of the things that helped me to talk.
My favorite article was in the New York Sun in 1899. It talked about a bunch of Newboys facing the most powerful man in New York, Joe Pulitzer. It had a picture of the boys in front of the World Newspaper building since that was where their protest first started. When we first got the newspaper, I liked it for the story, Brina liked it for the 'handsom boys'. She would try to snatch the paper away from me just so she could look at the guys pictures. Now don't get me wrong, I like guys but I don't see what the point is to drool over a bunch of them that you will probably never even meet.
Looking down onto the street, I can see Brina running up to the house. "She must have been asked out by the mayor's son or else she wouldn't run." I heard thumping up the stairs and quickly moved to my bed because whenever Brina ran in, she ran right to where I was and I didn't want to break the window seat just in case she runs at me. The door swings open and a breathless Brina enters with a smile spreading from ear to ear. She shrieked, ran and jumped on my bed.
"Guess what! Guess what!" she said as she bounced up and down on my bed. I looked at Brina and just gave her a look meaning 'just tell me.'
"You're no fun but I'll tell you anyways." That's Brina for you. Never can stay quiet for too long. One of the main reasons why I nicknamed her Chatterbox, she's always talking.
"I was just at Father's office. I was dropping off his lunch that he had left at home and low and behold, he was glad to see me. You know how Father hates it when I go to the office during the school week because I shouldn't be there, I should be at school getting my education. Well I then explained to him that school had already finished. He looked at me with a 'yeah sure' look on his face. I said really and..." I cut her off there.
"Are you g...going to tell me what's so im...portant?"
"Oh yeah. Well the reason why Father was so glad to see me was because he had some really REALLY good news. He told me that the editor of the New York Sun had contacted him earlier that morning. Some guy named Denton I think." Denton? I think he was the reporter who covered my favorite article.
"Well Father said that this Denton guy told him that he had seen Father's work and really liked it. Here's the really amazing thing. He said he liked it so much that.........he wanted Father to transfer from the Chicago Sun to the New York Sun! Now here's the best part. Father said YES!" Once again her shrieks filled the room. I took it that she was happy that Matthew had taken the job.
"I t...take it you like th..this?" I said looking at her.
"Of course I do. This means a change of sceanery, a change of people......a change in the male population." She said winking at me. 'Oh brother.' I thought.
"So when are we l...leaving?"
"You, Father and I are leaving at the end of this week. Mother will stay here to pack the rest of our things. Can't you imagine New York? The bright street lights, the wonderful stages, the cute boys." She giggled at her last remark. 'More boys on the brain.' I stood up from my bed and walked over to my dresser. I opened the drawer and started to take out my clothing. I went to the closet and brought out a suitcase and placed it on my bed. While I did this, Brina just stared at me.
"What are you doing? Elizabeth will do that for you." Elizabeth was the Monroe's housekeeper. I shook my head.
"I..I.. I want to do th..this myself." My parents had always taught me to do things for myself so I planned on doing that. Brina got tired of watching me pack so she went, flopped on her bed and began reading that day's newspaper. I finished packing my clothes, leaving out articles of clothing that I would wear the next day and the day after which would be the day we would leave. I took out a second suitcase and started to pack my newspapers. Brina stared at me weirdly but I kept packing. These objects were one thing that I definately wanted to pack myself.
By supper time, I had most of the papers packed. I took my favorite one and placed it at the top of the pile. I hear Alice(Mrs. Monroe) call up for supper. I've finished packing so I head downstairs knowing that I'm prepared for my new adventure.
I gazed out mine and Brina's bedroom window. We had shared this room for over 10 years now and we finished up high school this month. I thought back to everything that had happened since I first moved into the house. Brina and I have become closer and are now even more like sisters then friends. I've finally learned how to talk but choose not to for I'm always scared that someone will make fun of what I have to say.
My favorite thing to read is the newspaper from New York. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Chicago Sun, but the New York World and Sun are much more interesting. Ever since I convinced Matthew(Mr. Monroe) to buy a copy for me every week, I've kept every copy. He was able to get a copy for me because he was the assistant editor of the Chicago Sun. He first started to buy me the newspaper in 1896 so I have several hundred papers.The weekly newspapers were one of the things that helped me to talk.
My favorite article was in the New York Sun in 1899. It talked about a bunch of Newboys facing the most powerful man in New York, Joe Pulitzer. It had a picture of the boys in front of the World Newspaper building since that was where their protest first started. When we first got the newspaper, I liked it for the story, Brina liked it for the 'handsom boys'. She would try to snatch the paper away from me just so she could look at the guys pictures. Now don't get me wrong, I like guys but I don't see what the point is to drool over a bunch of them that you will probably never even meet.
Looking down onto the street, I can see Brina running up to the house. "She must have been asked out by the mayor's son or else she wouldn't run." I heard thumping up the stairs and quickly moved to my bed because whenever Brina ran in, she ran right to where I was and I didn't want to break the window seat just in case she runs at me. The door swings open and a breathless Brina enters with a smile spreading from ear to ear. She shrieked, ran and jumped on my bed.
"Guess what! Guess what!" she said as she bounced up and down on my bed. I looked at Brina and just gave her a look meaning 'just tell me.'
"You're no fun but I'll tell you anyways." That's Brina for you. Never can stay quiet for too long. One of the main reasons why I nicknamed her Chatterbox, she's always talking.
"I was just at Father's office. I was dropping off his lunch that he had left at home and low and behold, he was glad to see me. You know how Father hates it when I go to the office during the school week because I shouldn't be there, I should be at school getting my education. Well I then explained to him that school had already finished. He looked at me with a 'yeah sure' look on his face. I said really and..." I cut her off there.
"Are you g...going to tell me what's so im...portant?"
"Oh yeah. Well the reason why Father was so glad to see me was because he had some really REALLY good news. He told me that the editor of the New York Sun had contacted him earlier that morning. Some guy named Denton I think." Denton? I think he was the reporter who covered my favorite article.
"Well Father said that this Denton guy told him that he had seen Father's work and really liked it. Here's the really amazing thing. He said he liked it so much that.........he wanted Father to transfer from the Chicago Sun to the New York Sun! Now here's the best part. Father said YES!" Once again her shrieks filled the room. I took it that she was happy that Matthew had taken the job.
"I t...take it you like th..this?" I said looking at her.
"Of course I do. This means a change of sceanery, a change of people......a change in the male population." She said winking at me. 'Oh brother.' I thought.
"So when are we l...leaving?"
"You, Father and I are leaving at the end of this week. Mother will stay here to pack the rest of our things. Can't you imagine New York? The bright street lights, the wonderful stages, the cute boys." She giggled at her last remark. 'More boys on the brain.' I stood up from my bed and walked over to my dresser. I opened the drawer and started to take out my clothing. I went to the closet and brought out a suitcase and placed it on my bed. While I did this, Brina just stared at me.
"What are you doing? Elizabeth will do that for you." Elizabeth was the Monroe's housekeeper. I shook my head.
"I..I.. I want to do th..this myself." My parents had always taught me to do things for myself so I planned on doing that. Brina got tired of watching me pack so she went, flopped on her bed and began reading that day's newspaper. I finished packing my clothes, leaving out articles of clothing that I would wear the next day and the day after which would be the day we would leave. I took out a second suitcase and started to pack my newspapers. Brina stared at me weirdly but I kept packing. These objects were one thing that I definately wanted to pack myself.
By supper time, I had most of the papers packed. I took my favorite one and placed it at the top of the pile. I hear Alice(Mrs. Monroe) call up for supper. I've finished packing so I head downstairs knowing that I'm prepared for my new adventure.