Minnie Irene Davis Autobiography
Photo courtesy of Davis Erhardt Collection The following is a reprint of an
autobiography by Minnie Irene Davis, in the Davis House of Coram. The
autobiography was submitted on December 17, 1932 as part
of the requirements for a course in Written English
(Section 011.2) at New York University's Washington
Square College. Submitted to Professor Boardman at NYU,
the autobiographical paper received a grade of A. |
| In the little town of
Coram, Long Island, at the end of a raging March
blizzard, Minnie Irene Davis first opened her eyes on a
snow-white world. She was the first baby in the family so her arrival was anxiously awaited. This child, born of young and healthy parents was strong, active, and vigorous. Her pre-school days werer spent in happy play in the home and about the farm. Her parents were kind and sympathetic and never interfered with her adventurous pranks. Left to her own discretion, she scaled all the buildings except the barn and on a rope swing performed many a circus trick. At an early age she attended the district school. The school, although not a "little red one," had all the one-room characteristics- creaky floors- and old iron stove- and in winter an "iced-over" water pail. Books were meager and the teachers ill qualified, but oblivious to all this, she loved those first school days. After school there were certain task, such as filling the wood-box and hunting eggs, but when these chores were done her time was her own. In autumn there were great brown chestnuts to gather- in winter frozen ponds on which to skate, and in spring bicycles to ride along a winding pathyway. When Irene was twelve years old her parents sent her to Brooklyn to live with her matrnal grandmother who had generoulsy offered to assume responsibility of her education. Her grandmother lived in one of those big brown stone houses. The child from the first day hated that house. Everytime she swung open the iron basement door she felt shut in and oppresssed. She also detested the walled-in play-ground of the public school. After a severe attack of nostalgia she became ill. The grandmother realizing the uselessness of either trying to content or "educate" her, sent her home. To this day Irene has an aversion to all "brown stone fronts." She loathes their sameness - drabness and cellar like smell. Her next educational venture was her enrollment in high school in the town of Port Jefferson which was seven miles distant. Though money was limited her father willingly agreed to board her in the village during the week. Early each Monday morning in windy, snowy, or rainy weather he drove her into town and every Friday night found him and Prince waiting patiently at the school-house door. The climax of her high school days was of course, her graduation. As she looks back on it now the thing that looms brightest on that eventful night was a bouquet of American Beauties given her by her most ardent admirer who (if the truth be told) shortly forgot her for one fairer and more brilliant. After high school, Irene, together with her sister entered Normal school. In the sleepy little village of New Paltz in sight of the lovely Shawangunk Mountains, the sisters spent two happy years. The trips to Mohonk in laurel time when the woods were decked in various shades of pink and rose are still vivid memories. She excelled but in one thing and that was gymnastics. Due to early training she was quite expert in all apparatus work. She had a little flair for acting and once played a leading role in a sorority play. Her teaching experience since school days has paralleled that of many other teachers. By several changes from smaller places to larger she had advanced gradually in position and salary. For some years now she has been located in Yonkers where she is able to take advantage of the educational opportunities of New York. An adequate salary has enabled her and her sister to furnish and maintain an apartment together. During the last few years they have also enjoyed two trips to the Western coast and one abroad. As to sports- she likes best of all- skating. On cold frosty nights every frozen pond offers a challenge. she also enjoys a game of tennis but in this is not at all proficient. the game in which she can excel is croquet (It's so out-dated she hesitates to mention it). In the summerof 1930 in the Luxembourg Gardens she noted some old men playing this ancient game. she literally ached to grab a mallet and execute one of her devastating crack shots. She has always been interested in reading. Her favorite modern authors are Galsworthy, Walpole, Willa Cather and Ellen Glasgow. the poet she enjoys most is Robert Frost. She admires his simplicity and likes the every day things he writes about. One of his poems which makes a strong appeal to her is, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." When teaching days are over she plans to spend the long summer months in the home where she was born. Perhaps then leisure time will be an actuality. She hopes to be able to read, motor, swim, and maybe once again try her hand at croquet. She even dreams (that is if she is thrifty and this depression doesn't last too long) that she may sometime spend a winter in sunny Italy or along the coast of southern France. |
