A little book popped up in my top bureau "treasure" drawer, a very short story handwritten and bound by Mim to honor a special day and time.
It took me back to July 4th week, 1976,
when the three of us Lockhart ladies hot footed it down to Philadelphia eight
(8!) times over seven days.
It was not planned. The first time we headed down was an
evening. The three of us sitting around
the living room at 2501 Woodland Road, having a wonderful time with Ian Cole,
who was just a toddler, and watching Channel 6's coverage of the special
Mummer's Parade, which was just starting its way up the Parkway.
The
reporter said, "This is a GLORIOUS sight. If you can, come on down!"
That was all we needed to hear. We piled into the van and Mim had us downtown
in no
time.
I would not have missed that experience for
the world (remember, I was just a kid of 66).
Ian, enjoying a front row seat in his stroller, thought it was all for
him and him alone. That is what I
remember most - the look of complete delight on that little boys face.
We went down every day, twice on one
day. On the actual 4th, which fell on a
Sunday, we went to the Du Pont Hotel for a spectacular brunch, then to
Philadelphia for the rest of the day.
They set off fireworks from the tops of building on three sides of
Independence Mall. I have never seen
anything to come close to touching it. Just
as wonderful as the fireworks and more genuinely awesome was the short shower
we had that afternoon that ended up in a double rainbow over the Delaware. God's very own light show!
We were surprised on how painless the drive
home was - people who had gone to Willow Grove for fireworks, who thought we
were nuts to battle the Philadelphia traffic, got home long after we did!!
As for our hometown celebration, we did not miss a thing, since Bryn Athyn – like many towns – delayed whoop-dee-doing until the next day. Thank goodness our nation's 200th birthday fell on a Sunday!
As for our hometown celebration, we did not miss a thing, since Bryn Athyn – like many towns – delayed whoop-dee-doing until the next day. Thank goodness our nation's 200th birthday fell on a Sunday!
Just Mim and Elsa got down for what she
wrote the short story about. The visit
of the Queen of England and Prince Philip to Philadelphia. I remember Mim describing the shock she felt
when she looked at the yacht Britannia and realized the royal standard was
flying over the Delaware River instead of over Buckingham Palace. That made it real.
Anyhow, this is the story Mim wrote about
it. It is dear to my heart and, I am
sure, will be to Paddington lovers everywhere (Mim really caught Michael Bond's
style).
PADDINGTON
ABROAD
Paddington scurried along behind
the crowd. He was trying desperately to
keep up although he had nary a clue where they were going or what they would
see. All he knew was that if he was lost
in this big city it would be quite nasty.
And he was grumpy about having to leave his vegetable garden. It did need weeding so!
Everyone was hurrying,
hurrying. Their legs could take it in
stride, but Paddington's were growing tender.
He was beginning to wish they would stop.
It was bad enough to run along the
bumpy sidewalks; now they were in a
construction area. Up and over, around
and under ~ WHEW!
By the time they had reached Front
Street, the dust and heat were choking and burning him. "Bother," puffed Paddington.
All of a sudden, they came to a
dead halt, smack up against a large wall.
"Hmmm," mused Paddington, "They do have odd ideas of
sights in America."
However, he was aware of a great
excitement all around him, and snatches of strange phrases - "There she
is!" "She's
lovely!" "I'll take him any
day."
Slowly, it dawned on Paddington
that perhaps there was something on the other side of the wall. But no one was paying any attention to him,
which was distressing.
Accidentally-on-purpose, he trod on
Elsa's toes.
"Ouch," exclaimed Elsa,
glancing down at Paddington. "Oh
dear, excuse me, you can't see way down there."
Elsa lifted him up onto the
wall. He stood stock still with his
mouth wide open. Mercy me! Mercy me!
He could only stare.
Way out, across a huge road, riding
at anchor at Penn's Landing, was the Britannia.
Snapping in the wind, high about the deck on the main mast, flew the
royal standard.
Paddington stared. Suddenly, Elsa picked him off the wall and
ran to a low barricade. She put him down
and shoved a small Union Jack into his hand.
They were just in time! Along the road roared a brace of
motorcycles. Following close behind the
motorcycles came a big black car full of somber men.
"How delightful," thought Paddington. "A parade!"
Further down the way, another big
car, with flags on it, was slowly progressing.
As it slunk past Paddington, he suddenly raised his flag and saluted.
The Queen smiled a warm smile. It wasn't every day that she was greet to a
big city by a small English bear with tears in his eyes, his hat over his
heart, and the British flag held solidly aloft.
******* Mim
concluded with the postscript
"To commemorate the visit of Her Royal Majesty Elizabeth II July 6, 1976, in honor of the 200th
anniversary of the birth of a new nation, the free and United States of
America, on July 4th 1776."
The little book was unillustrated, but I can
see it all in my heart. All these years
later, that little story and all that went with it brings happy tears to my
eyes.
Lots of love to all & sundry -
Mim's Mom
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