this is an excerpt from an article of an historical
account of the gentile Victorian ladies that use to
inhabit Pacific Grove, California. Pacific Grove bills
itself as the Last Hometown because it was the last
dry town on the west coast (until 1969)
Monterey Herald Feb.13,2006:
Mrs. Swann lived up 18th above Laurel, brown
shingles, a ratty palm tree in the front yard, and a
jungle of split leaf philodendron in the entry hall.
The place was always stuffy hot, gas heater hissing in
the corner, horehound in the cut glass candy dish on
the doily covered table, and a cat, of course,
sleeping on a love seat near the window.
I would have forgotten all this except for the
icon on the fireplace mantle. A clear glass bottle
about six inches tall, formaldehyde, and her dead
mother's ring finger, complete with wedding ring. It
was tied with a small bow at the base, and a pale
fingernail at the top. No flowers to soften the image,
no picture of the departed, just an otherwise bare
mantle with Mama's digit...
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