Her chestnut tresses were wild and tangled even though she combed her hair the night before. The pins needed to keep the strands in place had to fight with the weight of her thick mane. Even so, the dark hazel of her eyes served as a perfect complement to those strands of burnished tones. 

" Libby, the oatmeal is ready, just help yourself," her mother declared.

Libby's white bowl and spoon were carefully placed near the black coal stove. The breakfast was simmering through the night and was still warm. It was Monday morning and Libby's mother was scrubbing white clothes on the washboard. She was preparing the laundry so that she could hang it out to dry on the line up on the roof of her tenement. Libby dished out her breakfast and sat at the kitchen table. 

It was six in the morning and Libby was dressed to go to the loft to work. Her white, high collared blouse was starched and pressed by her mother. Her brown long skirt displayed four buttons in the front for design and function making it was easy to slip into. She had polished her oxblood, high button shoes the night before and was just about to put them on when she walked to her front window and looked out. She saw a man with a crop of dark hair, about medium height and build, scurrying along. He was dressed in dark, cotton work clothes and heavy boots. This was not an unusual sight as much construction was going on in the city.


Libby continued dressing and moved to her bedroom to unhook her tan cotton jacket. She washed her face in the kitchen sink and proceeded to leave for work. The streets were busy, always busy and dusty. Clothes and shoes had to be brushed off every evening to be presentable each morning. Men dressed in brown and navy blue suits mixed with laborers in coarse work clothes. Pushcarts snaked in and around the streets selling fruits and fresh vegetables. Others overflowed with bolts of brightly colored cloth and ivory muslin, along with thread and buttons. Libby could only glance at these wares, as she was off to work. Her place of employment was located in a loft a few city blocks from her apartment. She had completed the eighth grade and was encouraged to find a job, as her father had died only a few years before. Earnings averaged $5.00 per week or more if you surpassed the factory quotas. Libby hurried toward her workplace, as she did not want to be late. Upon arrival, she sat at the assigned sewing machine and waited for the bundles of work to be brought to each of the workers, which consisted mostly of women.

A brick building housed her place of business. The loft was quite dusty, as it seemed every place was in those days. The windows were kept shut and grimy as not to be a distraction to the workers because they had to concentrate on each piece of fabric. Short pieces of black, blue and gray threads swirled around the machines as they hummed. Once a week, on Saturdays the loft was swept so that the bits of fabric and thread did not interfere with the work at hand. Sundays were the only days off for most of the garment workers. It was a welcomed respite from the pressure to keep up with the sewing quotas. 

Libby always looked forward to Sundays for that reason and another one. It was the only day of rest most people she knew enjoyed. Libby dressed in her only other outfit, somewhat dressier than her work skirt and blouse. Her mother cleaned and neatly pressed a navy blue full skirt and light blue blouse with lace trim for the Sabbath and other special occasions. Libby made this herself using scraps and other material left over from her daily work. She and her mother went to Church services and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

It was a change of pace in their lives. Libby's mother prepared a one-pot supper of pot roast, carrots and potatoes in the morning and placed it on the stove in a black, iron Dutch oven to simmer so it would be ready later on in the day. They spent a few hours at morning Church services. Then they returned home.

This particular Sunday Libby wanted to take a walk because the weather was warm and sunny. Her mother wished to remain at home reading her Bible. Libby bid her mother goodbye and set out alone to walk a few blocks. There were many people milling about; they were chatting with friends or buying food from the pushcart vendors. Libby spotted that young man with the full head of dark hair she had seen earlier in the week. Only this time he was dressed in a brown suit; he certainly looked more prosperous, she thought.

As she rounded the corner to return to her home, she overheard a few men speaking a foreign language behind her. They were laughing and enjoying themselves. She turned around to see them and she saw that man again. He was one of the three she had just overheard. They nodded to her and she quickly turned to look forward as she did not know them; unescorted women did not strike up conversations with strangers. Libby hurried back to her kitchen door after she bought a nickel newspaper. 

"How was your walk dear?” queried her mother.

"Fine, What a beautiful day, I am glad I went." She responded.

" Dinner will be ready at 4:00. Take a rest," reminded her mother.

Libby ambled from the kitchen through her bedroom and her mother's, then on to the parlor at the front of the apartment. These were what people refer to as railroad rooms as there was no hallway. This room contained a small tan sofa and a wooden rocking chair with a brown and deep rose tapestry cushion. She sat down on the sofa and began to read the newspaper. It was a wonderfully warm spring day especially now that the sunlight was streaming through the windows. The curlicue designs of the lace curtains made the light dance around the room. As she watched her mind trailed off and drifted toward the image of the young men she glimpsed by chance. Her reverie was broken by the sound of her mother calling her for dinner. Libby stood up and walked back through the rooms to the kitchen. Her mother had placed a white tablecloth on the table with her grandmother's rose tipped dishes and silver. It was a typical Sunday tradition. The roast was sliced and carefully arranged with the potatoes and carrots on a large platter. The women sat in silence and ate their dinner. Then Libby cleared the table and washed the dishes, leaving them on the sideboard.

There was a knock at the door, just as Libby finished with her chore. She asked who it was before opening. It was Jack Sullivan, a friend of the Browns. His family had known Libby's for a very long time. Jack stood about five feet, ten inches tall. He had wavy, sandy colored hair and dark blue eyes. He was not the serious type as he was always laughing or smiling. Libby was happy to see him. They chatted about the week for about ten minutes. He mentioned a few of the recent immigrants who worked on his crew. Jack was working as a foreman on a construction crew and was describing the work they were doing. He spoke of a particular blasting incident.

“We thought we lost him," he said somberly. "Then he sauntered out of the blasting pit, a little shaken but alive. We were all amazed that he was OK. He dusted himself off, took a drink of water and went back to work. I think his name is Gaetano.” 

Libby listened intently. The construction of the subway system was rumored to be quite dangerous. Yet there was plenty of work if a person was willing to work hard. Jack turned his attention to Libby's mother. He asked if he could speak to her. Libby called to her mother. When Mrs. Brown came into the kitchen, Jack proceeded to ask her a startling question. 

"Mrs. Brown, I would like to court your daughter. Would it be acceptable to you?"  He asked in a quiet manner.

Libby was as surprised as her mother. Mrs. Brown took a few minutes to respond and then said, "Yes." 

Libby was speechless. She had known Jack since they were children and considered him a good friend. She did not know how to respond. Jack looked at her with an intensity that she had never noticed before. Then he motioned that he would be leaving.

"Libby, I would like to call on you next weekend. See you then." She was in a trance. What could she say? What could she do? She could not answer because she was unprepared. When Jack was out of earshot, Mrs. Brown asked Libby, "What do you think about this? You are of the right age to be looking for a husband. Jack is a good man and is a friend of the family; his family was so good to us when Papa died. Maybe the time has come."

Libby was still in shock. She just did not think of Jack as a suitor, not that she had many knocking on her door. She told her mother, "I will think about it."

As the ease of Sunday ended and she was preparing her clothes for the next day, Libby could only think of Jack's question. What had prompted this? She wondered. Was it his age? Jack was a few years older than she was. Was it his family? Were they exerting pressure on him to find a suitable wife? She certainly did not know, but she had to think about her feelings for him. Up until now they were friends and enjoyed each other's company. Was that enough for a marriage? She really was not sure. She had to sort out her feelings. She washed up before bed and thought of the monotony of the workweek. She had difficulty going to sleep that night but then decided to put all of this out of her mind until she could think of all the possibilities. Her week began as always.

On the following Wednesday, Jack stopped in to see her after dinner and asked Libby's mother if he could come by on Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Brown shook her head, "Of course", and invited him to dinner that day, which he readily accepted. Libby smiled as Jack bid goodbye. She thought about how her life could change now that she was formally being courted. Would she accept a proposal if it was given? Libby was not sure.

The workweek was uneventful and went slowly. Finally Sunday arrived and Jack came to Libby's apartment promptly at 1:00 in the afternoon. The three had the same dinner Mrs. Brown usually made on Sundays. The roast always tasted like a special meal because they usually ate vegetable soup most of the time.


As Jack was leaving he asked Libby if she would accompany him to a dance at St. Malachy's, the following Saturday. Libby nodded in agreement. Then he asked Mrs. Brown's permission to take Libby to the dance. Libby's mother said, "Of course."


The couple said their goodbyes and agreed on a 7:00 meeting the following Saturday night. Libby was so excited about the prospect of going to a dance. It would be her first. She tried to keep her mind on sewing all week because the dancing had to wait. She asked her mother to press her dress clothes so she would be ready for the big day. Saturday arrived and Libby took time after she returned from work to brush her hair and pin the wild tendrils back. Mrs. Brown helped Libby with her skirt and blouse. Then she said, "Libby, I have been patiently waiting for your first dance. This gold locket was given to me by my mother the first time your Papa came courting. I now want you to wear it."

"Mama, it is beautiful. Thank you. I don't ever want to take it off."

"Wear it in good health. Your Papa would have been so proud, too."

When Jack arrived, Libby was both excited and melancholy, thinking of her Dad. She allowed only her excitement to show through. They went off to the dance, which wasn't far from her house. Upon arriving, Jack became animated while talking to his many friends. He introduced her to all of them. There were many young people there. Several of the men worked on Jack's crew and spoke English with a distinctly Italian or Eastern far from her house.

Libby was having difficulty keeping track of the names and faces, except for Gaetano, because she had seen him on the street. She remembered that he had survived a bad underground accident. She found him intriguing because he was handsome but she could hardly understand him when he spoke. Once when Jack was chatting in the corner with his friends, Gaetano took her hand and asked her to dance with him. She accepted but she did not like the way he held her waist so tightly. Then he brushed her lips with his; she was a little surprised and not at all happy. She thought that Gaetano was interesting but out of her league.

At work, she could not socialize, as there was always a supervisor there to remind the worker why she was at the loft. So this was fun. The end of the dance came too quickly, thought Libby. She kept her sights on Jack. Libby learned to dance the waltz that evening. She did not know how to dance before and became was a willing student, eager to learn. Jack was a good teacher, patient and kind. She found that she enjoyed every minute of the evening. Jack was attentive even though he spoke to his friends and she met few girls who seemed friendly. 

Soon they were back on the street walking toward Libby's place. Before they arrived home, Jack asked Libby, "Did you have a good time?"

She said, “ I truly enjoyed the evening."

"Good, we can do this again if you like," Jack said, pleased with her answer.

Jack left Libby at her door and said that he would stop by the next day after dinner. Before he left he kissed her on the cheek, and then on the lips. She was surprised how much she liked being close to him. She felt a little dizzy. The feeling went away, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. He arrived the next day and sat with Libby in the parlor or took her for walks around the city nearly every Sunday after that. Periodically, they went to other dances at local churches. Those evenings were the most exciting to Libby. She enjoyed the dancing as well as the interaction with other young people. 

Months later Jack proposed after he respectfully asked Mrs. Brown for her hand in marriage. Libby was ready to accept by that time. She found that Jack was easy to talk to and be with. She had met Jack's family as a friend before and now it was different. She was introduced as his betrothed. 

Their wedding day was set for the beginning of December. Libby's mother had started a small hope chest for her when she was a little girl. Its contents consisted of linens, pillowcases and tablecloths. Libby had seen these before but had not shown much interest until now. The pillowcases were embroidered with pink flowers entwined in an oval leaf pattern. The tablecloths showed a similar design. Mrs. Brown began placing more practical things in the chest like a few pots and some silverware. Libby was grateful for the goods. She added some scraps of discarded fabric she brought from the loft.

As the date approached, Mrs. Brown was busy making sure that the apartment was sparkling clean. Libby would be dressed in her blue blouse and skirt. The couple would live with Mrs. Brown in Libby's room.

The morning of the wedding the couple went to city hall for the civil ceremony and then to St. Malachy's for the religious one in the afternoon. Jack's parents, brothers, and sister attended, as did Mrs. Brown. Then the entire party returned to Libby's apartment. The women sliced a ham and roast beef with care and presented them along with the potato salad, green beans and sliced bread on the kitchen table. Birch beer and beer were served as drinks for the celebration. Mrs. Brown's famous spice cake was saved for dessert. There was much laughter and a few toasts by Jack's brothers. 

"Here’s to Jack and Libby, may you have a long life and many faces to feed!

“May your union bring good fortune! “?

"Here, here," agreed the revelers.

The guests brought many practical and special gifts: a china teapot ringed with roses, cotton dishtowels, a small mahogany table, two crystal oil lamps and a set of white muslin sheets. The bride and groom were pleased with the celebration and the gifts. The guests left about 10:00 in the evening, after helping Mrs. Brown clean up. She then retired for the night to give the bride and groom some privacy. Libby was a little apprehensive about her wedding night; she did not really know what to expect. Earlier she tried to seek advice from her mother but her mom kept repeating that everything would work out. "How will that happen?” Libby thought.

She needn't have fussed. Jack was patient and they talked during most of the night. When the time came, Libby was ready and unafraid. She was now a married woman. 

During the first few months of being married, Libby had decided that she made a wise decision.