Landfill Fodder

 

 Landfill Fodder

I found several old books like this in a tumbledown house on a farm that  I was invited to walk before the land was cleared of trees, antique farm equipment, and two old houses. The place proved to provide a treasure trove of stories over the years.

Many of the books were moldy; the pages stuck together until I dried them in the sun several days. I carefully pulled the pages apart that I could; these were just a sampling, poor as they are.

 

I think "Jack and Alice" preceded "Dick and Jane." This page reads 'ORAL EXERCISES.' "How many persons do you see in this picture?" "Is the boy's name Jack?" "Is the girl's name Alice?" "Jack is Alice's brother." "What relation is Alice to Jack?"

"Where is Alice sitting? What does she hold in her lap? What is she doing?Is Jack sitting or standing? What is he doing? How does he do it? What other way is there of spinning a top? What are growing beside the bench? Are the leaves large or small? What is the color of the leaves? What else do you see on the plants besides leaves? What color do you think the colors are? Do the flowers look beautiful? Do flowers smell sweet? Do you think all flowers have a pleasant smell?"

One of the postcards, second to the lower left corner depicts a soldier of the Spanish American War.