Marie's Beloved Cedar Chest

Marie has been very ill the last few weeks, so I was absolutely delighted this morning when she was bright and alert. She told me a story I had not heard before and in great detail.
Marie is a person that likes things just so and do not change things, please. Her chair sits just inches from her cedar chest. The cedar chest is parallel to the window. Marie can look out her window and reach a  multitude of important things that sit on top of an afghan that covers her cedar chest.
Not long ago I told my husband that Heaven help the poor souls that ever have to move that cedar chest because several times a week I ask her where this or that is and she answers, "in the cedar chest."
She also tells stories and then adds, "I have that program or that knick-knack in the cedar chest."
Over the years I have taken for granted that the cedar chest was a private haven of memories for Marie.
This morning I asked her where she got her cedar chest. The story began....
"I was born and raised in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and that's where I bought my cedar chest." I asked many questions and got great answers. Her father did not know she was going to buy the chest. She spent her whole paycheck on it; $25.00. I asked her if her mother went with her. She said, "No my sister did." I am printing her answers like she gave them to me in simple few word sentences.
I asked, "did the store deliver it"" She chuckled and said, "No." So silly me said, "did you have a car?" She said, "no, we didn't have a car until I was 20." So I said, "How did you get it home?"
Marie told me that after she had picked out her chest, the sales clerk said, "You go home and get your money and come back in half an hour and you can take it home."
She and her sister took a wagon that belonged to her father and went down the hill to the furniture store and loaded it up and took it home. Her father was not happy that he didn't get her money that week. He could not understand why she needed it. She told him that she had made so many things that her dresser drawers were all full.
I have mentioned before that she had cousins that were very jealous of what Marie made and possessions that she had. As soon as they found out that Marie had a cedar chest the rumor mill started flying. They wanted to know who gave that cedar chest to Marie and now she really thought she was something.
Finally Marie's mother stepped in and told them no one had given her that cedar chest. She had worked for the money and bought it with her own hard earned money. She did not want to hear another word about it.
I was so pleased when Marie told me that. As the oldest living child, a lot of responsibility was put on her shoulders. Even though she lived a life many of us would not put up with in this day and age, she told me that it made her tough and prepared her for what her life away from home brought to pass.
An interesting note: Marie's $25,00 in 1938 now has the buying power of $427.99 in 2018.
I cannot believe I didn't take a picture of the cedar chest. When you see the pictures someone is always sitting on it. That's why I show the two pictures in this post. Marie always had it covered with two afghans to keep it safe.
March 2019 Tina Lizotte, Marie's granddaughter took Marie's cedar chest to Texas to remain in the family. In the cedar chest I made sure that the original tags were still inside.