Signe and Papa had their birthdays in November and December. Signe recalls: "My special food treat was my favorite, buttermilk soup. I especially remember my ninth birthday, November 1, 1901.

Mama gave me a cotton handkerchief with a fancy border, the picture of a baby tied in a high chair with a string, and the words of this verse on it—

A Little Bit of String
‘I was a little baby not so long ago
They put me in my little crib
And rocked me to and fro;
They fed me with the greatest care,
They danced me and would sing,
And when I sat upon a chair.
They tied me in with string.
Just a little bit of string,
Such a tiny little thing,
Tied as tightly as a string could be.
So that, if I tried to play,
I could never slip away
For they’d got me on a string, you see?’

I have the handkerchief framed as a special treasure to be handed on as an heirloom."