Extravagant Decor and Upscale Dinner

As  you recall, last week we left off with young Betty being dropped off to school by her driver, with plans after school:

Betty Margaret Calkins
in middle - 4 years old

As Betty runs towards the school doors, the wind whips around her and sneaking up her long wool coat, causing chilly drafts to chill her young bones.  Assisted by the wind, she pulls open the door.  In wedge like manner, the wind holds the door open, and rushes in and down the halls.  

Betty turns and looks at the door, for a moment she debates whether she wants to fight the wind, and attempt to close it on her own.  Reluctantly, she drops her books to the side of the hallway, and walks towards the wind tunnel of a door way.

Her small hands grasp the door handle and she starts to pull it shut with all her might.  A gust of wind unexpectedly blows her feet right out from under her.  She's blown right into the door, where she struggles to compose her self in some lady like fashion.  She takes a mental assessment of her predicament and realizes there is no way she could remain lady like.   The next thing she feels is the gnarly wind blowing her coat tails up and over the back of her head - quite a sight for anyone to come upon!  Luckily her mother was well out of view!

The principal, feeling the bitter wind roll through the halls, starts investigating which door is propped open.  As he turns the corner, he notices a student plastered to the doorway by the wind, unable to loosen herself from its forceful grip.  He quickly walks over to her, creating a barrier between her and the wind.  Betty quickly lets go of the door and runs back inside, leaving the principal to fix the wind stuck door.

During the day, the wind blew a snow storm in, coating the ground with a small dusting of snow that blew around in blizzard like fashion in the gusty wind.  Betty would watch from her desk the wind and snow dance together creating swirls and streaks of white for her to be enthralled by.

The school bell rings, finally, it's over. Such anticipation of the evening activities made the day feel longer then ever!  Betty runs out to greet her mother, who was standing by the car door being manned by their driver.  Elizabeth stoops down and wraps her daughter in her arms, protecting her from the windy chill.  Betty hugs her mother back, and questions, "Are we still going to meet dad?"

Marshall Fielding Building

Betty hurriedly climbs into the car, where the warmth from the heater envelopes her and melts any snow.  She quickly pulls her hat off, letting her hair remain fashionably messy.

Elizabeth gently climbs in after Betty, being sure to straighten her dress as she sits, as to keep it relatively wrinkle free.  She fixes her wind distressed hair and says, "Well of course darling, he's expecting us."

The driver, again, maneuvers himself through the cold wind as quickly as possible, being careful to not lose his balance as he rounds the driver side of the car.  He climbs behind the steering wheel and negotiates the Lincoln towards the highway, en route to the immaculate Marshall Fielding Building in downtown Chicago, where Betty's Dad, William's, office was located.
 
The Driver pulls up to the front entrance of the Marshall Fielding Building, where they are greeted with opulence and high class.  Betty scrambles out of the Lincoln, and quickly asks, "Mom, can we go look at the windows?"  Pointing her index finger towards the nearest window, she utters in excitement, "Look, they've just changed them."

Elizabeth, who too enjoys the scenes created in the windows, especially this time.  "I think that'd be a great idea.  How about you make sure to keep with me and not run off? "

Passersby admiring the windows at the
Marshall Fielding Building

The Christmas theme windows always conjure up images of Santa Claus, elves, toys, and new Christmas fashions.   Oh what a dreamy evening it was going to be, thought Elizabeth.  Her daughter, and her walking through the breezy snow that just fell a few hours ago.  Both of them enjoying the scenes before them, created in Christmas fashion, with an air of generosity cloaking them.  

After walking outside the building for a few minutes, the chilly air soon became too much for the ladies.  They decide to go inside and make their way to dinner.   Upon entering, Elizabeth had to remind Betty that ladies don't run in stores, especially in the Marshall Fielding Building.

Betty excitedly asks, "Are we going to take the escalator?"  She continues in child like excitement, "I love the escalator, it's so fun."

Elizabeth calmly reminds Betty that they don't need to take the escalator since they aren't going upstairs.  (The Marshall Fielding Building was the first ever building to have an escalator).

Escalator inside
Marshall Fielding 

Oh, how Betty (like all children) loves riding the escalator.  If only she could run fast enough from her mom, she could run over their, ride it up and back down.  If she were fast enough, she'd never know.  If only...

Betty and Elizabeth walk through the high end departments housed in the Marshall Fielding Building.  The dresses and fabric smelled of rich tapestry, silky softness, and handcrafted strength.  If they hadn't already had plans, Elizabeth would have stopped, admired, touched, caressed, tried on, even bought one or two of the new dresses they just walked by.

Young Betty's eyes glaze over with excitement as the best department in the entire building comes into view - the largest toy department in America.  A place where every child immediately falls madly, deeply, in love - the place where dreams come true.

Toy department inside Marshall Fielding

Dolls of all kinds, toys of every size and color could be found here.  If you couldn't find a toy in here, then that toy didn't exist.  Betty crooks her head around like an owl as they walk away - keeping the toys in sight, wishing with all her might that they could go in.  For if she could, she would touch, dance, hug, and bring to life the newest doll of her dreams. However, she watches, hawk like, as they walk by.  The doll sitting there, waiting for her - until another day.

Elizabeth and Betty enter the airy, bright, large atria found inside the Marshall Fielding Building.  Elizabeth sees her husband sitting, reserving their table for an early dinner.  As the two ladies cross the floor, William stands.  As the ladies come upon their table, he pulls out a chair and in gentleman like fashion, helps Elizabeth take a seat.  He then turns to his little lady, Betty, and does the same.  This time Betty giggles with pleasure at the sight of her father and says, "Hi daddy, how was your day?"

Betty, an only child, was well taken care of and pampered (at times) by her parents.  She knew riches and luxuries that most of us will never know - a life far grander then most, filled with etiquette, manners, and high society.  The life that one dreams about...