THE SEVENTH'S STAGHOUND

My Mother taught me to read when I was 4. When I hit Kindergarten (no pre-school in those days) I could read. The school told me I was reading using the wrong method, and that I shouldn't read until they taught me to do it properly. I was hysterical. Once you can read, how do you unread? And if you can read, how can it be the wrong way? My Mother just laughed and went to visit them at the school and that was the last I heard about not being allowed to read until I could read.

Back in those days the Libraries had "branches". Down the street and around a couple of corners lived the "Waveland Branch Library". It was small, but it was a world.

I practically lived in the Library. I believe I got a Library card before I was actually supposed to. I think I had to read something to the Librarian to prove I really could read; Mother standing in the background, armed crossed, watching. Otherwise, as I recall, you had to wait until you were six. Mother and I would walk to the Library and I would come home loaded with the 6 books I was allowed to take out. Two days later I would be back for more. I practically ate books.

But I had a children's card. I was allowed only those books marked for children. I can tell you how the Library was laid out. You walked in the door which faced University Avenue, and to your immediate right was the Librarians desk. To the left were the beginnings of my world: the children's books. They ran down the wall to the corner, around the corner to the door at the back of the Library. On the other side of the door began the Adult books, where I was not to go.

Near the back wall of the children's section was a round table, with books on it, where you could sit and read if you wanted to. There were some tables on the adult side as well. (There was almost always a book on the round table  called THE BLIND PONY which I refused to read, never did.)

Nearest the front the books were easy: they got harder to read as you approached the back door. About midway along the Children's wall was history, and I mention this because it was a book I found here that started all this nostalgia. A book with a red cover and crossed sabers on the front by Fairfax Downey and illustrated by Paul Brown (not the football coach) titled:
THE SEVENTH'S STAGHOUND. A discussion with my husband about George Armstrong Custer is what started this, and what dogs he had, and whether the dogs went into battle with him (yes) and what they were ( not one single breed but several--some were Lurchers, some were "staghounds"-- usually a cross between Deerhounds, Wolfhounds and possibly Greyhounds. Looking  at a photo I found of Custer with his two dogs, the Staghounds were mostly like a deerhound cross, altho there is a greyhound clearly in the photo.) and that is what sparked my hunt for the book.

And I wanted to know: did I make that up? I could, in my head, see the illustrations quite easily. Paul Brown illustrated at least 50% of the dog and horse books I ate up as a kid. I have collected some. I didn't make it up. There it was on Alibris.com, for $20 bucks.

I probably will not buy it. Knowing it is there is fine. It is described as having a red cover with crossed sabers on it. I may forget who my children are, but I will always remember a good book about a dog or horse.


(Custer in Montana, 1876)