In the early 20th century, Mr. B. F. Hartman taught school in several places of south-central Pennsylvania.
We saw appreciative greetings to Mr. Hartman in earlier postcard stories:
“Appreciation for a Teacher” and “An Alpine Church for Mr. Hartman”.
In November of 1910, Mr. Hartman was teaching school in Chambersburg – a borough and county seat of Franklin County in south-central PA.
In the Cumberland Valley of the Appalachian Mountains, and 13 miles north of the Maryland border, Chambersburg grew up around a saw mill and grist mill built by a Scottish immigrant in 1730.
The Great Wagon Road extended through the area in 1742, and Chambersburg then lay on the path of western migration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambersburg,_Pennsylvania
Mr. Hartman, while in Chambersburg, received another postcard from a pupil, Rhea Patterson.
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The postcard was addressed in care of the “National Hotel”, so it appears that Mr. Hartman was lodging temporarily.
(The National Hotel, with elevators, a dining room, and several rooms with private baths, had just opened some months earlier in 1910.)
It may be that Mr. Hartman was new to the area or had just accepted this teaching assignment.
At the hotel in Chambersburg, Mr. Hartman received a postcard from his pupil, Rhea Patterson.
The face of the postcard is a lovely drawing of pink roses.
One blossom lies on the surface of the table, while another two blossoms stand in an enameled cup or vase with two handles.
A bud stands ready to open.
A greeting of “Best Wishes” is printed above the flowery scene.
There is a numerical notation in the lower left of the face, but no attribution to a postcard artist.
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On the reverse, Rhea greets Mr. Hartman as “Dear Teacher”.
She reports, “I am enjoying myself at Grandpa’s.
The postcard was mailed from Chambersburg, so Rhea had not moved far away.
It may be that she had missed a school day or was explaining her absence from class.
In any event, Mr. Hartman preserved the postcard among the many other tributes to his professional skill.
One hopes that Rhea continued to enjoy school and that Mr. Hartman inspired affection and gratitude from many students.
