John H. Rhein, Jr. lived at 1742 Pine Street in Philadelphia.
This handsome residence, a brick townhouse, was erected near Rittenhouse Square about 1800.
(The property is now assessed at more than 2 milion dollars.)
https://www.trulia.com/home/1732-pine-st-philadelphia-pa-19103-10210230
It appears that John Jr. is still a boy, and that he had been ill.
In May of 1908, the boy received a postcard greeting from L. R. Bach.
Mailed from Philadelphia, the postcard seems to have been sent by a neighbor or nearby friend.
The face of the postcard shows a child saying bedtime prayers.
Beside the child, one sees an array of dolls – also on their knees.
Beside the drawing, is a framed verse by Burges Johnson.
Johnson was an author and New York City publisher who was on the faculty of Vassar College.
https://vcencyclopedia.vassar.edu/faculty/prominent-faculty/burges-johnson/
The verse expresses the childish hope that the prayers of the dollies be given preference over the child’s own needs.
Dollies, apparently, need repairs of tears and leaking sawdust -and the improvement of knees and the replacement of hair.
The verse was published in “Everybody’s Magazine” and used with permission of that publisher.
The artist who created the sentimental picture of the child at prayer was Mary Sigsbee Ker.
(Some postcard collectors specialize in the drawings of children by this artist.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ellen_Sigsbee
As we have seen in other examples of postcard art, the copyright (1908) was held by the Campbell Art Company of New York – and not by the artist.
On the reverse, we hear that John had been ill; the sender writes, “Suppose by this time you are entirely well.”
John has a sister, as the sender continues, “Hope little sister didn’t get them.”
All the common diseases of childhood, before vaccinations, were highly contagious.
We don’t know if John had the measles, mumps, chicken pox, or some other ailment.
One hopes that the boy and his sister were enjoying good health and that John was pleased by the postcard greeting.
