The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 92, July 1988 - April, 1989 Page: 112
682 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
close to this growth that Mrs. Dobie's glorious Texas bluebells had been,
but a giant brush pile was now in their place.
Leaning on the bridge where Mr. Dobie often stood smoking his pipe
and watching Cody and me, I looked into the creek. Its condition did
not encourage the wading I once enjoyed. The bridge footings held
a raft of tree trunks and limbs, grass, leaves, and assorted plastics.
Through the stagnant pool a school of minnows could be seen treading
water. On the north bank of the creek, undergrowth completely ob-
scured beautiful East Woods Park.
In the late 195os, Mr. Dobie was hospitalized with pneumonia, which
ultimately damaged his heart. He returned home without the charac-
teristic vitality. Forbidden to climb stairs or to go outdoors, he was ex-
pected to convalesce in the sunroom. Downstairs bathroom facilities
were minimal, and while he waited for a suitable bathing fixture, he
took his baths with a garden hose in the yard below our kitchen window.
Bathtime coincided with our supper dishwashing. During the first
couple of baths, Betty and I stood mesmerized during his ablutions.
Once we understood the regime, we turned away in the private mo-
ments when the hose was slipped inside his swim trunks.
J. Frank Dobie died during his siesta, September 18, 1964. He had
just perused an advance copy of his latest book, Cow People. Again, as in
the emergencies past, the Kings were the first to reach Mrs. Dobie's
side. That Christmas she inscribed J. Frank Dobie's last book-
Gillis and Betty asked
me to write my name in
this book for Jane . . . As I do
so, I remember, Jane, how
many Christmases Frank
autographed a book for
you and added the title to a
list he kept headed "Jane
King," so that he would
be sure to give you a
different book next time.
Bertha Dobie.112
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 92, July 1988 - April, 1989, periodical, 1989; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101212/m1/139/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.