The black rotary phone hung on the wall beside the living room door leading into the kitchen. We were forbidden to touch it! The only exception is when Daddy called. This was way before "Caller ID", but Daddy had developed a system. He would call, hang up after one ring, and call again. When we heard this pattern, we were allowed to answer the phone.
We were on a "Party Line" with three or four other families. If you picked up the phone while they were using it, you could listen to their conversation. The temptation to pick up the forbidden phone often became too great. When I would lift the receiver, I could hear the voices chattering. Suddenly one of the voices would say, "I think someone just picked up!" I would hang up and quickly look around wondering if they knew it was me!
I remember once when Mama needed to make a call. She picked up the phone but respectfully hang it back up. Someone else was using it. A few minutes later, she put the receiver to her ear, listened a moment and hang up. They were still on the line. She repeated this several times, she became agitated. She sternly spoke into the phone, "Someone else needs to use the phone", and she slammed it down causing the phone to ring loudly. It had to have burst their eardrums. It rang in my ears from the next room! The next time she picked up the phone she heard the dial tone and made her call.
Among the "Christian Graces" Peter said in 2 Peter 1:6 "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;" Somewhere between "Knowledge" and "Patience" Mama lost her "Temper - ance"!
We were on a "Party Line" with three or four other families. If you picked up the phone while they were using it, you could listen to their conversation. The temptation to pick up the forbidden phone often became too great. When I would lift the receiver, I could hear the voices chattering. Suddenly one of the voices would say, "I think someone just picked up!" I would hang up and quickly look around wondering if they knew it was me!
I remember once when Mama needed to make a call. She picked up the phone but respectfully hang it back up. Someone else was using it. A few minutes later, she put the receiver to her ear, listened a moment and hang up. They were still on the line. She repeated this several times, she became agitated. She sternly spoke into the phone, "Someone else needs to use the phone", and she slammed it down causing the phone to ring loudly. It had to have burst their eardrums. It rang in my ears from the next room! The next time she picked up the phone she heard the dial tone and made her call.
Among the "Christian Graces" Peter said in 2 Peter 1:6 "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;" Somewhere between "Knowledge" and "Patience" Mama lost her "Temper - ance"!