I picked up this charming little piece (I refer of course to the book) at a church bazaar recently, the location of which may serve as a blog in itself. It makes most intriguing reading and even though it was published away back in 1897, there are some surprising modern touches to it and I am barely a quarter of the way through it.
Opening statement: 'Can anything in the world be nicer than a really nice girl? She is full of contradictions and often "set with little wilful thorns," but where would her charm be if she were plainly to be read by all comers?'
Page 2. 'The happy girls of the century-end have not such good reason for wishing to be boys as their mothers, and more still their grandmothers, had in their young days.'
Page 4 ['The girl of to-day], very often ignores the needle of ordinary life, and her thimble knows her so little that it will not come when it is called. ..[On the other hand] the best and the nicest of our ...girls can use the needle quite as cleverly as they can wield a pair of sculls or handle the reins or manage a bicycle.'
Watch this space for more gems!
2 comments:
Does this book in all its wisdom advise on how to address her elders who are not her relatives?!
I was given "Don'ts for Wives" as an anniversary present! I'm not quite sure what to make of that ... !! Here are a few snippets (in no particular order, other than as I find them):
* Don't vegetate as you grow older if you happen to live in the country. Some women are like cows, but there is really no need to stagnate. Keep both brain and body on the move.
* Don't check your husband's high spirits. Let him sing at the top of his voice in the bathroom, or whistle out of tune on the stairs, and be thankful for a cheerful man about the house.
* Don't let your husband sharpen lead pencils all over your drawing room carpet. He will be none the happier for it, and the carpet will suffer as well as the maid's temper.
* Don't be out if you can help it when your husband gets home after his day's work.
* Don't let him have to search the house for you. Listen for his latch-key and meet him at the threshold.
* Don't omit the kiss of greeting. It cheers a man when he is tired to feel that his wife is glad to see him home.
* Don't talk to your husband about anything of a worrying nature until he has finished his evening meal.
* Don't keep a servant who can't be punctual with meals. Nothing upsets a hungry man's temper more than being kept waiting for his dinner.
* Don't despise the domestic potato ... The boiled potato is the rock on which many a happy home barque has foundered.
* Don't let your husband wear a violet tie with grass-green socks.
* Don't try to 'amuse' your guests every minute of the day. If they feel thoroughly at home, the amusement will come naturally. Don't forget to have books in every room.
* Don't refuse to listen to good advice from people of experience, and act upon it if you can.
* Don't get angry if your husband says that he never now tastes cake like that his mother used to make. Write and ask her for the recipe.
This one was published in 1913. And there is plenty more where that came from!
Hevs, hope you are working that one out!
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