Be My Valentine

Julia had been looking for Liesel Elizabeth all over the house and finally found her sitting in the day room.  Julia was rather confused, since Liesel Elizabeth, whom everyone knew was sweethearts with Savannah, had given her a valentine the year before, accompanied by a warm smile and no explanation.  She approached shyly, which was unusual for her; she was not normally a shy girl.

 

“Julia,” said Liesel Elizabeth, “what can I do for you?”

 

Julia shuffled her feet and cleared her throat.  “Well, Liesel, it’s like this.  Do you remember last Valentine’s Day, when you gave me a valentine because I said I had never gotten one?”

 

“Oh, yes!” replied Liesel Elizabeth, “I remember that very well.”

 

 “Well,” Julia said, “I have something I’d like to give you.”  And she held out a valentine.

 Liesel Elizabeth got up and went to her and took the card.  “Why, how pretty!” she said, “And it says, ‘To My Valentine’, just like the card I gave you last year!”

 

Julia blushed a bit. “I was surprised by that, because I always thought that Savannah was your one and only Valentine.”

 

 Liesel Elizabeth smiled but did not say anything.  She put the card on the table, and turning back to Julia, took her by both hands.  “I wish I had a valentine to give you today.  But if I did, I would.”  She looked deep into Julia’s eyes.  “But what I can give you should express the same sentiment.”

 

 She took Julia in her arms and held her close. 

 

 Then, releasing her, picked up the card.  “I’ll go put this in a special place in my room.  Then I have to go downstairs for tea.  Savannah is fixing me a special Valentine’s Day treat.”  She squeezed Julia’s hand.  “Thank you so much, this means a lot to me.”

 

Julia stammered, “T-t-to me, too.” 

 

 Liesel Elizabeth swept out of the room, leaving Julia more confused than ever

The Christmas Number

The girls are going through the Christmas number of the fashion magazine, The Delineator, for December, 1904.  If you would like to read it along with them, please link to it HERE.  The numbers in parentheses below are the timestamps in the video for the pages the girls are looking at.

It was Christmas Eve, and Mia Bella was in the parlor with a pot of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies, going through the December issue of The Delineator, checking out the latest fashions for the coming year.

“So that’s where the Christmas number has got to,” said Katherine Alyse as she came into the room.

“Pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate and look at it with me,” offered Mia Bella.

 “Look at these dresses, Katherine,” said Mia Bella, “This one is very much like our dear Samantha’s favorite dress; you know, the one she wore when we met her.”  (10:00)

 “Ah, yes, the Russian look!” said Katherine Alyse as Mia Bella handed her the magazine.

 “Ooh!  Doll clothes!”  Katherine Alyse practically squealed with delight.  “My dolly could certainly use a new frock!  And look at this!  A Santa Claus costume!”  (10:40)

 Mia Bella took the magazine back and admired the doll clothes, then flipped back and forth looking over the adult fashions. (5:36)

“These dresses for grown-up ladies are just to die for,” Mia Bella sighed, “but by the time we’re old enough to wear them, they’ll be out of fashion.”

“The style this season is supposed to be inspired by fashions from the Eighteenth Century, like the couple on the cover,” remarked Katherine Alyse, “but I don’t see it.”

“Here’s an article on throwing a Christmas party,” said Mia Bella, turning to the life-style section, “with someone dressed in the Santa Claus costume to hand out presents.” (20:25)

Katherine Alyse thought for a moment.  “If we had a costume like that, which of us would be willing to wear it for a party.  I certainly wouldn’t.”

“Kelly Ann might,” suggested Mia Bella, “she has a flair for the dramatic, and might even see it as Seasonal Ritual Disguise.  But never mind that, look at these party dresses!”

 Katherine Alyse pulled the magazine closer so they could look at it together.

“Here are even more pretty party dresses on the next page!  Oh, I want them all!”  (20:39)

 Turning the page they read an article on how to handle Christmas shopping with children.

“That’s easy,” said Mia Bella, “make sure you get them everything they ask for!  Hahahaha!”  (20:47)

“And here,” put in Katherine Alyse, “is an article on manners for children.  I’m sure it contains nothing we don’t already know and do.” (25:03)

 They reached the end of the magazine with a mutual contented sigh. (28:11)

“I hope,” said Mia Bella, “that Santa Claus thinks we’ve been good girls this year and brings us patterns for some of these nice things!”

Dressed Like a Pilgrim

(Inspired by the Book  Molly's Pilgrim, by Barbara Cohen.)

 

It was Thanksgiving Afternoon, and Leah and Clarice were in the parlor, waiting their turn.  Since there were thirteen girls in the Big House, they took it in shifts to eat their Thanksgiving Dinner.  The two girls were going to be joined in their shift by Gila and Nellie.

“Nellie is in the kitchen, tending to our turkey,” said Leah, “but where is Gila?”

“I heard her say that she was going to be the Thanksgiving Pilgrim Girl for us this year,” said Clarice, “but our Pilgrim Girl costumes are still in the costume wardrobe, both the Traditional one and the Plymouth Colony Separatist one.”

 

Gila came into the parlor.  “Happy Thanksgiving to you!  The dining room table have I just set, and zitsn we can.”

Leah was mildly perplexed.  “I haven’t seen you wear that frock for a long time.  I thought you were going to be our Pilgrim Girl.”

“I am your Pilgrim Girl,” replied Gila, “This kleyd I had when first to this country I came.  Like the Pilgrims of old my home I left, and to this land I came, persecution to flee and freedom to find.”

“This is why Thanksgiving is my holiday beliebt, after Pesach.  It is the holiday of the immigrants.  I am thankful that peace and freedom have I found here.””

“Well, we’re thankful that you have found them living with us,” said Leah.

“And” said Clarice, “I'm thankful that how you are dressed has nothing to do with Puritans or Separatists, so if Jane sees you, she can’t say anything against it!  Let’s go eat!”

Costume or Disguise?

 On Hallowe’en afternoon, Katherine Alyse came into Jane’s room with a simple request.

“Jane, I was wondering if I could borrow the red frock you were wearing when you first came here.”

“Yesindeedy!” replied Jane, “How come?”

“I want to wear it tonight as my Hallowe’en costume.”

 “But ‘tis not a costume, Katherine,” said Jane, “‘tis my common garment.”

“Exactly,” said Katherine Alyse, “Since I really like historic fashion, I was going to go as an Elizabethan girl.”

“Hmph!”  Jane snorted, “I could go as such wearing what I have on now.”

“But you wouldn’t be in costume or disguise.  And we did use your red frock as an historically accurate costume for the May Day Festival.”

“Very true,” Jane agreed, “’Twas one of the only historically accurate things in the festival.”

“So,” Katherine Alyse went on, “What do you say?”

 Jane paused a moment then said, “I have a spanking idea!  I will gussy myself up in the red frock, and folk will think I am in costume, but the joke will be on them for I will not be in costume at all!”

“That’s a dandy idea,” said Katherine Alyse, “and I will go with my second choice, the not-quite-historically-accurate Medieval Fairy Princess costume.”

 When they had gotten ready for the evening’s festivities, one in costume, and one just wearing her regular clothes, Jane had a sudden thought.

“On Hallowe’en one should either be in costume or disguise, so I will wear this visor, and be thus disguised.

 “Let us high-tail it townwards,” said Jane, “and see what shenanigans we can pull off!”