ButtonWillowCottage

"The Snowball--Guilty or Not?"

 

Hmmmm... we've been pondering the correct answer to the title of this piece for days now. We love to think the impish look on the boy is merely a response to fallen snow from a branch way above the miser, but, one does wonder...  

Circles Of Spring

When you see upon the walk
Circles newly made of chalk,
And around them all the day
Little boys in eager play
Rolling marbles, agates fine,
Banded, polished, red as wine,
Marbles crystal as the dew,
Each with rainbows twisted through,
Marbles gay in painted clay,
Flashing, twinkling in your way,
When the walk has blossomed so,
Surely every one must know
None need wonder who has heard
Robin, wren, or Peter-bird;
Sure the sign as song or wing,
It is spring!

It's Nothing But Limes Now

 "I just wish I had a little of the money Laurie spends on that horse," she added, as if to herself, yet hoping her sisters would hear.

"Why?" asked Meg kindly, for Jo had gone off in another laugh at Amy's second blunder.

"I need it so much. I'm dreadfully in debt, and it won't be my turn to have the rag money for a month."

"In debt, Amy? What do you mean?" And Meg looked sober.

"Why, I owe at least a dozen pickled limes, and I can't pay them, you know, till I have money, for Marmee forbade my having anything charged at the shop."

"Tell me all about it. Are limes the fashion now? It used to be pricking bits of rubber to make balls." And Meg tried to keep her countenance, Amy looked so grave and important.

"Why, you see, the girls are always buying them, and unless you want to be thought mean, you must do it too. It's nothing but limes now, for everyone is sucking them in their desks in schooltime, and trading them off for pencils, bead rings, paper dolls, or something else, at recess. If one girl likes another, she gives her a lime. If she's mad with her, she eats one before her face, and doesn't offer even a suck. They treat by turns, and I've had ever so many but haven't returned them, and I ought for they are debts of honor, you know."

(Photo Credit: The lovely Eras of Elegance)

The Language of Gloves

A correspondent of a Parisian journal of fashion gives the following hints for young ladies who desire to carry on a conversation without the chaperone knowing its meaning: For "Yes," drop one glove from the right into the left hand. "No" is said by rolling both gloves in the right hand. If you want to express that you indifferent to a partner take the right hand glove partly off. If you wish a male friend to follow you into the next room strike your left arm with both gloves. If the fair one desires to know whether her affection is reciprocated she is to put on half the left-hand glove, one finger at a time. As certain unpleasant old fogies go to balls and social gatherings merely to observe the conduct of the young people an elaborate code has been drawn up having them in view. "Be on your guard agains the governor," or my mother-in-law," as the case may be is a message often sent, and is given by delicately twisting the glove fingers round the thumb. If the damsel is in a quarrelsome mood she simply makes a cross with both her gloves and proceeds to lay them on her lap in this position. These are the principal and most simple rules, but if it be studied in its entirety the glove language will be found to be nearly as complicated, and to require almost as much practice as Addison's famous language of the fan.

The New York Times Article--January 21, 1887

Summer Weekend Handybook

It's always handy to have on hand, volumes that help with weekend planning. Here's wishes that your own weekend is filled with adventures, larks and beauty!
Summers are made of such things, aren't they?

English Country Dance

In earlier eras dancing was considered an expected social accomplishment--granted it must have taken an impressive amount of brain power to remember all the steps!  In English Country Dance the music was often lively and uplifting.  Footwork ranged from simple skipping to elaborate ballet-like movements.  Often a line dance would start out with a March of the dance participants, then begin with the top lady and her partner who would move down the line to the bottom and so on.  For those looking for future brides or husbands, standing opposite one another in a country dance provided young couples some privacy to converse and get to know one another in a way that wasn't allowed in normal day to day activities.

Picnics

Picnics during the Regency, Victorian and Edwardian periods were a time to relax a bit from the stiffness of the days common rules of etiquette.  However, many proprieties still applied, one being the general courtliness of gentlemen carefully attending to the needs and frailties of ladies.  Proper decorum of the day reminded men to be sure to pick picnic spots that were comfortable--free of anthills and not too rutty, and also shady.  Women were unable to hold their parasols whilst eating, and certainly couldn't be over exposed to too much sunlight!  Also, although a beautiful view such as on a cliff at seaside might be awe inspiring, attentive men would remember that such a precarious perch might be too frightening for female attendees.

A Lock of Hair For Thee

I never gave a lock of hair away
  To a man, Dearest, except this to thee,
  Which now upon my fingers thoughtfully
  I ring out to the full brown length and say
  "Take it."
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The custom of giving and receiving locks of hair could be for mourning or sentimental reasons, but the singular theme was love.  Because it could be a grand statement of affection between two people, there were rules to abide by in the giving of hairwork.  Propriety insisted that an unmarried girl could not recieve anything from an unmarried man unless she was betrothed to him; however a girl could give an admirer a lock of hair at his request and also accept one from him, as long as neither was set in jewel.

On Book Borrowing Etiquette

Be certain to never lend a borrowed book.  Take care with the loaned volume and be sure not to make any marks in it.  Be very particular to return a book that has been loaned to you as promptly as possible, and most definitely accompany it with a sincere note of thanks.  Also, be ready to share your thoughts on whether the work was agreeable to you or not, of course doing this without insulting the owner.

Leaping

There was a a time when there were such things as "Leap Year Balls" and leap year dances.  Traditionally a women could ask a man to escort her to a leap year dance or whilst there be the one to ask a man to dance.  It was common for a time to be able to attend such balls throughout the leap year.  Leap Year Balls also afforded women the opportunity to ask for a man's hand in marriage!  Folklore tells us that traditionally a leap year is the only time a woman may propose marriage.  It provides that Queen Margeret of Scotland (at five years old!) decreed that if a man refused a marriage proposal from a women he must compensate her with a range of penalties--from a kiss to a silk gown--to soften the blow.  Because it was felt that this put men at too great a "risk", the decrees were tightened in some places to restricting female proposals on leap day only.