New Year's Eve with Dolly and Minerva

Do we "ring" in the New Year or "bring" in the New Year? Both are correct, as this article explains. Dolly and Minerva have organized a small party at their new house, mainly to avoid another raucous baccanale at a night club. 

Doris and Mabel Arrow are there, with Willard and a few of his friends from work. Lizzie, their maid from the Ackermann home, keeps champagne on ice and records on the gramophone, with the assistance of Iffy, who knows all the latest tunes. Willard seems in a bit of a funk as he watches Minerva work her charms on Harold. She's actually convinced that Harold would be a perfect match for Dolly, and regales him with anecdotes about Dolly's adventures in a wide variety of publications. Harold seems puzzled when told that they have met Jane Austen.

Moving Into The New House

Dolly and Minerva waited until after Christmas Day to move into their new home, a lovely brownstone townhouse. Mrs. Pierrepont had departed for Georgia by train before Christmas and, as she promised, had left the place fully furnished. The furnishings and decorations, however, are not to the Ackermann girls' taste. Nor are the carpets, curtains, wallcoverings, or anything else in the house. 

"Where is the elegance of Mr. Ackermann's Respository?" Dolly mused. "Something awful must have happened between then and now."

Minerva raised a determined chin. "It will be a great deal of work, Dolly, but we will transform this house!"

Iffy is thrilled to see that Mrs. P. has left her dog, Ethel, behind. A neighbor dropped by to check on Ethel's food bowl and gave Iffy instructions on her care. 

Celebrating Christmas at Willard's

Willard has invited the Ackermann girls to his apartment for Christmas dinner. Doris and Mabel are there with their father, and Willard's employer, Mr. Arrow. A workmate of Willard's named Sidney joins them, being one of those bachelors who has nowhere to go on Christmas Day. He seems a pleasant sort of man who arrives with a jolly "Ho, ho, ho!" and parks himself on the sofa with a glass of punch. 

Gifts are exchanged. Willard receives an interesting novel from the Arrows and an unusual lamp from Minerva. Its base is constructed from the horns of some African animal. I think I need to build a hunting lodge, thinks Willard. He has given Minerva a glittery brooch, which delights the sisters. Iffy is thrilled with her new Flexible Flyer sled! This thing needs to be tried out immediately and she badgers Mr. Arrow to take her to Central Park. Mr. Arrow, a keen sledder himself, promises her a full afternoon in the park tomorrow.

As the day ends, Dolly, Minerva, and Iffy spend a little time reminiscing about Christmases of old, and missing their loved ones in Ackermann's Repository.

The New Adventures of Dolly and Minerva

The girls are embarking on a major shift in their adventures in the world of publications. So far, it's been easy to explore French fashion magazines or English publications far inferior to Ackermann's Repository of the Arts. Even their excursion into Currier and Ives lithographs was manageable, though it stretched the limits of well-bred ladies of the Regency world. Now Minerva is following her fiancé, Willard, to his world in 1920s New York. He's an up-and-coming advertiser for the Arrow Shirt Company and moves in the most interesting circles. Father Ackermann has approved of him, but insists that Minerva go to New York with her sister Dolly, and suprisingly, their niece, Iphigenia. Since there is no male relative to act as chaperone, a ten-year-old child is the next best thing to keep two young women out of trouble!

Father's Plan

It's one thing to explore other publications and another to move completely to another, especially when it's from the familiar pages of Ackermann's Repository in the Regency era to the unknown world of America in the 1920s. A girl could get in all sorts of predicaments! Father decides it's the best thing for Dolly to go along with Minerva, as well as their little niece Iffy. There's nothing like dragging along a 10-year-old child to keep you out of trouble.

Willard Asks For Minerva's Hand

After a long rest within a closed book, the Ackermann girls are back in action!  Willard Henley has proposed to Minerva and now calls on Father to ask for his blessing. Willard has a promising future in the men's shirt industry, but his future is quite far into the future. Will it prove to be too much for Minerva to adapt to? 

The Proposal

Minerva Ackermann and Willard Henley are in love! For Minerva, it's a blissful dream come true, but painful choices lurk behind the moonlit verandahs and fragrant arbors where she and Willard meet. Could she leave the gracious world of Ackermann's Respository to join Willard in a strange and unfamiliar publication? Certainly, The New Yorker was jam-packed full of up-to-the minute information and advice for the trendy set, but it was a life Minerva feared she could never be part of.

How Margaret Hogarth Changed Her Publication

Mother, as you may know, has roamed various publications in her younger days. She was born in a Hogarth Print, namely Gin Lane, and although it was all misery to her and her family, she had the satisfaction of knowing that her image inspired a national thrill of horror and the beginnings of a movement to save children from the mire of drunken poverty. The image was crudely copied in a religious tract, self-published by Reverend Jabez Drinkwater, which circulated widely in the 1790s. This diatribe against gin among the desperately poor was often paired with its co-publication, Gin and Gentry, based on Hogarth's prints of members of the upper class who drink and gamble away their fortunes, health, and reputations. 

For young Margaret, this was an opportunity to move into the more comfortable world of the ton, but for all the luxury, she had to be constantly on her guard against the advances of inebriated rakes. It was on a pleasant May morning on the estate of Sir Wilmot (Wild Will) Slyde. Margaret had wandered to the fields to view the progress on the construction of expanded pleasure gardens. Surrounded by marble terraces, a placid pool reflected the classical folly. Tall yew hedges enclosed the whole. How beautiful it would be when finished, she thought, all lit by torches, lively music playing, the scent of roses or lilacs drifting in the air. But all spoiled by the crude bacchanal that was Sir Wilmot's idea of a party.

No sooner than that thought went through her mind did Margaret hear a stumbling footstep -- arms, and the stench of whiskey, wrapped around her. Sir Wilmot! He must have seen her going to the secluded grove and seen his opportunity to accost her unseen. Margaret cried out for help, and kind Fortune smiled, for, as Sir Wilmot did not remember, the groundskeepers and landscape architect were close at hand. The young architect, a specialist in classical outdoor structures, was in the midst of giving instructions to a stonemason when he heard Margaret's alarm. In a flash, he disengaged Sir Wilmot from the trembling girl and gave him a tongue-lashing only a sodden drunk could ignore. Unfortunately, Sir Wilmot was a sodden drunk, and it took a well-placed kick in the pants to explain the situation to that miserable creature. 

The upshot of it all was that James Ackermann lost his employment, Sir Wilmot's garden was left unfinished, and a young couple fell in love. Margaret joined James in Ackermann's Repository, and they lived happily ever after.

Violating the Prime Directive

Mother and Father have decided to have a serious discussion with Dolly and Minerva about the Arrow family. "They seem to be fine people and very amusing," says Father, "but there are boundaries that should not be crossed.  Most of us in the world of publications travel a bit and experience life from a different perspective. I have no problem with this. I, myself, have divided much of my time between periodicals, and if it were not for that, I would not have met your dear mother."

Mother smiled. "What a good move it was, dear James! I could have spent my whole life in that morbid religious tract, a sad victim of the Gin Craze. But there you were, and you welcomed me into the lovely world of Ackermann's Repository."

"I could have settled you into Vetusta Monumenta,my dear, " replied Father, "but there are so few women there! And Ackermann's Repository is the best life one could ask for. But back to the subject," he turned to the girls, "the one hard and fast rule, the Prime Directive, is that we do not bring our world into another publication. We do not interfere or even identify ourselves. That is what the Arrows have done, without any regard for the effect on the Space-Time Continuum. History has proven again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization, no matter how well-intentioned that interference may be, the results are inevitably disastrous."

Dolly and Minerva looked down in shamed silence. They had been such willing victims.

Trying on New Styles

Dolly and Minerva are spending more and more time with the Arrow sisters, Doris and Mabel. Everything they do seems so interesting and fun to the Ackermann girls. Their world seems so much more daring and innovative than what exists between the covers of Ackermann's Repository of the Arts. 

Today, Doris and Mabel have decided that our girls must have a makeover. Upstairs in their bedroom, they have pulled out several fashionable frocks, silk hose, shoes, hats, and assorted undergarments. After some hairdressing and makeup, Dolly and Minerva are outfitted to the last detail. The underwear comes as a shock -- so little of it! And those stockings! Why wear something that is made to look as if you aren't wearing it? Short skirts and almost bare legs will take some getting used to. All it takes is a little impromptu Charleston lesson to make the girls realize that short skirts are so much fun! And Minerva shows a unique talent for doing the Shimmy.

Modern Temptations

Dolly and Minerva cannot talk enough about the marvellous kitchen at Held Manor. Of course, they only speak of it to Mother. Mrs. Arrow has asked that details be a secret between them, but Mother can be trusted on such matters.  Before this revelation, Dolly and Minerva scarcely knew where the kitchen was in their own home, much less what skills or labour went into the preparation of daily necessities. Now they described the amazing devices and innovations that made housework actually pleasant. Miss Mabel had chatted cheerfully while she quickly ironed a rack of frocks, without a single black smudge. Miss Doris quickly mopped the floor to a gleaming shine. It was "linoleum", she informed them. So easy to keep clean, and always wax-bright. Mrs. Held had served cold fizzy drinks for the young ladies from an "ice box", while she made tea on a a miraculous stove that shot out a little ring of flame right under the kettle.

Mother was fascinated by every detail, but warned her daughters that these things belonged to the Arrows and would only last as long as that family remained in the neighbourhood. "I might have a chat with Mr. Rudolph Ackermann, though," she added. "Just a few ideas. He does enjoy his contraptions."

The Girls Go Shopping

How nice to be back in London and shopping at Ackermann's! Dolly and Minerva have purchased a most ingenious combination table; just the kind of thing Rudolph Ackermann specializes in. It has a board on top for a game of chess or draughts which slides out to reveal a backgammon board and convenient compartments for holding game pieces. Underneath all is a silk-lined sewing basket. Something for everyone! Mr. Ackermann smiles approvingly.

A Visit With Geneviève.

Back at home from her honeymoon with Louis, Cousin Geneviève pays a call to Dolly and Minerva. After describing all the interesting details of their travels, the conversation turns to (ahem!) information the girls have not found in Ackermann's Repository. Goodness! This puts their social lives in a whole new light.

Ackermann's, Sweet Ackermann's.

The girls are home again, and oh, how sweet it is! Father is padding about in his slippers and old banyan, savoring a cup of tea, Mother is perched on the alcove sofa with an instructive book, and Cousin Delphine has dropped in with Duchess to hear all the details of their adventure. Where to start describing the very odd events while visiting the Curriers? Perhaps it's just better to relax in the tasteful comfort of Ackermann's Respository and share profitable memories as they come up. At any rate, this has been an insight into some of Mother's quirks. It's a revelation to Minerva that she will now have quirks of her own.

Dolly and Minerva's birthday

Dolly and Minerva are curious about where babies come from and decide that the best way to start is to find out how they came into existence. Mother's story doesn't shed too much light on the problem. Somehow it seems like just another shopping trip to Ackermann's!

Where Babies Come From

Ackermann's Repository is a wonderful magazine, full of all sorts of useful information, but it does have its limits.

The Wedding of Geneviève and Louis

It turns out that Louis' parents were quite taken with Cousin Geneviève and began prodding their son in her direction. Of course, he acted like it was all their idea and everyone was happy. The wedding was a small but elegant affair; the French participants all decked out in court fashion, and Dolly, Minerva, and the bride wearing the latest gowns from Ackermann's Repository. Mrs. Nash, the bride's mother looked stately in a dark velvet gown with fur trim and a fine hat adorned with ostrich feathers, while Mr. Nash overcame his somewhat outdated garb by appearing the very picture of the jovial country gentleman. Mrs. Nash has been peering through her opera glasses, observing the motion of the chapel chandelier and ruminating about Foucault's Pendulum as the world turns.

Advice from Rudolph Ackermann

Father is visiting with Rudolph Ackermann today. He has noticed that the girls are behaving oddly and is at a loss for what to do about it. Of course, Rudolph has a solution for it. Of course, Ackermann's Repository is the best of all possible worlds, but it might broaden their horizons to wander through some other publications.

For Mr. Ackermann's office, I used a print of the workroom of Wilhelm Grimm, who along with his brother Jacob, was half of the Brothers Grimm, the famed collectors of German folk tales. They published their first collection of tales,  Children's and Household Tales, in 1812. Many revisions were made until these stories became the harmless "fairy tales" we are acquainted with today. 

JADG - Small Dogs

We love our dogs, and those little, tiny, miniature, teacup, lap dogs are soooo cute! Small dogs are really quite ideal. They take up such little space, don't eat much, can be carried easily, and won't crush you when jumping up. That's why you rarely see those dogs at the animal shelter. Everyone gives away the darling puppy that grew into a wolfhound, unless the dog is so weird they can't get attached to it. My sister got a Chihuahua/Raccoon/Hyena mix dog at the shelter and he is the love of her life.

As long as painters have been painting women, they have been painting small dogs with them. Many Ackermann fashion plates have included those little pets, who are obviously well-loved. One drink per dog!

The Jane Austen Drinking Game -- Dowries

courtesy of Mostly Water Theatre

After seeing this skit a few years ago, we Austen fans in the family could never see one of her movies without continually calling out categories and raising imaginary glasses to our lips. Ah, the themes of Austen's world come up again and again, instructing us how important and ubiquitous they were in her times, and how much society has changed since then. So let us, and Dolly and Minerva, go through them, shall we?

The whole concept of dowry and bridewealth seems, at very least, degrading to the modern mind, although it continues to be practiced in many cultures around the world. It's interesting to see which cultures have adopted the dowry system (in which the woman brings goods to the man or his family) or the bridewealth system (in which the man brings goods to the woman and her family). It's also horrifying to see how dowries have become the root of terrible violence and abuse of brides, particularly in present-day South Asia. If we can abandon the modern mindset that the woman is being bartered in some fashion, they each have their merits.

In bridewealth cultures, the man must offer the woman's family a substantial amount of property in order to marry her, the rationale behind this being that the family is losing a valuable contributing member. This was common among North American native nations, as was reported by white "mountain men" who took native wives, and were required to come up with hefty gifts of horses, blankets, and such items. It is still common in many parts of Africa, where men must purchase cattle to offer to the woman's father.

The original purpose of a dowry was for her family to give her something to bring into her marriage in order to set up a home and have something to fall back on in case the marriage did not work out. It was also her inheritance, given to her as she left her family, rather than at the death of a parent. In Islam, a woman brings property into the union, but in case of divorce, she is entitled to take it with her. However, as laws or custom concerning women's property throughout the years have not been favorable to women, dowries became the property of the husband to do with whatever he wished. The higher up in society one went, in Regency times as an example, the more mercenary this trade became. The Prince Regent's marriage to Princess Caroline of Brunswick was nothing more than a way to pay off his looming debts with her dowry. In Jane Austen's social class, an inadequate dowry could seriously hamper a girl's prospects of landing a man of an equal or better standing.

The September 1813 issue of Ackermann's Repository has an interesting article on the question of dowries among the wealthy class. The author is definitely against the custom, but his solution (to forbid them altogether) ignores the most obvious remedy, to legislate equitable inheritance and ownership laws.