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.

Minerva's Way With Dogs

Minerva has a special way with dogs. She charms them, and soon the adoring creatures are willing to do anything she pleases with them. Several of the local dogs have acquired odd tricks such as "stacking" and "posing", which is a great source of amusement for the dogs' owners. 

Dolly, Minerva, and Delphine are visiting Held Manor for the day, and Mr. Arrow is acting as chaperone. Several of Minerva's dog pupils have followed her, so the girls have decided that an impromptu show would be quite entertaining. The posing spaniels made a comic impression, except that Flash kept trying to play fetch with his flute. The dog stack was a hit with little Digger, dressed up in a sailor suit removed from a doll, topping the pyramid. For Willard, this is just one more confirmation that Minerva Ackermann is the most amazing girl in the world. 

An Elegant Party

The young men have suggested a dance party and Mrs. Arrow has enthusiasticly agreed. Our girls have been invited, of course! Mrs. A. promised that it would be an elegant affair, conducted with great decorum and none of that embarrassing nonsense that occured at the last party. Mother and Father gave their permissions for Dolly and Minerva to attend, but insisted that they wear their own clothes. What could they wear? After hours of staring into the wardrobe, they hit upon the idea of wearing the oriental costumes they had worn to a fancy dress ball. Garbed in their exotic flowing robes they set off for Held Manor.

And what a party! Mabel was at her best, working her way through the guests as they arrived. Doris was closely followed by a Mr. Sleevebrace from the Arrow Company and she seemed to be relishing the attention. Mabel appeared to be unconcerned by the lack of an escort, but Dolly and Minerva had suspicions that her nonchalance was due to the serious conversation between Mr. Arrow and the earnest young Mr. Millwork in the lounge. Harold was crooning a rendition of "It Had To Be You" at the piano, winking meaningfully at the pretty redheaded pianist whenever he came to the words, "for all your faults, I love you still". Mr. Arrow Sr., an amiable old gentleman, chuckled and nodded.  

Mrs. Arrow had introduced the girls to each of the guests, and Minerva, despite her awkwardness in this unfamiliar setting, could not help but note that Mr. Willard Henley was watching her every move throughout the evening. The redhead at the piano began playing "Stardust".

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.

Fashion Review

Dolly and Minerva have decided to wear some of the Arrow sisters' dresses home, to see what Mother's reaction will be. As it happens, Delphine has dropped by to borrow some sheet music and Geneviève is paying a call to Mother. After a long, long moment of heavy silence and stone-faced stares at exposed legs, they begin pitching in their impressions. Being well-brought-up ladies, they are loathe to make negative remarks, but are hard-pressed to find compliments. In general, the fabrics are admired, but even with an extra 18" in length, the styles are just too bizarre. Geneviève gamely tries to equate them with the outlandish get-ups of French youth after the Revolution, a radical "anti-style", which resulted in the young men being called "Incroyables" and the girls, "Merveilleuses". Basically translated, "weirdos" and "freaks".

Sitting in the Lap of Luxury

Dolly asks Mrs. Arrow if she may "wash her hands" and is shown to the bathroom. And what a bathroom it is. Dolly immediately called for Minerva to witness this palatial version of a most basic convenience. Mrs. A. instructed her on the use of the toilet bowl and discreetly left her alone for a few moments. Upon their return, Mrs. A. gave the girls a detailed tour of the room, explaining the functions of each fixture. Of course, they were mesmerized, as any female would be. They happily ran hot and cold water from every tap and stared, hypnotised by the whirlpool in the flushing toilet bowl. As an added treat, Mrs. A. allowed them to borrow all the gorgeously-coloured brochures from the plumbing fixture companies.

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."

Labour-Saving Devices

In the days following the party at Held Manor, Dolly and Minerva had very mixed feelings about any further contact with the new people lodged there. However, after several days, a note arrived from Mrs. Arrow, expressing her thanks for their attendance and her deepest regrets about the indecorous behaviour of a number of her guests. A cousin from Life magazine had brought along some friends, whom, he said, were prominent cover subjects, widely considered "the bee's knees" by the popular set. From Mrs. Arrow's words, Dolly and Minerva deduced that "the bee's knees" (whatever that meant) were not what was expected. Mrs. A. begged her neighbours to put this episode behind them and feel free to call at any time. 

Encouraged, Dolly and Minerva set out the next day to leave calling cards. Arriving at the front door, the girls dropped the massive door knocker several times without response. Finding the door unlatched, they crept into the dim reception hall and deposited their cards on the sideboard. From the rear of the house floated the sounds of laughter and female chatter. With unaccustomed daring, Dolly and Minerva followed the noise to a large sunny room where they found Mrs. Arrow and the two Misses Arrow cheerfully doing what resembled housework.

"My dear girls," chirped Mrs. Arrow, "don't look so shocked! We couldn't possibly have left New York without our labour-saving devices! They do save so much money on hiring servants and besides, they make the drudgery of household tasks a pure joy to do!"

Publication Tramps

Recently, news went around that nearby Held Manor had been rented for the summer, and better yet, a jolly crowd of young, well-off people would be gathering frequently at the baronial hall. What entertaining parties were anticipated by the local residents! What opportunities to meet eligible men! 

Dolly and Minerva were so pleased to receive an invitation to a dance at the Manor immediately after the moving-in, despite a few reports of loud and raucous laughter and something that could scarcely be called music issuing from the old hall at hours when no decent person should be awake. Arriving at the door with a lovely garden pedestal as a gift, Dolly and Minerva are confronted with a sight they are at a complete loss to understand. What is that noise? What are those people wearing? Why are they leaping about in that frantic manner? Suddenly it dawns on them.

Publication tramps. Been there, done that.

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.

Old friends and new.

Mother has arranged an afternoon party for Dolly and Minerva to welcome them back from their travels. Cousin Geneviève is back from her honeymoon and looking very stylish in her gowns from the Continent. Delphine is so taken by the music of a string trio that she simply must float about on the terrace. Two new young ladies have been invited. One, a pretty girl from the almost unknown publication The Reflector, tends to stare aimlessly. Minerva feels that their acquaintance will be short-lived. Miss Eustacia Bee, of the literary magazine of the same name, seems a bright and adept conversationalist. 

I leave for a 10-day trip to England tomorrow, certain that, in the meanwhile, Dolly and Minerva will be occupied with many interesting diversions.

The Old Familiar Routine

Dolly and Minerva soon fall back into the familiar pattern of daily life. Today, there is trouble with Mr. Bumble, the new butler. Bumble seems to have little patience with the demands of small children, especially when it comes to wasting food. He and little Horatio have come to loggerheads over Kitty's love of cream in vast quantities.

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.

The Age of Steam

The early 19th century saw the practical applications of the steam engine to transportation. Steam-powered locomotives pulled lines of rail cars from factories to ports where goods were loaded onto ships bound for other ports. Boats that had been pulled up canals by horse or mule were now steam-driven. Despite the immense benefits steam engines provided, they contributed greatly to air and noise pollution. Just a look at the picture below will give you an idea how filthy passengers in the coach car could become.

On The Right Track.

Walking home from the gallery, Dolly and Minerva pass by Lover's Lane, and spy courting couples strolling and gazing calf-eyed into each other's faces. Obviously, this is a precursor to the happy family they hope to have one day, but it does seem rather forward to follow these young lovers around until children start appearing.

Behind the Times

Dolly and Minerva are beginning to feel that their travels through other publications are not very enlightening. A visit to Harper's Weekly Magazine makes them realize just how far away from home they are.

Amazing, isn't it, how when fashions change, we look back in horror at what we we once wore with such confidence! I like to think, however, that with so many well-made movies of other times coming out, we have an appreciation of the beauty of past fashions. If actors are dressed well, not as caricatures of style, we see their clothes as people in those times did. My grandmother turned 20 in 1913, a beautiful era of fashion. Today, everyone is aware of that through the gorgeous costumes of Titanic and Downton Abbey. My grandmother grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City, a neighborhood of poor immigrants, but she had the luck of being the only child of a skilled custom tailor who ran his own business. When she married in 1912 (the year of the Titanic sinking), she couldn't afford a fancy wedding dress. A stroke of good fortune arose - a woman had commissioned a very pretty dress, paid for the materials, but never returned to collect the dress or pay for the labor. It was a pale blue dress of layers, with the semi-sheer overlay embroidered in a floral pattern made of hundreds of French knots. And it fit my grandmother perfectly. Where this dress ever went, I don't know, as I've never seen it or even a picture of it, but it must have been beautiful. I look at pictures of dresses like this and think it must have been similar.

Then my mother turned 20 in 1946. When I was a child, I'd be fascinated by her descriptions of how she rolled up her hair in those amazing styles, padded out with long hair switches. She made a lot of her own clothes and would bring left over material to a hat maker, who would whip up jaunty hats to match her outfits. Mom worked in NYC and studied voice at Juilliard School of Music, hoping for a career in opera. Her publicity photos were so gorgeous, and I looked forward to the day when I was 20 and looking like a million bucks.

Fast forward to 1972. I turned 20. And it was 1972. Good Lord...seen that..., worn that..., wondered about that. There was a big "Unisex" thing going on then. I guess someone had a bee in her bonnet about gender equality, but when you go unisex, one or both of the sexes is going to come off looking not quite right. I hear people say that everyone thinks the fashions of their own day look great and the opposite sex looks great. Not true, just not true. That's when a whole generation pulled on a pair of jeans and an old shirt and just said no.

Sugar On Snow.

In maple country of North America, sugaring season is an important time. When the nights are freezing and the days are warm, the first fresh sap runs up through the maple trees. By drilling a hole through the bark and inserting a small spout, sugar makers are able to draw off large quantities of sap. The clear sap is then boiled until evaporated down to 1/40th of its volume, to a golden brown syrup. Boiling it further reduces it to a granular sugar. A traditional treat is to boil maple syrup to the "soft candy" stage and dribble it on a pan of fresh, clean snow, where it cools to blobs of sticky candy. It's extremely sweet, so it is always served with hot coffee, fried doughnuts, and pickles. 

Here, Dolly and Minerva have been invited to such a party. They didn't expect the rough setting, as you can tell by their choice of dress.