JULIEANN'S WEEK


Head over to Julieann's to learn how to bake a feminine, pretty cake with easy icing and decoration. Uses this recipe for a family occasion or for a tea. Knowing how to whip up and ice a pretty treat is one of our Finishing School Skills:

My Daily Life As A Wife and Mother

enjoy!
Elizabeth

Bon Matin (Good morning)

We started our French week with just a couple of posts about the French language. (Sorry about that long second post. Whew!) Tomorrow, we'll have a short post about those beautiful and famous French quilts. ( I promise -- It will be brief.) And, you won't need to speak a word of French to understand it!

Don't forget, July 14 or 14 juillet is Bastille Day in France. This commemorates the storming of the famous Bastille prison, which ignited the already smouldering French Revolution in 1789. The Revolution lasted for another decade, but the French see this date as being critical to their struggle for freedom.

I had so much fun when I was seventeen and in France when Bastille Day rolled around. We saw fireworks, a parade attended by high French officials and masses of Parisians, street dances, and attended a free performance of the play, Cryano de Bergerac, at the old Opera house. Before the play began, a woman dressed in the colors of the French Flag powerfully sang their national anthem -- La Marseillaise. The audience joined in, many with tears in their eyes.

Perhaps, you'd like to read a little bit about how the French celebrate Bastille Day. You could turn this into a family holiday and learn something about French culture in the meantime. For example, you could serve a Frech meal, and make little French flags out of toothpicks and colored construction paper to decorate the table.

I have loved France and French culture since I started taking French in the ninth grade. I studied French for four years in high school, spent a summer in Paris, and then minored in French and English literature in college. That meant that I took four more years of intensive French courses while in college.

Sadly, I had little opportunity to use my French in daily life. I lost a lot of my French language skills. Then, when DH surprised me with an anniversary trip to Paris in 2006, I started brushing up on my French in earnest. I still have a long way to go, but I'm having fun.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Bonjour, Part Two -- A Little Bit about the French Language

Here are a few hints for pronouncing French words:

1) Keep your tone of voice soft and gentle. Be particularly careful about this if you are from the U.S. Even though the French enjoy heated discussions, they do not speak as loudly as Americans do.
2) Pronounce each syllable clearly, with a slight stress on the last syllable. Speak smoothly, but do not slur sounds, as you might in English.
3) A cedilla is a mark that is sometimes placed under the letter c. When you see a cedilla, pronounce the C like "s". In other words, treat the C as a soft C, not a hard C -- like K. For example, in the word Français (French), the little cedilla under the c tells you that you should pronounce the word Fran-say instead of Fran-kay. You never see a cedilla used when the C is in front of an E or I, because C is always soft, like S, in front of these vowels.
4) There are some accents or marks that are used over French vowels that help with pronunciation. (There are a couple of other accents that serve other purposes, but we won't fool with those).
a) accent aigu -- placed over the letter e. When you see it, pronounce the e like long a in English. An example of this is Fiancé. Note the angle of this accent.
b) accent grave placed over a, e, u. This only affects pronunciation when it is placed over e, as in the word chèque. This indicates that the e is pronounced similarly to the e in the English word check or in our word pet. Note that this accent slants the opposite way from the accent aigu.
c) accent tréma -- two dots that can be over an e, i, or u. You see this when two vowels are next to each other and both are to be be pronounced. An example is the word naïve.
5) French vowels are generally pronounced differently than in English. Actually, English vowels used to be pronounced just like French vowels. No one knows exactly why that got changed around many centuries ago. See this link for a simple explanation of how French vowel sounds work, see http://www.languageguide.org/francais/grammar/pronunciation/index.html In the meantime, one key point is to remember that the French I is pronounced like the English e. For example, when we see Nice, we would rhyme it with ice. But, the French would rhyme it with neice.
6) Final consonants are generally not pronounced, except for c, e, f, and l or when necesssary to make the language flow. For example, the French would not say the letter "t" on the end of the word "moment" (In French, this sounds something like mow-maw. I don't have the correct symbols in my type to reproduce it exactly.)
7) H is not pronounced. For example, in the phrase hors-d'oeuvres, you never say the "h" at the beginning. It's pronounced "or d'erv". Some French words, such as huit (eight), have a slightly aspirated sound, in which a sort of h-like sound is barely whispered. If you are a beginning French student, don't bother with that. Just leave off the H entirely, and everyone will know what you mean. The French also do not have a sound for th. Some of their words begin with th, just as English words do, but the h is never pronounced. Just say the t sound. For example, thé, which means tea, is pronounced tay, as rhymes with say or day.

Of course, in one post, I can't tell all you need to know to pronounce French. But, if you understand at least these seven things, you'll be on your way. :)

Now, on to a few French words that you probably already know:

R.S.V.P. -- This is the abbreviation for the French phrase, "Respondez, s'il vous plait." This means, "Please respond". (Note, don't write "Please R.S.V.P." That's like writing, "please respond please."

billet doux (bee-yay doo) -- literally sweet tickets or notes -- love letters.

haut or haute -- high, as in tall or up high; high as in fine or excellent or great
Terre Haute -- literally high ground or high earth -- a city in Indiana that must be on high ground.
cuisine -- cookery, cooking
haute cuisine -- high cooking style -- food as served in a top restaurant or by a great chef
couture -- dressmaking, sewing, needlework
haute couture -- high fashion, as you would find in designer collections
Prêt a porter (pronounced pret ah portay) -- ready to wear, off the rack -- not clothing from a fashion house or on the runway, but what you would find on the rack in a store.

Belle -- beautiful -- in English, it used to mean a pretty and popular girl
Beau -- handsome -- In English, it used to mean a suitor or boyfriend.
Belle and Beau show up in lots of U.S. and British place names and surnames -- Bellevue and Beaumont, for example.

au jus -- served with a sauce or with the natural juice produced as the meat cooked
au gratin -- topped with bread crumbs and butter or with cheese and baked in the oven (Reader Carien tells us this comes from the type of dish used to bake the crumb topped food.)
au courant -- describes a person who is current, up to date, or a current trend, itself.
a la mode -- literally "in the style" -- 1) in keeping with current style 2) in the style of someone or something else, e.g. "a la mode de Rembrant" means in the style of Rembrant 3) In English, we also use it to say pie " topped with ice cream". This was a new fad at one time. Thus, it was once pie "a la mode", and the name stuck.

cachet -- a distinctive quality

c'est la vie -- That's life! -- That's how it goes; that's just part of life.
c'est la guerre -- That's war! -- This is what happens in war; War is tragic, but what else can you expect it to be?
c'est l'amour -- That's love!

cherchez la femme -- literally "look for the woman" -- used in detective fiction, but in other settings, as well. It means that if a man is acting in a strange or even criminal way, he is likely doing it to please a woman. Find the woman, and you'll find both the man and his motive. Then, you'll be able to solve the mystery. In the U.S., our fictional detectives more often say, "Follow the money trail".

Adieu -- A serious goodbye. Note: This literally means "until God". It indicates that you think there is a good chance that you will not see this person again until you are both standing before God in heaven or until Jesus comes back. Do not use this form of good-bye lightly!
Au revoir --An ordinary, every day good-bye. It conveys the idea, "Until we see each other again". . Feel free to use this good-bye anytime.

du jour -- of the day, as in "soup of the day" or "special of the day" or "catch of the day".

faux -- false or fake
faux pas -- literally a false step. Practically, it means to make a social mistake.

joie de vivre -- the joy of living

sans -- without

Soigné -- well taken care of --- used to describe a woman who is well-groomed and whose outfit is well put together and neat; also describes a woman who is elegant.

savior faire -- literally knowing how to do or to make -- the art of knowing what to do or say in a social situation

noblesse oblige -- literally nobility obliges -- It means that if you have position or wealth or family name, you are obligated to use such blessings for the good of those less fortunate. You are also obligated to a higher standard of conduct because people look to you as an example.

comme ci comme ça -- like this, like that -- practically, it means so-so, ok, fair to middling

en masse -- all together
en bloc -- as a group

ennui -- boredom, particularly a habitual mindset of boredom -- tired and world weary

esprit de corps -- the spirit of the body (body as used in the sense of a group, not in terms of an individual's physical body) -- morale -- group spirit

Here are some words you can probably guess by how similar they are to our English words:

addresse (adress), beouf (beef), banque (bank), curieux (curious), visite (visit), silence (silence),
lettre (letter), restaurant (restaurant), ordinaire (ordinary), nation (nation) l'ordinateur (computer), ligne (line, as on a paper -- not a queue), potentiel (potential), serieux (serious) journal (newspaper), papier (paper -- actual paper, not a newspaper) garage (garage).

While the similarities between English and French make it easier for an English speaking person to learn French, it also makes for some mix-ups. So, do be careful about words that are used to mean one thing in English and quite another in French.

Some examples:

actuellement -- does not mean actually. It means presently
avertissement -- this does not mean an advertisement. It means a warning.
assister à -- assister can mean the obvious -- to help. However, it frequently means to attend, as to be present at a meeting. This is particularly true if the assister is followed by à
pays -- does not mean to purchase something or to settle a bill -- it means countries
crier -- does not mean to cry, but to shout
occasion -- can mean occasion, but usually means a bargain or something bought second-hand

French sentence structure is different than in English. I can't go into all of that in one post. But, one thing to remember is that the adjective follows the noun in French. In English, we would say "a red car". The French would say une voiture rouge (a car red).

Also, all nouns in French are either masculine or feminine. This usually has more to do with French grammar than with an obvious connection to gender. With some exceptions, there's no an identifiable reason why one noun is masculine and another is feminine. Don't bother trying to figure it out. Just memorize if the noun is masculine or feminine when you learn it. If you aren't sure, a French dictionary will tell you.

Finally, there are two ways to say "you" in French.

Vous is a formal way to address someone as "you". You would use this form when addressing someone you do not know well, someone who is older than you, someone in a public position, etc.

It is also a way of indicating a plural you. It is the way you would ask two or more people a question. Example: "Philippe et Nicole, avez-vous une voiture rouge? (Philip and Nicole, do y'all have a red car?) (Note: Y'all, you all, and you guys are American slang ways of saying a plural you. These are attempts to make up for the fact that English has no official way of differientiating between you as spoken to one person and you as spoken to a group.)

Tu is the way you say "you" when you are talking to one person whome you know well.

If someone invites you to "tutoyer" them, that is an invitation to use the informal "tu" when speaking to them. This is a happy thing. It means you've just made a new friend. :)

Very young people in France might tutoyer each other upon a first meeting. But, it's not the wisest thing for a foreigner to do in France, even if you are young and speaking with a person of your own age. It's better to err on the side of using vous until invited to do otherwise.

Assignment: Flip through a cookbook, a book about sewing, a book about home decor, or a book about etiquette. See if you can identify five English words that come from French words. If English is not your first language and French isn't your first language either, see if you can find five French words that have become a part of your native language.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

PS: I'll post some French resources later on. But, for now, you might want to take a look at Transparent.com. You can sign up for a free word of the day in any of a number of languages, including French. You will receive the word and the word used in a sentence. You can click to hear a native speaker read the word and the sentence. The site does try to sell you materials. I haven't yet bought any. But, I do enjoy the free words of the day.

Also, check out the web site, http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com. This site -- Words in a French Life -- is the blog of Karen Espinassee -- an American woman who is married to a Frenchman. It chronicles stories taken from the daily life of the Espinasses and their two children. Mrs. Espinasse writes the site in English, but she includes in a few French words and phrases pertinent to the story. She provides the definitions for these words, but you can usually pick up what they mean by the context of the post.

The Fascinating Mrs. Dull

When I got married in Atlanta in 1980, someone gave us a copy of Southern Cooking by Mrs. S. R. Dull (Henrietta). The first edition was written in the 1920's, and, with the exception of a few years in the 1980's, it has never been out of print!

If you're from Georgia, you're probably way ahead of me on this article. Even though the estimable Mrs. S. R. Dull died in 1964 at the age of 100, she is still highly regarded by many Atlanta cooks.

You know you're reading a Southern cookbook when it is prefaced by three introductions, one of which traces her bloodline. I won't bore you with all of the names on her family tree. But, to give you an idea of the detail: Her great-grandfather, Thomas McCall, was at one time Surveyor General of Georgia. Colonel James McCall, of the Revolutionary War was her great-great-grandfather. And, Hugh McCall, a Brevet Major in the War of 1812, was her great-great uncle. He wrote the first history of Georgia. And, that's just a few of the mentions from her father's side of the family. We won't even delve into her mother's people! Don't laugh. We Southerners are a bit obsessed with discussing who's related to whom and how.

Mrs. Dull was born in Laurens County, Georgia shortly before the end of the War between the States. Georgians, like most Southerners, faced horrendous suffering due to the war's aftermath and the harsh punitive measures of the Reconstruction. Apparently, Mrs. Dull's family was no exception. According to her son, Mrs. Dull used to laugh and say that she was born "in the forks of Hunger and Hardship Creeks." (I appreciate the joke even more now that a Laurens County reader tells me that there really are two creeks there with these names.)

Mrs. Dull's mother became ill and died when she was very young. These events forced her to step into her mother's shoes as keeper of the home. Since she was reared in an atmosphere of people who had once been used to living well, she absorbed a lot of knowledge of the domestic arts. She also helped her father, who was a railway station master at one point, by acting as a telegraph operator.

Later, her family moved to Atlanta, where she met and married Virginia native, Samuel Rice Dull. The couple had six children. However, while the children were still young, Mr. Dull's health failed, and Mrs. Dull found herself with a family to support.

This is where her excellent domestic education and experience stood her in good stead. She knew she was a good cook, and she decided that she would supplement the family income through that means.

In her words, "I began by furnishing good things to eat from my own home to Atlanta people I took special orders for parties, dances, and receptions."

She started with baking, and Atlanta matrons soon began to prize her delicate angel food cakes. Then, she began to cater parties. It was considered a grand thing in Atlanta to have your party catered by Mrs. Dull.

Her son describes what their home was like before events. "On party days our home was a hubbub of action with my mother making gallons of chicken salad and cheese straws and beaten biscuits, or if it was to be an evening party, more gallons of creamed chicken or oysters and delicately browned timbales to go with them. The family stayed up on 'party nights' until she came home, bringing the left-overs for a midnight feast. On cake baking days our house was always a popular place, both for her children and the neighborhood children, with icing bowls to lick and enough cake crumbs to go around."

Mrs. Dull became a longtime writer for the Atlanta Journal's food page. Another notable journalist who wrote for the Atlanta Journal was Margaret Mitchell. She was still working at the AJ when Mrs. Dull started writing, and the two worked together for some time.

Readers of the AJ loved Mrs. Dull's articles and recipes. Many wrote in requesting favorite recipes that they had clipped out and later lost. So, Mrs. Dull decided to collect them all into a cookbook. The cookbook not only provides recipes, but information about table service, menu planning, cooking for invalids, how to stock a kitchen, all about measurements, how to pull a meal together so that it call comes out to the right state of doneness, etc.

Some modern cooks are surprised to find that Mrs. Dull's directions are not always as precise as modern recipes are. In Mrs. Dull's day, as now, many recipes contained exact measurements and step-by-step instructions. Other recipes read more like a general description of what to do. For example, the recipe for a souffle required exactness; the recipe for slowly roasting a pig on a spit did not.

Mrs. Dull's readers expected her to use some general terms, such as "make a brown sauce" or "mix flour and water to form a paste and use it to coat a ham" or "bake in a slow oven". Women of her day knew their way around a kitchen, and they easily understood Mrs. Dull's instructions.

Fortunately for more inexperienced cooks, Mrs. Dull's cookbook is thorough. Anyone can find the definitions of a cooking term somewhere within her pages. So, if a new bride puzzles over the direction "make a brown sauce", she can flip over to a recipe that will explain how to do that.

Mrs. Dull's cookbook is not for the faint of heart. Here is her list of the essential food groups:

1. Cereals, wheat flour, corn meal, rice, bread, and macaroni
2. Milk, eggs, cheese, meat, fish, peas, beans, nuts, and game.
3. Fats, butter, butter substitutes, drippings, cottonseed oil, olive oil, and bacon.
4. Sugar, syrups, honey, jelly, and preserves
5. Vegetables and fruits.

"Drippings?!", I can hear you exclaim.

Yes. Drippings.

When I was growing up, my mother had a special container for drippings, which she kept near the stove. It had a strainer in it, which caught the bits of bacon. The rest of the drippings fell down into a canister. It's strange to think about it now, but bacon drippings were an essential part of the Southern kitchen at one time.

And, where else but in the South would sugar, syrups, etc., be considered an essential food group -- one that was even listed ahead of veggies and fruits?

Also, it's a bit disconcerting to find among all of her dainty delicacies, entries such as "Alma's Recipe for 'Possum'" or, better yet, that old Southern favorite, "brains and eggs". (Despite the fact that my Dad's family used to serve the latter for breakfast on occasion, he has made it to the age of 87).

I'm emphasizing the things in Mrs. Dull's book that see seem quaint to our modern taste. Don't let that turn you off of this wonderful volume, however. Mrs. Dull's cookbook has many lovely recipes and a lot of great instruction that still applies today. I was just perusing her section on how to set up a kitchen and came away with a lot of ideas.

Here is one of the more old-fashioned recipes from her book:

"Mother's Wedding Cake Made in 1860
1 pound flour
1 pound sugar
Whites of 16 eggs
3/4 pound white butter
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter"

Bake in a loaf pan in slow oven. No directions are given for mixing, but I think the directions given for the first cake were the general way of making cake then."

See what I mean about some of the recipes not being exact? When Mrs. Dull alludes to the instructions for the first cake, she is referring to her recipe for old-fashioned white pound cake. The directions for that recipe say, "Cream the butter and flour together, beat whites and sugar together until they look like icing, mix the two well and bake in slow oven (about 300 degrees until done." In the case of the wedding cake, you would naturally add the extra ingredients listed to the mixture.

I assume that the recipe for Mother's Wedding Cake really was used at her mother's wedding. 1860 would have been about right for her parents' marriage date.

Just a few of Mrs. Dull's other recipes are Esther's Salmon Salad, Mexican Salad, Virginia Spoon Bread, Cheese Straws (You knew she had to have a recipe for these, didn't you!), tea cakes, Tea Punch, Russian tea, catsup, Georgia Sweet Peach Pickle, baked chicken, fried chicken, squash souffle, Chicken Pie, roast duck, roast goose, and, of course, Brunswick stew.

After writing her cookbook, Mrs. Dull established the first Home Service Department for the Atlanta Gas Light Company. Whenever a woman bought one of those "new-fashioned" gas stoves, Mrs. Dull actually went to her home to teach her how to use it! She helped many women who had always cooked on wood-burning stoves get over their fear of using gas in their kitchen. Later on, she did the same for electric stoves. There are those who say that was a huge factor in helping the South change over to "modern" cooking equipment.

After that, Mrs. Dull conducted many cooking schools all around the South. These were attended by thousands of women. For two years, she headed the Home Economics Department at Tift College in Forsyth, Ga. At the request of the state's governor, she also made a trip to New York to introduce Georgia sweet potatoes to northern cooks. At the time, I'm sure that did much for Georgia farmers and, thus, for Georgia's economy in general.

Though Mrs. Dull wrote for the Journal, readers of the rival paper -- the Atlanta Constitution -- chose her as one of the South's ten most prominent women. (Today, these papers have combined into one.)

Mrs. Dull was apparently known both for charm and efficiency -- that combination of almost opposing traits that Southern women carry off so well. (I missed that gene somehow!)

In one of the many prefaces to her cookbook, Hal M. Stanley writes, "The charm of her personality and the sweetness of her disposition endear her to everyone with whom she comes in contact."

Paula Deen, one of today's most popular Southern cooks, lists one of her "Grandmomma's" favorite recipes on her site. She states that she thinks her grandmother learned it from Mrs. Dull, who was her one and only cooking mentor. Many other cooks and cookbooks cite her influence.

I was playing with words a bit when I called her the "Fascinating Mrs. Dull" Only Southern "foodies" would think of her in this way. But, despite her unfortunate last name, I really do think she's anything but dull!

She is an American lady who, like so many, triumphed over challenging circumstances. Instead of despairing when losses came, she took note of what she did possess -- cooking skills taught to her by her family. She made the most of this wonderful heritage. She turned her domestic talents into a career that helped many other women run their own kitchens well.

In looking back on his mother's life, her son took note of the contribution she made to the lives of other women. "...I think she would have been the most proud of having taught so many women to cook well for she always said that to be a good cook and homemaker was an essential part of making a happy home."

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Phillis Wheatley

The founding fathers and mothers of the United States of America set in motion what became our present American government and culture. Not only that, but their American experiment has influenced other governments, as well.

We look back at these men and women with great fondness. They had notable strengths of character. Even today, they teach us by their example and the writings they left for us to read.

However, there was one area in which our esteemed founders failed to rise above their times -- and that was with regard to slavery. Though many were bothered in their consciences about this issue, others accepted the institution and the suffering that came with it as simply being part of life. And, even those who did have qualms about slavery could think of no solutions about how to end this practice, for it had become so deeply entrenched in America's economy.

George Washington, for example, became increasingly troubled by the question of slavery. He started meditating about this after he saw black soldiers in the American Revolution fight for freedom. He realized that they were as brave and valiant as their white masters were. He never went so far as to manumit his slaves during his lifetime, but he decreed in his will that his slaves should be freed upon his death. I'm no historian, but, so far, I haven't found any indication that Martha Washington shared her husband's distress in this matter. In fact, it is said that she could never be made to understand why her personal maid chose to run away to freedom. This seems to be a rare issue about which the Washingtons -- who were usually so agreeable to each other -- held somewhat differing opinions.

Considering that this mindset was so established in our Colonial period and in our early days as a country, the life of American poet, Phillis Wheatley, is remarkable. Did you know that this gifted slave woman was the first African American woman writer to be published in the U.S.?

Phillis began her life in what is now Senegal. At age 7, she was captured by African slave traders, who named her after the slave ship, Phillis, and who sold her to white slave traders. She was taken to Boston, Massachusetts, where a wealthy merchant, John Wheatley, bought her. At the time, the thirteen Colonies were still part of England, but the desire for independence was brewing.

Once in Boston, Phillis quickly learned to understand and to speak English. John converted the young girl to a belief in Christ, and Phillis became very devout. Many of her famous poems deal with themes of faith.

Phillis was too young and too frail for hard work, so she was chosen for domestic chores and to be a companion to Mrs. Wheatley. However, the Wheatleys quickly realized that Phillis had a remarkable mind. They felt a responsibility to help her develop her gifts.

So, the Wheatleys made a decision that was unheard of in their day; they allowed Phillis to stop her labors so that she could devote all of her time to study! This was during an era when most slaves were not allowed to read or write! If a slave was educated in that era, the slave was much more likely to be a man and either a household steward or a farm overseer. Seldom did anyone offer a preteen slave girl a chance at higher learning.

Yet, members of the Wheatley family schooled Phillis in such subjects as English literature, Latin, astronomy, geography, and ancient history. Plus, they fostered her growing faith and inspired her to study theology. Through the wealthy Wheatleys, Phillis probably reached a higher level of learning than even most white or free black people of her day could afford.

Phillis found an outlet for her amazing talents. She began to write beautiful poetry. In 1767, the Newport Mercury became the first paper to publish one of her poems. This poem was about two men who nearly drowned at sea and their strengthening faith in God. Later, she published the most famous of her early poems, called "On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield, 1770". It was an eloquent elegy for a man whose work she greatly admired.

When Massachusetts newspapers published her work, she became an American celebrity. When a book of her poems appeared in England, her celebrity rose to an international scale.

Though there were so very many people who admired her talent, there were also those who refused to believe that a black woman and a slave woman actually wrote such remarkable poetry. In 1772, Phillis was called into court to prove her literary ability. A group of 17 prominent and scholarly Bostonians questioned her and concluded that she was, indeed, the author of her published poems. They wrote a document attesting to her authenticity as the author of her upcoming book -- Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. The book first appeared in England, as Boston publishers were slow to publish the text.

All the while, the revolution kept fermenting. Did Phillis find it ironic that the word freedom was the cry on every lip in America, when her own freedom had been so cruelly snatched from her? If she did, she never expressed any bitterness over the matter. In fact, in one poem, she expresses gratitude for having been brought to a place where she could learn about Christ. Her attitude was similar to that of Joseph's, who understood that while his brothers meant to do him evil by selling him into slavery, God used that same situation to work good.

In that same poem, Phillis reminds white readers that Christ died for those of African descent, just as she did for the children of European settlers. She implores her readers to think carefully about looking down on her people, for in Christ, all men may find salvation. In a couple of her other poems, Phillis comments about the suffering associated with slavery and prejudice. In one heart-wrenching passage, she imagines the agony her mother must have felt at having her child taken from her arms.

These comments are never delivered with anger. She simply invited people to look at the day's racial dilemma more deeply. Some modern historicans have suggested that she did not dare to upset her readership with more direct comments. I imagine that there is some truth to that. However, I also like to think that her faith was so genuine that she truly held no rancor in her heart. At any rate, the majority of her poems are about faith or are about people she admired. Most do not mention the problems of slavery and prejudice at all.

In 1773, John Wheatley set Phillis free. (Some say she wasn't emancipated until Mr. Wheatley's death a few years later). In 1776, Phillis was invited to read her poetry to George Washington.

Sadly, Phillis' years of freedom were hard ones. When the country was plunged into the Revolutionary War, people quit reading Phillis' moral and religious poems in favor of more political literature. One by one, the members of the Wheatley family died. Without their loving support, her great talent was somewhat forgotten, and she was no longer invited into the parlors of upper-class intellectual society. Despite the fact that she was still young and still gifted, she became what we call in our day, a "has-been".

Phillis married a free black grocer named John Peters. Historical accounts vary a bit in the details after that point. But, we do know that John's grocery failed and that he never made a success at that or any other type of endeavor.

Though Phillis was so greatly educated, there weren't many job openings back then in which Phillis could have used her education. So, she was forced to take on jobs as a scullery maid in order to help feed the family. Whatever work she could find in that area was never enough to support them.

All three children born to Phillis and John died. The last child left this world just a few hours after Phyllis, herself, passed away. It is not clear to me after reading several accounts of her life whether Phillis died from that child's birth. It's possible that she did, or it's possible that the child had already been born at some earlier point. If the latter case is true, I would assume that both mother and child likely succumbed to the same illness. It's also probable that John had completely abandoned Phillis by the time she passed away. At any rate, one thing is certain: Phillis was only thirty-one years old at the time of her death.

There were rumors that Phillis completed a second book of poems during the time she was married to John Peters. That manuscript has never been found, and, thus, has never been published.

So, what can Phillis teach us with regard to our finishing school? She sort of takes our excuses away; doesn't she? If we find ourselves in challenging circumstances -- as she certainly did -- we can still look for opportunities to develop our talents and to share them with others.

If you are interested, you can read some of Phillis' lovely poems online.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Fiery Plumes at the Washingtons...

Here's a funny side note from early American history. Betsey Hamilton (wife of Alexander Hamilton) once described a memorable evening at George and Martha Washington's temporary presidential residence in New York:

"Ostrich plumes, waving high overhead, formed a part of the evening head-dress of a fashionable belle at that time. Miss McEvers...had plumes unusually high. The ceiling of the drawing room of the president's house near Franklin Square was rather low, and Miss McEvers' plumes were ignited by the flames of the chandelier Major Jackson, Washington's aide-de-camp, sprang to the rescue of the young lady and extinguished the fire by smothering it with his hand." (By Betsey Hamilton, as recorded in Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts).

Finishing School Rule #1: If you are ever invited to dine at the White House, leave the ostrich feathers at home!

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Martha Washington

Did you know that after the original thirteen states of the United States won independence from England, America's founding fathers and founding mothers were unsure just how to run the new government and the new society? After all, no one in modern times had tried a republican experiment on such a large scale.

Should U.S. officials take their cue from the royalty that still ran most European countries? Or, should they dress, behave, entertain, and live in some other manner that befitted the American experiment?

Our forefathers took these questions seriously. They were aware that they were setting precedents and customs for future generations of Americans. Plus, the survival of this new republic was not guaranteed. They wanted to give it the best start that they could, in the hope that it would hold its own among the more established countries of the world.

This meant crafting a government and society that other, older countries would treat with respect. Yet, at the same time, they wanted to clearly be a government and society that was of the people, by the people, and for the people. The founding fathers walked a fine line between being taken seriously by European monarchies and, yet, remaining true to their republican ideals.

Perhaps none were so affected by this dilemma as George and Martha Washington. We can guess from reading biographies of them that after the Revolutionary war, they would have loved to retire in privacy to their beloved Mt. Vernon.

Even during the Revolutionary War, George must have been homesick. He wrote to Martha, "I should enjoy more real happiness in one month with you at home than I have the most distant prospect of finding abroad, if my stay were to be seven times seven years."

But, George was called first to be commander in chief, and, then, to be the nation's first president. Both George and Martha put duty above their personal wishes.

Questions arose about what to call the new president and his wife, as well as the Vice-President and other officials. Several fancy names were put forth, but these were rejected as sounding too much like royalty. Finally, it was decided to call Mr. Washington simply "The President of the United States". Other government titles fell in line with this simple dignity.

Martha, herself, was known as Lady Washington. The term "First Lady" was not created until after her death.

Throughout it all, Martha remained devotedly by Washington's side. Martha had been a young, wealthy, beautiful widow with two living infants and two deceased infants at the time she married George. Apparently, though they both had suffered broken hearts in the past, they always remained quite content with each other.

A White House biography of her reads, "From the day Martha married George Washington in 1759, her great concern was the comfort and happiness of her husband and children. When his career led him to the battlegrounds of the Revolutionary War and finally to the Presidency, she followed him bravely. Her love of private life equaled her husband's; but, as she wrote to her friend Mercy Otis Warren, " I cannot blame him for having acted according to his ideas of duty in obeying the voice of his country." As for herself, 'I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.'

"At the President's House in temporary capitals, New York and Philadelphia, the Washingtons chose to entertain in formal style, deliberately emphasizing the new republic's wish to be accepted as the equal of the established governments of Europe. Still, Martha's warm hospitality made her guests feel welcome and put strangers at ease. She took little satisfaction in ' formal compliments and empty ceremonies' and declared that 'I am fond of only what comes from the heart.' Abigail Adams, who sat at her right during parties and receptions, praised her as "one of those unassuming characters which create Love and Esteem.'"

So, in keeping with Emma's posts last week about personal presentation, we might ask how Martha Washington worked out the issue of dress and personal presentation.

Would Mrs. Washington try to compete with the ornately attired women of European courts? Would she dress even like some of the younger, fashionable women who were connected to America's fledgling government? Or, would she dress more in keeping with what she really was -- the happy, friendly, dignified, modest, middle-aged wife of an American planter?

Abigail Adams answered this question for us in something she wrote after spending time with Mrs. Washington in New York City:

"She (Mrs. Washington) is plain in her dress, but that plainness is the best of every article. Her hair is white, her teeth beautiful, her person rather short than otherways..Her manners are modest and unassuming, dignified and feminine, not a a tincture of hauteur (arrogance) about her."

Above, I've included images of Martha from different stages in her life. We here in the U.S. are accustomed to seeing paintings both of Mrs. Washington and of George Washington from their middle and later years. But, we forget that they were, of course, once young. So, I've included a couple of portraits of Mrs. Washington as a younger woman, as well some that show her as as the plump, grandmotherly lady we all recognize.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Grooming

Did you see Emma's post about grooming?

Ouch! Why did I schedule Emma's week on personal presentation first! Of course, her articles are so sweet and gently put. And, it's fun to talk about these subjects.

However, this is one area where I really need to step up. Emma's posts are a good reminder for me.

When I was younger, I always kept myself in trim and neatly turned out. Now, amidst business and fatigue, I can let this slide so easily. I dress fairly neatly. But, when it comes to taking care of hair, nails, weight, etc., I need to get back on track. I can justifty this negligence with a lot of excuses, some of which even sound noble. But, the bottom line is that I know my husband and children appreciate it when I put a little more effort into how I present myself.

I also know that these statements from Beautiful Girlhood are true: "The proper care of her person and dress will make an otherwise homely girl good-looking. What is more distasteful than a slovenly, untidy woman?...Though she might have a kind heart and many other desirable qualities, yet her unkempt appearance hides them from view. But, a person who always keeps herself tasefully and tidily dressed and her person clean and neat is attracive and pleasing."

In the description of the Proverbs 31 woman, most verses are devoted to her inner character. But, there is one verse that gives us a clue to her outward apperance. It says she is dressed in fine linen and purple.

Now, here is a woman who obviously did not spend hours and hours primping in front of the mirror. With all that she had going on in her life, she did not have time to be vain or silly about her looks. However, it's apparent that did devote some part of her busy days to her appearance. She dressed with dignity.

Is this surprising? Given all of the remarks about her capable, industrious nature, can you imagine that she went around looking sloppy? Do you envision her as slumping or slouching?

Somehow, I can't picture her that way. I imagine her as having a classic and understated look, good posture, a smile on her face, and neat hair. I would suspect that since she was so in tune with detail in every other are of her life, that she carried some of this over into the way she presented herself, as well. I would also think that she managed this with great efficiency, so that it didn't take her hours and hours to groom herself. (If we follow Emma's suggestion to develop beauty routines, it won't take us hours and hours, either.)

I suspect that the noble woman's husband, who was an elder in the land, trusted that her appearance would represent him well. I also guess that her children, who called her blessed, were proud of how she carried herself. And, I have a hunch that she was a walking advertisement for her handiwork. I would think that someone could tell by looking at her that she was capable of turning out fine sashes and linen garments to sell.

As is said in Beautiful Girlhood: "Seek goodness and purity first, then strive to keep the body in harmony with the beauty of the heart." The focus of the worthy woman was not on her outward apperance, but her outward apperance was in keeping with her noble character.

In striving to be like her, I've decided to keep a little notebook in which I write a record of my progress. I'm going to start by taking some of the steps toward a feminine character, health, posture, and grooming that Emma has suggested. I plan to track this for six months to a year. I am looking forward to making some beneficial new habits.

Enjoy!
elizabeth

The time has come!
Announcing the beginning of the first annual
Online Finishing School for Ladies....

As promised, our first annual Online Finishing School for Ladies begins on Monday. Emma will start us off with a discussion of personal presentation, posture, grooming, etc. Here's a link to her blog: http://charmingthebirdsfromthetrees.blogspot.com.

If you missed our previous posts about this idea and would like to know what this is all about, please read the following: http://tinyurl.com/ypzogm

Here's how it will work:

Each week for twelve weeks, one "teacher" will blog about a particular subject. She will post at least five times that week. Emma, for example, will do five posts about a woman's personal presentation starting on Monday.

Any of us who are interested will read the "teacher's" blog that week. We students can leave comments on her blog to encourage the "teacher" and let her know what we're learning.

Additionally, any of us who choose can post our thoughts about that same subject on our own blog, as well. If we are already experienced in subject, we can share hints that others might enjoy. Or, if we're new to a subject, we can post what we're learning as we read along with the "teacher".

Don't worry if you don't have a blog. You don't need one to participate. All you need is access to the Internet in order to read the blogs of the "teachers".

We'll gather all of the posts into one blog especially dedicated to the Finishing School. We'll give you that link in a few days. After a subject has been covered, the "teacher's" posts will be archived on the Finishing School Blog. That way, you can catch up if you have been out of town or had a busy week. You can also use it to refer back to a particular subject.

Please note:

1) This school is for fun and to provide a resource for those who have an interest in these topics. There will be no homework, no tests, and no pressure to accomplish certain goals. The teachers will suggest practice exercises. You can choose to do them or not, as you have time and interest. (You are also free to use this as part of a homeschooling project, of course, in which case you would set your own expectations for your children.)

2) We won't be able to cover each subject as thoroughly as it would be covered in a real finishing school. Each teacher will list resources you can use if you would like to learn more about the subject on your own. Essentially, we are providing a taste of different topics, and you can choose which ones, if any, you want to pursue in more depth. If we all enjoy this, we might do a Finishing School, Course II at some point.

3) These are subjects that can add beauty our lives. They will also be of use as we strive to live out our faith, to love others, and to make a home for our family. HOWEVER, you can be a loving, faithful, and capable woman without ever taking a course in any of these subjects! So, please take what you find that is interesting and useful to you, and don't worry about the rest. The last thing we want to do is to make busy wives and mothers feel that they have to fit some human-made ideal of the "finished lady". All we want to do is to have fun and to learn a few things in the process.

4) We realize that many of you may be just as versed in a subject as "the teacher" is, or even moreso. We invite you to participate along with us. Some of us will know very little about a subject to begin with, while others may know quite a bit. But, no matter what each person's current skill level is, we can always grow.

Here's our projected schedule. We may tweak this as we go along. Each week, we'll give you the name of each teacher, along with a link to her blog. We'll also provide a little introduction telling why she is interested in this topic.

Week I: June 25-30 Personal Presentation, Part I. posture, grooming, health, clothing care, etc.

Break: July 1-7 – Independence Day in America – We’ll give our teachers and readers a semi-break. However, we might do some posts about American customs/culture during this week.

Week II: July 8-14 Bastille Day in France -- How French culture has influenced decorating, fashion, cooking, etc. How to prepare a simple French meal. Why it was considered important for finishing school students to learn about other cultures and how that can still be useful in today’s world. Simple French phrases that you might come across when reading books in English.

Week III: July 15-21: Baking: A romantic cake. Tea goodies.

Week IV: July 22-28 – the culture of Central Asia, what we can learn from Central Aisian women.

Week V: July 29-August-4 Creating a lovely needlework pillow.

Week VI: August 5-11 Flowers, flowers, and more flowers!.

Week VII: August 12-18 Correspondence and Etiquette – particularly modern etiquette: email, cell phones, etc.

Week : VIII August 19-25 The best things we can learn from various cultures, customs in European countries

Week IX August 26-Sept. 1 – How to sew a pretty handkerchief (or nightgown, we're still deciding), ribbon embroidery – a woman can choose to purchase something ready-made on which to do the ribbon embroidery.

Week X: September 2-8 -- How to set a pretty table for various occasions; the correct way to set a table for a casual lunch, a buffet, a dinner, a shower, etc.
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Week XI September 9-15 Another week on personal presentation, keeping our bedrooms pretty and organized

Week XII September 16-22 Gracious Living on a Budget

See you at Emma's for class on Monday!

Enjoy!

Elizabeth