Dear Subscriber,

It seems just yesterday that I was shopping for Christmas decorations, and scarcely did I turn around from the cash register when they were putting up gifts for Valentine's Day.  (Seriously, there are stores here where you could actually shop for Valentine's Day at the end of December...)  I'm not ready to think about hearts and chocolates; I'm not really ready to embrace the concept that January is... well... over!

But at least that means it's time for an exciting new issue of Victorian Times!  I've always enjoyed being an editor, but one of the things I particularly enjoy about editing a magazine like this is... this month I get to run an article by John Muir!  Next month I get to run an  article by Mark Twain!  How cool is that?  (John Muir's tale of being stranded on a glacier with a remarkable little dog named Stickeen is cool in more ways than one...)  Plus, authors like John Muir and Mark Twain are absolutely no trouble at all to work with - they never complain or ask for more pay.  And if either of them had difficulty telling a comma from a semicolon, some other editor has already dealt with that issue; I don't have to! 

I suspect Victorian readers would have been properly horrified by the idea of buying Valentines in December!  But I imagine they would have enjoyed this issue as much as, I hope, you will!  So here's what we have for February:

• Things Made by Children (The Strand, 1897) "The writer of this article has made it his business to search the whole country through for interesting specimens of ingenious work done entirely by children." And he certainly found a number of them, from dollhouses to a prayer cut out of wood with a fret-saw!
• An Adventure with a Dog and a Glacier (Century, 1897) John Muir's account of a perilous trek across an icy crevasse in Alaska with a most unusual canine companion.
• Parlor Games (Collier's Cyclopedia, 1882) A guide to all those odd games that you find mentioned in Victorian tales, which assume (naturally) that the reader knows what they are and how they're played. Here are the rules for games such as Consequences, Adjectives, Crambo, What Is My Thought Like?, Mesmerism and more.
• New Year in Japan (Demorest, 1870) The Japanese New Year falls on February 6, and is a time for cleaning, whitening the mats with rice powder, decking the doors with trees and garlands, and making lots of noise with toy trumpets, pipes, whistles and tambourines.
• How to Lay the Breakfast and Luncheon Tables/How to Lay the Dinner Table (The Girl's Own Paper, 1886) If tables are bright and cheerful, this author believes, then so will be the diners!
• Holly and Mistletoe (Demorest, 1870) Did this miss the Christmas issue? No - it's actually about holly and mistletoe traditions associated with Valentine's Day!
• Animals as Beggars (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1895) Stories of animals who beg for themselves -- and on behalf of others!
• The Life of the Non-Commissioned Officer (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882) A look at the opportunities for the person who wishes to make the Army a permanent, lifetime career.
• Moorland Idylls 7: A Desperate Struggle for Life (English Illustrated Magazine, 1895) On the difficulties of planting a garden on the moors.
• Dainty Orange Dishes (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1895) Orange cake, orange pudding, orange sauce, orange butter, tangerine creams and orange trifle.
• "Aunt Mehitabel's Winter in Washington" (Godey's, 1873) This wonderful eight-part series of "letters" written by "Aunt Mehitabel" to her loved ones back in Virginia provide a wonderful look at Washington (DC) life and society in 1873. The Washington monument has not yet been built, and in one letter "Aunt Mehitabel" urges women across the country to send $1 toward its completion. The series looks at the notable figures of the day, describes fashions and homes in detail, and paints a brilliant picture of life on Capitol Hill.
• Home Management, Month by Month (Girl's Own Paper, 1901) Household management tips for the month.
• Foreign Cakes and Sweets (Girl's Own Paper, 1902) A round-up of German recipes. 

Visit http://www.victorianvoices.net/VT/issues/VT-1802.shtml to download  this issue!

Or download it directly from DropBox:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9eg0nd2nmiwdkmr/VT-1802.pdf?dl=0

VICTORIAN TIMES QUARTERLY #14
 
Victorian Times Quarterly #14 is now available!

Victorian Times Quarterly #14 is available from Amazon.  Our 14th volume includes the contents of our October, November and December issues - including all the glorious Christmas articles that you'll find in this month's Victorian Times.  As I mentioned last month, you can also order this volume directly from us for a 33% discount - but if you do that, PLEASE be aware that shipping takes a bit longer.  We order the volume from CreateSpace, and they've been remarkably slow in shipping out books. (If you order directly from Amazon there is no such delay.)   Find out more at http://www.victorianvoices.net/VT/VTQ/VTQ14.shtml

Available from: Amazon.com,  Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.ca.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Your Intrepid Editor,
Moira Allen

editors@writing-world.com