Dear Subscriber,

Did I say it was summer?  Ah, but that was... weeks ago...  Today as I write this, there's definitely the touch of autumn in the air, and trees all over town are showing splotches of orange and gold, as if elves had been tossing random paint buckets over them.

My apologies for being so late with this issue; we're recovering from a marathon moving event, having just spent five days (yes, just five) on the other side of the country moving my mother-in-law from her retirement home duplex into an assisted living apartment.  One day to sort everything in her duplex, one day to guide the movers in packing up (while still sorting), one day to get it all unpacked again and one day to finish arranging the new apartment.  The final day was spent in various errands and catching up.  As for catching our breath, we still haven't quite accomplished that yet!  But it was a successful venture, even if exhausting.

And now it's already time to start thinking about the holidays!  Didn't we just have those?  Ah, well.  If you haven't picked out your Christmas cards yet, hold on a bit; we're about to launch a line of some lovely Victorian cards on Zazzle.com.  These will be available as individual cards or in sets of, I think, ten.  So far I've been very impressed by Zazzle's print quality, so watch the next issue for the official announcement and link to our "card store"!

And now here's what we have for you in October:

• The Sea-Serpent (The Strand, 1895) "There is a general disposition to regard the sea-serpent and all tales of him as an everlasting joke... he usually turns up in America, in a local paper. [But] there is reason to believe that the sea-serpent is a living fact..."
• Business Hours in London Streets (Leisure Hour, 1868) For street-sellers, "business hours" can begin as early as three in the morning!
• A Champion Orange-Peeler (The Strand, 1899) An ocean-going chef's unusual hobby...
• Artistic Bead-Threading (The Girl's Own Paper, 1902) "The fashion that has arisen for bead-stringing has given girls possessed of taste an opportunity of obtaining, at a very small cost, one of the most beautiful objects of personal adornment--a necklace." Includes designs that would not be out of place today, including Basuto work.
• The White Lady of the Berlin Castle (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1884) A ghostly lady who is considered a harbinger of death whenever she is seen walking through the Emperor's castle.
• Cats and Kittens (English Illustrated Magazine, 1890) A charming defense of cats (which were not well thought of in Victorian days) - with lovely illustrations by the renowned Louis Wain.
• Thoughts on the Higher Education of Women (The Girl's Own Paper, 1891) Written by an author who identifies himself only as "a man," who sets himself the difficult task of describing "the characteristics of the feminine mind." He doesn't do such a bad job of it!
• Aunt Mehitable's Winter in Washington (Godey's, 1874) The conclusion of this wonderful ten-part series of "letters" written by "Aunt Mehitable" on a visit to Washington DC, to her loved ones back in Virginia. (A second series launched later in 1874 in Godey's, but we'll leave it here with our author's happy homecoming.)
• Home Management, Month by Month (The Girl's Own Paper, 1901) Household management tips for the month.
• Some Austrian Sweets (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1893) Some delicious cookies and cakes.
• Fiction: "The Magic Shop" (The Strand, 1903) A delightful story by H.G. Wells, about a store that isn't (or perhaps is) all that it seems...
• Recipes for October (The Girl's Own Paper, 1897) Recipes for the month.
  

Visit http://www.victorianvoices.net/VT/issues/VT-1810.shtml to download  this issue!

Or download it directly from DropBox:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/19spc417ih1mbz6/VT-1810.pdf?dl=0

VICTORIAN TIMES QUARTERLY #17 IS HERE!

The latest volume of Victorian Times Quarterly is now available on Amazon, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca.

Victorian Times Quarterly #17 includes the contents of the July, August and September 2018 issues of Victorian Times.  In this lovely print edition you'll enjoy the latest installments of Aunt Mehitable's visit to Washington DC, Grant Allen's Moorland Idylls, and so much more.  This collection includes tips on yachting in the Mediterranean; a look at life "on the tramp," an interview with a 100-year-old former slave; a peek at some books of etiquette; children's street games in London; a remarkable Zuni pilgrimage to the sea; the ultimate ant farm; a day in a London pawn shop; tales of some animal thieves; some odd facts about heraldry; and much more.  Plus, of course, loads of delicious recipes and craft ideas, poetry, picture features etc.!  Add it to your bookshelf today, or share it as a gift with the Victoriana lover on your list.

To find out more and access the ordering links, please visit http://www.victorianvoices.net/VT/VTQ/VTQ17.shtml

CHRISTMAS IS COMING - ENJOY OUR NEW CHRISTMAS TREASURY!

We've done it again!  We love Christmas (and especially Victorian Christmas) so much that we've created a second Victorian Christmas Treasury (aptly titled A Victorian Christmas Treasury II).  Every page of this beautiful volume is a holiday treat, with an amazing collection of holiday articles and artwork never before anthologized.  Our new treasury takes you on a guided tour of Victorian holiday celebrations, from the poverty of the New York tenements to the children's costume balls in the British country home, from the blizzards of the American prairie to the blistering sun of the Australian colony.  Enjoy the Victorians' own visions of Christmas with holiday artwork by the top artists of the day (including some of Louis Wain's famous Christmas cats).  And of course, you'll find tips on decorating your home Victorian-style, tips on entertaining, and lots of mouthwatering recipes for Victorian holiday treats and suppers.  If you love Christmas (can you tell we do?), we're sure this volume will become a cherished part of your holiday traditions.  (And of course, don't miss our first Christmas collection, A Victorian Christmas Treasury.)

To find out more and access the ordering links, please visit http://www.victorianvoices.net/books/Christmas.shtml

Thank you all for being a part of the VictorianVoices.net family! 

Your Intrepid Editor,
Moira Allen

editors@writing-world.com