Vintage Book Review

This book is a true account of the author Catherine Elizabeth Havens. It describes her life in New York City in the years 1849 - 1850 from a 10 year old point of view. She talks about a city of close knit neighborhoods and folks truly watching out for each other.

Scarlet Fever was running ramped and several of her family members became sick with it. Here is a funny passage where she describes two frequent visitors to her home.

"Miss Carew makes my things. She is an old maid, and very fussy, and Ellen and I don't like her. She wears little bunches of curls behind her ears, and when she is cutting out she screws up her mouth, and we try not to laugh. ~ There is another person called Miss Platt who comes to sew carpets, and although we don't despise her, which would be very wicked, for my mother says she comes of an excellent old Long Island family, yet Ellen and I don't like to have her use our forks and drink out of our cups. She is very tall and thin and has a long neck that reminds Ellen and me of a turkey gobbler, and her thumb-nails are all flattened from hammering down carpets, and she puts up her front hair in little rings and sticks big pins through them. Ellen and I try to pick out a nicked cup for her to use so that we can recognize it and avoid it."

Here is another passage where she describes a dress she wore in a picture which she called a ambrotype.Try to picture this ~ "I have on a blue and white foulard dress, and it is made with a basque, and the basque is trimmed with blue satin ribbon about an inch wide, box pleated and quilled, and I have on my black lace mitts, and some Valenciennes lace in my sleeves, and my hair is braided and put around my ears. "

Lastly ~ here is a song on the last page ~

THE WOOD ROBIN

a song of the eighteenth century

Stay, sweet enchanter of the grove,

Leave not so soon thy native tree,

Oh, warble still those notes of love,

While my fond heart responds to thee!

Rest thy soft bosom on the spray,

Till chilly Autumn frowns severe,

Then charm me with thy parting lay,

And I will answer with a tear.

But soon as Spring, enriched with flowers.

Comes dancing o'er the new drest plain,

Return and cheer thy native bowers,

My robin, with thy notes again!

This book was given to a girl named Emily U. Goodan and signed ~ from her friend Catherine Elizabeth Havens

(the author) 1920 ~ Stamford, Ct.

This book was delightful to read :)