Mrs. Salisbury's Stove

This week, my kitchen dearies, I’ll share a recipe. This is my most famous and most delicious beef steak pie, eaten by generations of the B---- family, made by my mother and her mother before for family and service alike. Enjoy, poppets!

For your beef steak pie

Steaks you must, of course, buy.

Only the finest of cuts

A shoulder, a loin, perhaps even butt

On a board lay them flat.

Beat them well with a pin.

Salt and pepper – add that!

To your tastes be they seasoned.

Make a good crust.

If you can’t then you must

Leave the kitchen this minute;

No fools allowed in it.

Lay that crust in a pan.

Fill with water – half full.

Place the steak in by hand.

More seas’ning! (never dull)

Add one tablespoon butter right into the dish.

(one spoonful more if you like your pie rich)

Some parsley, some thyme, added right in.

Lay down the crust, to cover the tin.

Bake one hour, or two

Depends on what size you’ve got.

Don’t dally, just chew,

It’s best while it’s hot!

Correspondence Etiquette

Although I presume that the majority of our readers have the ability to correspond gracefully through letters, I do not find it amiss to offer a few reminders of habits in writing that are considered bad form. I shall refer frequently to the highly informative book “Good Form” in England.

First, it is ill-mannered not to mention the name of a recipient in a letter’s address. Simply calling someone a friend is not enough. The actual name of the person you are writing to absolutely has to be included. Similarly, letters should not be signed using titles, including “Mrs.” Only your actual name should be used.

I have encountered the occasional lady who, though possessing great intelligence, fails to use proper spelling and grammar in her personal letters. No matter what the level of formality is, proper use of language is indispensable.

Some may be surprised to hear that including an R.S.V.P. on invitations is certainly not proper. It is actually offensive because it suggests that the recipient does not have the manners to respond without being told to do so. It is much better to demonstrate through invitations that you think highly of your friends.

An American Physician: Elizabeth Garret Anderson

Elizabeth Garret Anderson, the first American woman physician, has founded the New Hospital for Women in London. Anderson’s close friend and mentor, Elizabeth Blackwell, assists Anderson as a professor of gynecology. Anderson expresses the difficulties of trying to make it in the medical field as a woman. Anderson is determined to pave the way for women and pass an act permitting women to enter medical professions. 

Portrait of an Artist: Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys

As a small contribution to our readers’ vast array of knowledge about the arts, I am pleased to provide a brief introduction to a current and worthy artist. Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys is not a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, but his works seem to be Pre-Raphaelite in nature. Although Sandys is the creator of several lovely paintings and chalk drawings, he is gaining much fame for his pen-drawings. Any observer of his artwork will surely appreciate his vivid use of color. The works of Sandys portray a wide span of emotions. In his artwork, men are shown to be strong, while women are shown to be gentle. The beautiful works of this up-and-coming artist are not to be missed.

Queen Eleanor, 1858

My Good Position in Service

     I am a maid. That is all I am. Perhaps the only place I will ever be is in service. I like being a maid. I’m suited for the strong work. It’s a good position. My master and mistress make up a respectable family, and they are kind, if distant, people. I wouldn’t want to lose my position… but what if I left?

     I wash; I clean; I make fires; I help in the kitchen. What other jobs can there be in the world? My sister left service for a factory two years ago, and I was ashamed she would abandon a good position at a good house. But her life sounds wonderful from what she writes – or better than mine, at least. For every 80 hours a week I do of back-breaking work, she performs but a mere 56 of the same factory work over and over. My sister speaks often of her worker friends. I’m quite lonely here. There’s Cook and there’s her ladyship’s lady maid and some footmen. But this is a lonely life. I don’t know if I have a true friend. But it’s a good position. No one should leave such a good post. Right?

Impress Your Guests: Show Off Beautiful Furniture

            Elegance can never be overstated when one has guests in need of attending to every second. To ease their pain, suit them to the best wood-carved chairs that England has to offer, complete with flawless upholstery to appease their eyes as well as their bodies. For times when guests are scarce, allow time to yourself by writing upon a beautiful mahogany desk guaranteed not to scratch, or cherish a gorgeous painting placed in a priceless golden frame waiting to be viewed by all who pass by it.

No Excuse for Shameful Behavior

To the dear readers of this periodical,

I write this letter in a flurry of emotion, still entirely shocked by the behavior I witnessed at the ball at W--- House. When I was a girl, such vulgar manners were wholeheartedly rejected. I simply cannot perceive what the world is coming to. I actually witnessed several young ladies arranging their hair while still on the dance floor. I consider it my duty to offer a reminder that the family hosting the ball will never fail to have comfortable dressing rooms for the ladies and gentlemen to use. It is inexcusably rude to fix one’s appearance in a public area.

The gentlemen at the ball who had the audacity to ask ladies to dance without ever having been introduced ought to be positively ashamed of themselves. Ladies, if subjected to such rudeness, should refuse the offer of the dance. Accepting would only be encouraging the gentlemen’s undue familiarity. I hope to observe more pleasing manners at the next ball I attend.

With concern,

Miss M.

Dreary Days Need Not Be So Dreary

When the weather is dreary, one may question what to do. Listening to the broken chords of Maria Lindsey can help pass the time away. One can also brighten the day by playing a luxury instrument. The piano and flute are both suitable instruments that “soften the manners” and “refine the taste” of its listeners. Dancing the elegant dance of the Waltz or Polka can turn any dreary day into a delightful time. Children can expand their imagination by pretending they are the characters in The Beggar's Opera. Although the weather may be dreary, any day can be brightened by being prepared.