Please enjoy our pictures of the ladies as they go to their new homes.
Miss Tilly May Plum inspects her new dining room.
A letter received from Miss Virlindia Berry:
My Dear Friend and Mentor ~
I arrived at the Preble Mansion today, and received the warmest welcome imaginable:
Mini Hittys Betsy Raikes and Patsie Thompson set the kitchen on fire!
Luckily, there was a fire extinguisher handy and the flames were soon extinguished,
with little damage done. Girls will be girls! They were only trying to bake
some cookies to welcome me, and in their excitement, forgot to take a batch
out of the oven.
Poor Hitty Dakota Starret Preble, who had been presiding over the baking,
immediately had a fainting spell, and I helped revive her with some chamomile
tea (brewed from your private receipt). She is quite elderly and I thought
her much too frail to be in charge of young imps, however well-intentioned
they might be. However, it turned out that she wasn't actually in charge of
them, but the lady that was, had gone to the adjoining pantry briefly, to
obtain more flour. Obviously, these girls cannot be left alone and unsupervised
together for even one second. I am quite grateful for the second set of eyes
Miss Julie carved in the back of my head under my hair.
The rest of my welcome was uneventful, and heartfelt. The ladies here are
wonderful, and two, Flora and Heather, have already come forward to be my
assistants in the herbal garden which I will establish shortly.
My room is a delight. It is right next to Mrs. Marsh, the Governess, who oversees
the youngest Hittys. No one would ever believe that these should be servants'
quarters, as they are as finely appointed as any lady's room in the mansion.
I was assured that, should I wish to furnish it with my own things, I was
welcome to do so. I thought to make it more suitable to my station, until
Prudence, a Quaker Hitty, assured me that I was a member of the family, and
that, unless I were to choose to live as a Quaker, I should just accept the
luxury as part of living in the Mansion.
I was honored to meet Hitty Augusta Preble, who immediately said to call her
Augusta. Apparently, every lady in the Mansion is to be called by her first
name, although the young ones call most of the ladies Aunt. I had planned,
as instructed, to be called Miss Berry, but apparently only the young ones
will be doing so. I am already Virlindia to the ladies.
This is actually an exceptionally well-run household, thanks to Augusta. She
is a magnificent Head of Household, so I don't believe I will ever attain
that position here. But I will be her chief assistant in running the household
and expect to learn much from her.
Since she has adopted the most adorable -- and well-behaved -- Joy from Judy
Brown, she wants to spend more time with the child. In addition, she continues
to write moral, yet quite entertaining, children's books to provide additional
income to the Mansion, so my services will be needed, if only to relieve the
pressure of her numerous duties.
Tomorrow, I will examine the quantity of recipes available which provide nutritious
meals, and add my own to them. Tonight, I will sample the flavor of the dishes
presented for the evening meal. Judging from the aroma wafting up to my room,
dinner is nearly ready, and will be delicious.
I will close now, and prepare for dinner.
Your friend and student,
Virlindia
Miss Virlindia Berry
Preble Mansion