What were the girls enjoying in January 1881?

Green Mount

Jan. 16th, 1881

We opened our Society by reading the 42 Psalm, and then we went into the music room. Then Lou played Old Rosin The Beau, very well indeed. Then Lucie read The Closing Year which is a lovely piece and she read it better then usual. Nannie then played Fra Davolo which she said she did not know but proved that she did. Lulie read a very amusing scrap from cousin Lou's Scrap book which we all enjoied though it was so short. Mattie Kate read If We Only Knew, which is a lovely piece, Sallie first played Drippin Fountain alias the scale of C major but afterwarde played Spinlie a very difficult piece but she managed to get throug with it very creditably. Cousin Lou and cousin Florence sang some duets for us which closed a very pleasant evening.

Mattie Ella Fleet

(all spellings are as written in the journal)

Undated Entry

Before writing out this undated entry, it's a bit odd because the one following it is dated Jan16th which is 1 week after the last one posted. I'm not sure why this entry is stuck in between the two and is undated. But, it is so I will surely post it. The roster for the 1880-1881 school year reads as follows:

Blount, Sallie Lee

Fauntleroy, Mattie Kate

Fleet, Lucy

Henley, M. Lou

Sale, Nannie F.

Starke, Loulie

The school's rosters are in the back of the second book Betsy Fleet did which is titled Green Mount After the War. There are rosters for each year the school existed which began in 1873 and ended in 1888. If you want a list of the rosters please contact me. It's something I should add to the blog and will do so at some point, but tonight I'll just do this one undated entry.

I would like to add that there was a 5.8 earthquake here in Virginia on Tuesday, August 23rd. I sure felt it. I was here in the house and had just sat down on the sofa to call my mom. She and I were talking and both realized we were experiencing an earthquake. I told her, "I'm going to the basement" and sat the phone down and called all 5 of my dogs to go with me. I got 4 of the 5 down there and the fifth one who only has 3 legs (Annie) was at the top of the stair to the basement so I sat on the top step holding her collar. Then I realized, NO! I should no be in the basement. I need to get outside! So I called all the dogs, grabbed the dog treat bag and out we all scurried. When standing on the ground the rumbling was still going on but fading. Then we had a 4.? tremor on Friday morning following it. I checked the house and chimneys for cracks and found nothing out of the ordinary. Then Saturday, August 27th we were hit by Hurricane Irene. It was a mess around here. Broken trees and limbs and debris was scattered all over the place. However, there were no damages to speak of to the house or garages or shed. We were fortunate. Power was out for 4 days and came back on this past Wednesday. I ran a generator and did fine. The weather was great and so air conditioning was not needed. My husband was in Kansas and didn't experience the hurricane, but he felt the earthquake as he was driving away on his trip that Tuesday. Ok, enough about current events...on with the undated entry!

We opened exercises, as usual, by reading a Psalm. We then went into the music room where Lucy played much to our enjoyment Hack's (?) "Home Sweet Home." I think it a beautiful copy of "Home." Sallie read a very instructive piece called "How Frank Entertains the Boys." It shows that making "snowballs" & such things does not make the real sum of what a genuine boy can learn & do. Mattie Kate played "El Fresco," which we enjoyed very much especially Nannie. Mattie read "Frankie's First Steps,"(when clicking on Frankie's First Steps, once the site comes up click to view the book and the poem is on pages 51 and 52.) a very sweet little piece. Loulie played "To the Woodland Come Away." This is one of the pieces which we learned to sing by note, & all of us joined in & sang a verse. Nannie read "Doing" very well. Lou read "Influence." Last though not least Cousin Lou read What Will We Make of It.

H.L.M.

(this is probably Lou Henley)

THE NEW YEAR BEGINS 1881

Green Mount, Jan 9th, 1881

We opened our Society as usual by reading a Psalm after which we adjourned to the Music room & after the usual duties Lou played much to our enjoyment "Pensee Celeste" then Sallie played "Voice from Heaven." Her execution of it well merited the applause she received. Mattie Kate read "Woman's Work" very well. Every woman should try to work up to this standard that she may received, this applaudit at Heaven's Gate." (not sure of some of those last words but it looks like those are how the words are spelled). "She hath done what she chould." This excellent piece was followed by another equally so by Lucy entitled Perfect Through Suffering which teaches us that every sorrow we have in this life tends to draw us up from the transient things of this world to Heaven with its joys & blessings. Loulie read very nicely a piece called The Teacher. Mattie repeated very sweetly "Kind Hearts." Nannie then sung "The Danube River," and then Miss Lou ended a pleasant evening's exercises by reading for our enjoyment "How Deacon Tubman & Darson Adams Spent the New Year."

S (probably Sallie Blount-she wrote the S very fancy)

Undated Entry(possibly just after Christmas break)

Lou is very much complaining this evening, and has just asked me to write the record for her, reminding me at the same time a friend in need is a friend in deed. I hate very much to do it, but to prove to her I am her friend I suppose I'll have to take the disagreeable task on myself. I have only five minutes to write it, so hope all mistakes will be excused. After reading a Psalm we assembled in the msuic room. Miss Lou read "Value of Time and Knowledge", Mattie Kate played "Pique Dame." Miss Florence read "Begin Well." Lou read "Childhood Trust". Nannie read "Gather up the Fragments." Sallie read "Girls as Housekeepers." Lulie attempted to play "Silvery Waves", but broke down as usual before she had gotten half way through. Lucie was not with us to add to our happiness, for which we were very sorry.

Unsigned Entry as well.

Everyone is mentioned above, so whoever wrote this is one of the students.

The Roster for the School Year 1880-1881

Blount, Sallie Lee

Fauntleroy, Mattie Kate

Fleet, Lucy

Henley, M. Lou

Sale, Nannie F.

Starke, Loulie

When referring to Miss Lou and Miss Florence, they are the Fleet sisters who are teaching the girls here at Green Mount Home School for Young Ladies.

TA-DA! QUINCE JELLY!

I decided to try and make the quince jelly instead of the cheese. It turned out pretty nice I think. It tastes sort of like peaches and sort of like honey and then I guess the different taste is that of the quince! It is very good. I think it would be real yummy on some hot, homemade biscuits or piece of thick whole wheat toast! Probably wouldn't make a bad PBJ sandwich either. The owner of Green Mount was here last weekend and he remembers eating quince jelly here as a child. He was anxious to try it again, so I guess one jar is to keep and one jar is for him! Hey, maybe next year my friend and I can enter some in the VA state fair! The judges probably wouldn't even know what it was...

VISITORS AND AN OLD RECIPE

Yesterday, Monday, October 4th, I was so thrilled to have company here at Green Mount. Jon and Kristen Ober of Mathews County stayed for a portion of the day and were the best company. They were so interested in the history of the home, the family, the artifacts, the story of the Fleet family in general. We exchanged books, I receiving as a gift, the third book written by Jon, A Game Warden's Field Notes III, (thank you again!) and they left with copies of Green Mount After the War and the Autobiography of Sallie Lee Mahood which I could only loan them, but I know we will all enjoy reading each other's books. Fine people are the Obers and I hope they will visit again.

Today, by the way, is our oldest son's 21st birthday. Alex is celebrating I suppose in a modest way. He's stationed in Afghanistan, being a member of the 173rd Airborne Unit (Army). We miss him a lot, pray he's safe and hope to see him in December when he's allowed a whole month off and will be out of Afghanistan, stationed in Italy. Then he, his Dad, his brother Tyler and I will have a big group hug and be thankful for many things.

I am not actually writing a journal entry at this time. The reason for this post is to share with you a couple of old recipes I found in a cookbook here at Green Mount. The book is titled Miss Leslie's Complete Cookery and was printed in 1841. There is a quince bush out front of the house and I've always wondered what it was. After finally learning what the name of the fruit bearing bush was, I read where Ma (Mrs. Fleet) once made quince jelly and sent it to her oldest son Fred when he was in camp in the Confederate Army. She encouraged him to share some of the other foods she sent, but to keep the quince jelly for himself. Here are a few pictures of the quince bush and the fruit and a typed out copy of the recipes in this old book. It's fun to read some of the instructions such as the part about "if you are obliged to use river water..." I guess times have changed a little. So, I've picked me some quinces and since I don't have many, I think I'll try to make the quince cheese. A good friend of mine who wins blue ribbons at the state fair every year is going to try making the jelly. She got some of the quinces I picked earlier. She won two first places this year and two other ribbons as well. I don't know if you can buy these bushes around, I suppose you can and if you'd like to try making an old-timey treat here is some information that may assist. I also found a recipe on line for the jelly, so there are people who still make this. I had never heard of it until moving here. The photo of the jelly I found on line was a pretty pinkish color. I also learned from that reading on line that the quinces have a lot of natural pectin, so none has to be added.

QUINCE JELLY

Take fine ripe yellow quinces, wash them and remove all the blemishes. Cut them in pieces, but do not pare or core them. Put them into a preserving-pan with clear spring water. If you are obliged to use river water, filter it first; allowing one pint to twelve large quinces. Boil them gently till they are all soft and broken. Then put them into a jelly-bag, and do not squeeze it till after the clear liquid has ceased running. Of this you must make the best jelly, allowing each pint a pound of loaf sugar. Having dissolved the sugar in the liquid, boil them together about twenty minutes, or till you have a thick jelly. In the mean time squeeze out all that is left in the bag. It will not be clear, but you can make a very good jelly for common purposes.

QUINCE CHEESE

Have fine ripe quinces, and pare and core them. Cut them into pieces and weigh them; and to each pound of quinces, allow half a pound of the best brown sugar. Put the cores and parings into a kettle with enough water to cover them, keeping the lid of the kettle closed. When you find that they are all boiled to pieces and quite soft, strain off the water over the sugar, and when it is entirely dissolved, put it over the fire and boil it to a thick syrup, skimming it well. When no more scum rises, put in the quinces, cover them closely, and boil them all day over a slow fire, stirring them and mashing them down with a spoon till they are a thick smooth paste. Then take it out, and put it into buttered tin pans or deep dishes. Let it set to get cold. It will then turn out so firm that you may cut it into slices like cheese. Keep it in a dry place in broad stone pots. It is intended for the tea-table.

I tasted one of the quinces uncooked and they are SOUR!

As always, thank you very much for reading. I promise to post the next journal entry very soon.

December 22nd, 1860, another Wednesday!

Since last posting I finished Helen's Babies. It was a great read and even more special since I know someone here read it 130 years ago. I have sent it to my sister-in-law, who read it and is passing it around. I highly recommend it. A simpler time with many the same dilemmas as we have today. Now on with a new post...The ink has faded drastically on this entry, some straining of the eyeballs to read, but it's worth it!

Green Mount,

Dec. 22, 1880

This is the last record for the year 1880 & the unpleasant duty of keeping it falls to my lot. The task is particularly sad to me today, for well I know that some of us at least will be absent from our accustomed places when the last record before next Christmas will be read out in our Society. I know though that we will carry away with us pleasant remembrances of the happy hours spent in our dear Society. In a few days now we will be at home & how the thoughts cheer us up for the few remaining days. After much talk about the coming Christmas we went on with the usual exercises. Nannie played "Brattleboro Waltz" which was followed by a piece called "Coming Down the Chimney" from Lulie. Lou played "Old Black Joe" (by Stephen Foster) beautifully. We were all pleased at the manner in which she played it. Truly the old saying is verified in her case viz: "Practice makes perfect." Mattie Kate read "Poor Old Aunt Crown and the Christmas She Didn't mean to Keep," which shows how happy one child is capable of making a home. Lucy read "Christmas Thoughts" (see page on left of screen) very well indeed. Miss Lou read "The Sleet" which was very appropriate as the ground was covered with snow & the trees with ice. Sallie ended the very pleasant evening with "German Triumphant March" which she played beautifully. I hope we will all come back greatly uplifted from our Christmas holiday &be ready to meet bravely the trials and temptations which must come sometimes to mar our happiness. "And though it may be hard to understand, the way through which He leads your life is not mine. May we not safely trust the gracious hand that brings to us so good a Christmas time."

M. K. Faunt Le Roy