Merry Christmas!!

I’d like to wish a very merry and peaceful Christmas to all the Scandalous Victorians and to all of our readers as well!!

Victorian Slang of the Week

Agony column—journalism.  A column in a newspaper devoted to advertisements, especially seeking assistance. 1870 on.

Holiday Well Wishes

Seasons of Greetings to Everyone,

I’ve been off the blogging circuit for a few months and now that the Holidays are upon us I am taking a moment to say that I hope you all enjoy the season your way.  In time for New Year’s resolutions, I’ll plan to be back on this blog, monthly, again.

Merry Christmas,

K.-Marie Wall

Victorian Slang of the Week

Pile on the agony—to exaggerate or show off.  1837, appears to be used often through the century.  Often used in reference to theatre, as in overacting.

Winner of An American Rose Christmas pdf download!

Thanks for all the comments, everyone! I’ve held the drawing for the winner of the download.

And the winner is … Joan K. Maze!

I’ve already sent Joan an email.

And thanks again for all the great comments. An American Rose Christmas is available in digital and print format at The Wild Rose Press.

Thanks for entering and have a great holiday season!!

Historical Christmas anthology releases today!

My Civil War Christmas story, part of An American Rose Christmas anthology, officially releases in e-book format today–although it’s already out in print–from The Wild Rose Press.

Though all of the stories aren’t set in the Victorian time period–two are Colonial–they’re all American historicals and I’m proud my latest romance is part of this new anthology, which includes stories by Beth Trissel, Carol A. Spradling, Donna Dalton, Lauri Robinson, and Tori Anne.

 

My story starts at a Union army camp in Fredericksburg, Virginia and finishes at a lavish ball in Washington, D.C.  I was inspired by the story of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, a woman who disguised herself as a man to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War, but I also used true accounts of other women Civil War soldiers to create my heroine Sara Brewster.

 

Scroll down to read blurb and an excerpt from my story, The Christmas Ball.

 

 Purchase from The Wild Rose Press.

 

And I’ll pick one lucky person from today’s comment to win a digital copy of An American Rose Christmas!

Christmas Cards

It’s Christmas, iIt’s Christmas, it’s Victorian, and it’s Wednesday so I should post something combining at least the first two. The origin of the Christmas card as we know it now:

[Christmas Cards are] believed to have been designed by John Callcott Horsley in England in 1843, created for his friend Sir Henry Cole. An edition of 1,000 cards was placed on sale in London. It was lithographed on stiff cardboard, 5 1/8 by 3 1/4 inches, in dark sepia and hand-colored. The center of the card shows a family party in progress, beneath which were the words “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” To one side is a scene of the hungry being fed and to the other side the poor being clothed.

Britannica Online via zworks.com

Horsley painted frescoes for the Houses of Parliament, and with fellow artists Thomas Webster, G.B. O’Neill and F.D. Hardy, formed the Cranbrook Colony, meeting every summer to paint in the village of Cranbrook in Kent.

From 1875-1890 he was rector of the Royal Academy, where he campaigned against French influences and the use of nude female models. This earnt him the nickname ‘Clothes Horsley’.

From the National Gallery.

And as an aside that has nothing to do with Christmas but much to do with John Callcott Horsley:

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was Horsley’s brother-in-law: Isambard of the Great Western Railway and over 12oo miles of track including lines in Ireland, Italy and Bengal.  His great civil engineering works on the line between London and Bristol, are used by today’s high-speed trains and bear witness to his genius. [Brunel University, West London]

What are your favorite Christmas/Holiday Cards? Do you send them out? Do you like receiving them? I like the funny ones. Anything Peanuts/Snoopy and Maxine. She cracks me up all year round.

             

Victorian Slang of the Week

Up against it—in great difficult or distress.  Late in the century, 1895 in print.  Seems to be used quite commonly in print at this point, which may mean it came suddenly into usage, or had been used for several years earlier

Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott

I’ve just renewed my interest in the great poem Lady of the Lake and thought you might want to renew your perusal of this great story that has lasted over the years.

Composition

Scott began writing The Lady of the Lake in August 1809 while holidaying with his wife, Charlotte, and daughter, Sofia, in the Trossachs and along the shores and islands of Loch Katrine, the very scenes that would provide the poem’s setting. With this new poem, though, Scott wished to depend less on local colour and spectacular action and to attain greater psychological depth in his characterization. As he worked on the poem, Scott felt that, in this respect, it would only be a partial success. While he was confident that he had brought King James V and the clan chieftain Roderick Dhu vividly to life, he feared that the romantic hero, Malcolm Graeme would remain ‘a perfect automaton’ (letter to Lady Abercorn, March 14, 1810). Although initial progress on the poem was rapid, work was delayed when his children Walter, Charles, and Anne fell dangerously ill with an inflammatory fever. Only when they had fully recovered was he able to complete the poem which was published on May 8, 1810.

Synopsis

The narrative of the poem concerns the struggle between King James V and the powerful clan Douglas. The King has banished the entire family from his realm, including James of Douglas, the Earl of Bothwell, who had been his protector during his youth. The Earl and his daughter Ellen take refuge with Roderick Dhu in his castle on an island in Loch Katrine. At the beginning of the poem a mysterious knight calling himself James Fitz-James arrives at the castle and is granted hospitality. During his brief stay, he falls in love with Ellen but finds rivals for her affections in Roderick himself and in Malcolm Graeme, a young knight loyal to the King but moved by sympathy at the plight of Douglases. It is Malcolm that Ellen favours. Facing attack from royal forces for sheltering Douglas, Roderick gathers his clan. Douglas, though, is loath to bring disaster upon his host, and sets out for the royal court at Stirling, determined to surrender. Fitz-James returns and offers to take Ellen to safety but is told that she loves another. He nonetheless presses on her a ring which, he says, will obtain any favour from the King. Travelling to Stirling, Fitz-James meets and quarrels with Roderick. In the ensuing fight, Roderick is mortally wounded and carried to Stirling as a captive. Ellen presents herself at court and, showing the ring, pleads for her father’s pardon. She discovers that Fitz-James is no other than the King himself. The King and Douglas are reconciled through her intervention, and Ellen and Malcolm marry.

Victorian Slang of the Week

Run afoul—To run into or meet with an attack.  Probably originally nautical. From about 1833 on, throughout the century.  “He was looking for the preacher and ran afoul of him in the saloon.”