Jane’s Parlour O Douglas
published 1937
[excerpt] Lady Jackson, resplendent in a red and gold brocade tea-gown, swept down on them. "Now, isn't this nice? Father and I just arrived this afternoon by car, and it's grand to have a party right away and see all you people again. I'm so thankful I brought this dress. My dressmaker called it an afternoon dress, though I thought I'd never use it except in the evenings, but it's quite right for a big party, and awful kind of cheery, don't you think?
"Indeed I do," Jean assured her. "It's the perfect garment for a Christmas or rather a New Year party. You look like the spirit of the season."
Lady Jackson beamed. "Now that's nice of you. I wasn't quite sure. I thought Barbara looked a wee thing startled when she saw it—not that she said anything, you know, but a look's enough sometimes to discourage you…”
comments: I liked the top picture, but I did also consider this
splendid dress
for Barbie, perhaps no longer available on Etsy, but the seller has
more…
I have featured many an O
Douglas book over the past year – and indeed have already used one for a Xmas books entry. They are comfort reads to take the
mind off the state of the world, thank you Shay, and this one features
one of my favourites of the recurring characters: Lady Jackson.
Lady J is attending a New Year party at her son’s house,
ready to outrage her daughter-in-law, the haughty Barbara.
As one of the other guests says,
This is a very successful party,” said Jean, ‘‘ just listen to the noise! Quite a lot of people present have come at least fifty miles. They’re surely het at hame, to use a good Scots saying. . . . How Lady Jackson is enjoying herself! She talks to every one whether she knows them or not, and that’s so wise. How a person like that warms the world! What does it matter though the rigidly correct look down their noses at her. She has the laugh of them all the time for she gets more out of life than they ever knew was in it. It’s the difference between a fiddling little electric heater and a leaping fire of logs that never falls to cold ashes—am I getting hopelessly mixed ? ”’
The books can be hopelessly mixed too: snobbish and class conscious, but Douglas’s
treatment of Lady Jackson is always reassuring. (see this
previous post). Tennyson’s famous quote
“Kind hearts are more than coronets,
and simple faith than Norman blood.”
Always seems like a nice theory, not much observed in the
world of mid-20th-century literature, nor in Douglas, but she does try
sometimes…
There is mention in the book of the tradition of a bride
wearing her wedding dress to her first dinner parties – in this story, a child
watching through the stairs is disappointed that Alice has only a diamond
ornament in her hair, not her veils…
This picture, from the Public
Record Office of Northern Ireland, is a bride of the right era,
though definitely on her way to church not dinner party.
The top picture is called 'Sybil Waller in a red and gold dress', is by George Washington Lambert, and can be found on Wikimedia Commons.
And before Tennyson there was Burns:
ReplyDeleteA Prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that!
But an honest man’s aboon his might –
Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that!
And so on ... I always enjoy your posts on O Douglas, Moira, but I feel that that is about as much of her as I want. Chrissie
Tee hee, that's probably about right Chrissie! I'm taking the bullet... Is this what AI will do, try to fillet out the best bits....?
DeleteHow would AI know what the "best" bits are, I wonder? I'd much rather rely on you, Moira!
DeleteGoing back even further, "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?"
DeleteOh my goodness - just for interest I asked AI to summarise a book I know well. It was appalling - they got the NAMES of the MAIN CHARACTERS wrong. They were just made up from nothing. And what wasn't completely wrong, was just uninspired guff: "the book looks at the relations between the characters...they encounter challenges that test their values and principles." It came across like a High School essay by someone who hasn't actually read the book.
DeleteI've been job hunting and have noticed a lot of online ads for people to "teach" AI. They may be scams, but just the idea of so many different "teachers" gives me the impression that AI will be one confused kid!
DeleteMaybe AI is learning to BS as well as any human?
Delete'Teaching AI'? I did not know about that. I don't want to be an older person complaining that the world is moving too fast, but I am heading that way!
DeleteResplendent is exactly the right word for the dress in the top pic and the Barbie doll. Love Lady Jackson, because she is kind-hearted and genuine; and knows what people think of her, but doesn’t care. She just goes ahead and says what she thinks, and does what she likes, and wears whatever she wants, whether or not it’s fashionable, suitable for the occasion, or ideal for her shape and age!
ReplyDeleteShe is a marvellous character. I like that O Douglas actually uses her as a filter for other people's character: anyone who doesn't appreciate her good points is definitely in the wrong.
DeleteThat other snob Thirkell also unbent a little in the character of Mr Adams the industrial magnate, whose friendliness and common-sense won over the "county" characters. He's rich of course--was that a prerequisite for acceptance?
ReplyDeleteYes, even Thirkell allows a few in: money, and not trying to pretend to be upper class seem to be the key elements.
DeleteMaybe Lady Jackson would have worn this! https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1348573/coat-liberty/
ReplyDeleteI think she would have enjoyed that (when it was new), and would have looked magnificent clad in the rich colours and materials.
DeleteSorry that was me,
DeleteOh Daniel that's gorgeous, and Lady J would have loved it.
DeleteI am as one with Christine..
... and actually I think the style is much more what I imagine Lady J is wearing. I loved the dress above, and the material is gorgeous, but it's probably not the style for a larger older lady, as Dame Eleanor implies below. the V&A has it covered....
DeleteSybil's dress looks really perfect! Only imagining it on the stouter Mrs Jackson helps one see why conventional Barbara is a thing startled. So often larger ladies are urged (by the conventional) to wear drab dark clothing that I love seeing O. Douglas let Mrs Jackson let herself go with the colours she loves--isn't there another scene where she has to be talked out of a crimson evening dress and into black velvet? After all, Nicole gets to wear gold brocade with cream lace, and I don't see why extravagant colour should be the exclusive province of the young and shapely--especially on dark cold Scottish evenings!
ReplyDeleteYes exactly - I think O Douglas is making her point and believes in colours and a dashing air.
DeleteShe is very good on clothes descriptions, has obviously thought about them, which is why it has been such a pleasure to do so many posts!
I’m trying to think of other larger literary ladies who wear unsuitable clothes. There is Nellie Coker looking like a plum pudding in a fur edged tea gown, and what about Mrs Boffin who, like Lady Jackson, is looked down on because she is ‘new money’ and no taste, although she has a heart of gold. I seem to remember Dickens describing her. In black velvet and feathers looking like a mourning coach horse!
ReplyDelete