Wonderful Victorian Poem

I was looking through a Victorian magazine the other day (as you do, well as I do, I am rather addicted to them since I discovered them late last year) and I came across this fabulous poem which is so apt for the re-enactor and fan of wearing historical clothes.

I love the script and also the illustration – the old lady peering down her lorgnettes reminds me of the Dowager Lady Violet from Downton Abbey 🙂 I can just imagine her cutting remark. My scanner is not working since we “upgraded” to Windows 7 (not as much of a disimprovement as I expected, but this I hadn’t expected, and the printer is playing up too) so I had to photograph the page, making a shiny blob from the flash.

A Rhyme of no Consequence

A Rhyme of no Consequence
by Edith Brignall

1. I dressed myself in an old-world gown,
“Why should I not?” said I,
‘Tis the presttiest thing I have seen this Spring
With a world of gathers to fall and cling,
‘Tis fit to be worn by the queen of a king
Oh! I’ll set the fashion,” laughed I,
“The robesof the days gone by
Were lov’lier far, they had colour and grace
And deserved to be near to a maidens face
While ours of today! I sigh,”
Proud as could be was I
As down to the town in my old-world gown
I tripped as the folks came by.

2. But_never again_ah me, the pain!
Did you ever think to try
To alter a fashion from this to that,
To wear for example a Gainsborough hat
While those a la mode are petite and flat,
Did you ever think to try?
I nearly died, did I!
The whole world looked at me up and down
With something between a smile and a frown
Till I burned, I was so shy
In that dress of the days gone by
In that alien gown down there in the town
With so many passing by.

3.It is put away now in an old, old chest,
(Sufficient the reason why)
I never had courage to wear it again,
I walk in a dress that is rigid and plain
And think now and then of the horrible pain
I suffered when I was shy,
And never so much as try
To alter a fashion_the World may wear
Just what it wants to, for all I care
I follow without a sigh,
And yet-that gown of the days gone by
Looked sweet in the town though the folks did frown
At me as I passed them by.

It is from the Harmsworth Magazine volume 2 from 1899 which also has stories, pictures and fascinating articles on a range of subjects. Apparently the latest craze was a photograph album for the baby, documenting various stages of growing up, which people still do now (make baby albums that is, I guess they’ve always grown up, at least physically…). I might write further blog posts about various of these magazines, there is plenty of interesting material.