Thursday, December 29, 2011

Re.: Don’ts for Bettys

via email:
Don't rush out of the house...Even if it’s only the expected perfunctory peck. If it is omitted Neels Heroines are cast in the pit of deepest gloom.
Don't keep her in cotton-wool. Neels Heroes don’t do that. So much so, that sometimes, after being rescued, or after giving aid during an emergency Neels Heroines wish for a little cosseting and comforting when they receive none at all.
Don't scowl or look severe. Ha!
Don't say she needn't stay up for you. Neels Heroes do that a lot and they are especially good at upsetting their wives when said wives have stayed up or happen to be awake when they get home late at night.

Dislikes
4. A woman whose perfume is too loud for her looks. We’ll get back to this next week. Philomena’s Miracle CGB #3: " You're wearing the wrong kind of perfume - much too sophisticated for you...did you choose it?"
7. Who worries about getting her hair wet in the rain. Neels Heroines, as a rule, don’t. (Which doesn’t mean that they like to be seen with their hair in a mess by handsome RDDs.)

Likes
3. Who can get gorgeously dressed in 15 minutes flat. I hate it when our Aramintas are given a ridiculous amount of time to get ready for an outing. In one of the books I have read lately the girl was given 10 minutes: and she rushed over to her room in the nurses’ home, had a shower, dressed, did her hair, rushed back down and arrived with a minute to spare! ( Let’s say: 2 min. to her room, 2 min. back down, 1 min. „to spare“. That leaves her with 5 minutes in which to get undressed, showered and dressed and do something to her hair...???)

'Ten minutes?' She almost smiled, imagining what Joyce would have said if he had put that same question to her. ... All the same she used her ten minutes to good effect, showering and making up her face nicely and re-doing her hair into ... (The Hasty Marriage)

'I can't possibly go out with you in this.' She waved a hand at her coat. 'Well, of course you can't. I'll drive you to your lodgings and wait while you tidy yourself. You can have ten minutes; I've booked a table for half past eight. ... (The Fateful Bargain)


6. Who’s a great dancer. I do believe they are all pretty nimble on the dance floor. "Gyrating“ has been mentioned more than once. "He danced well. Eugenia, for all her size, was a good dancer too and followed him ... " (Heidelberg Wedding)

7. Who’s a big eater. It was vexing of him to observe as he handed her a plate: 'How nice to find a girl who eats properly and doesn't nibble at various diets.' He sat down again and helped himself to toast. 'No weight problems?' he wanted to know, kindly. (Pineapple Girl)

Re.: 10. Who would spend her last few bucks on perfume. Hopefully mine.
Just how much exactly is a few bucks?
Does he mean to say his perfume is cheap???

Betty Anonymous

5 comments:

  1. I love this! And, I'm sorry to admit that I wouldn't drop my last pounds and pence on perfume. I never wear it. I'm one of those soap-fresh gals though admit that my roll-on is baby powder. Love that smell.

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  2. I also won't be dropping any pounds or pence on perfume. Perfumes give me a headache, itchy eyes and,if it's super strong, nausea...not fun.

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  3. As Betty Henry would say, "Those are 'London Transport' minutes," meaning the length of time it takes for a train that's shown as being "1 Min." away from the station actually pulls in. A London Transport minute is anything from 37 seconds to 3+ minutes.

    So really, "ten minutes" could be well over 30 minutes and the "minute to spare" could be a scant few seconds.

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  4. My deodorant is of the unscented variety. I prefer soaps, lotions and laundry detergents to be either unscented or discreetly scented. My favourite perfume: Youth Dew - Estée Lauder. (I use it sparingly two or three times a year at the most. Don't like wearing it in the summer.) My favourite natural scent: wild rose oil (rosa canina), the kind whose scent is reminiscent of a haystack. (Not the sickly sweet smelling kind.) But, again, I hardly ever wear it.
    Twice in my life I was "gifted" with a person at my workplace wearing Chanel No. 5 - ugh. It is very difficult not to breathe in...
    Betty Anonymous

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  5. Funny, Betty Anon.
    Also that's a good point about the London Transport minute. It just never seemed possible to charge through and back a busy hospital, change dress and tidy your hair in half an hour without looking like a marathon victim.
    Love dancing but really I wondered what sort of great gyrating goes on in these books... the disco hustle/electric slide to the Sound of Music/Abba soundtrack? In my 80's mind I imagine hopefully moves like at the end of the Dirty Dancing.
    Betty AnHK

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