The CBB :: View topic - Short Story: Woollen Measles

through

[^/[^Print]\]

The CBB -> Formal Discussions

#1: Short Story: Woollen Measles Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:12 pm
—
This story is available as a transcript on Raya's site, or in the collection published by GGBP. It was first published in 1949 in The Third Chalet Book for Girls, pages 139-141. Illustrations can be seen here.

The scene is the new schoolhouse built for the Middles, and Luigia opens the story, going to see about unpacking because it is the start of term. One of her charges is Dorothea Buck, a new 13 year old. Dorothea is shy and comes from a sheltered background. She doesn't really make any friends. It turns out that she has not packed woollen underclothes, even though the term has some cold nights, and she catches a cold from not wearing them. The enforced wearing of a woollen vest after this, leads Matey to falsely diagnose measles.

So, do you like this story? Does it give added information about the atmosphere of the School just before New House begins? Is it plausible that a new young girl would freeze up before Matey like that - was Matey wrong to treat her so harshly? Was Matron Besly even at this stage wrongheaded and lazy? What about Luigia and her daydreaming - is this in keeping with how we find her in the other CS books?

Anything you like to say about this story, please join in and post below Very Happy

#2: Author: brie, Location: Glasgow, aka the land of boredom

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 9:59 am
—
I don't like it. It seems like EBD is just struggling to write something/ anything and doesn't really care about the quality. I found it a bit of a slog and plotless to get through.

#3: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:36 pm
—
It made me think of Anne (of Green Gables) Shirley's story being entered for a competition to find a story for a baking powder advert: I was half-expecting to find a note at the bottom saying that one of the Middles (and one who wasn't particularly near the top of the class in English at that!)'d written it as an advert for Comfort or Lenor or something (except that they wouldn't've been around in the 1930s!)!

Not one of EBD's better short stories IMHO Laughing

#4: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:00 pm
—
I thought EBD spent far too long describing the dormitory and the procedure for unpacking, considering it was a short story and most of the readers would be familiar with it anyway.

When she referred to 'Matron', I thought it wasn't always clear whether she meant Matey or Matron Besly; I had to go back and re-read a few times, and still wasn't always sure.

I think it's quite reasonable that a shy new girl who has probably been brought up to believe that adults are always right would be nervous about speaking out, especially as Matron was cross about it. I thought it was unfair to blame Dorothea, as whatever the reason she didn't have woollen vests, it was unlikely to have been her fault. Someone else would have been in charge of getting her outfit together and packing it.

But I would have thought someone - mother, governess, family doctor - would have either written to the school about the vests, or given Dorothea a note to hand to Matron, rather than leaving it up to her to explain.

The idea of Matron mistaking a woollen rash for measles (and showing she's not so infallible after all) is mildly amusing, but it's not really enough to build a whole story around.

Didn't someone else in fiction once deliberately make herself appear ill by giving herself a rash, from red flannel I think. Was it Rose Red in What Katy Did at School?

#5: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:53 am
—
It struck me that this story wouldn't have been out of place as a chapter in one of the books, but by itself it was rather slight.

Part of it is that we never see Dorothea again, whereas the other short stories have main characters at the centre - Joey and family (Sticks her Oar In, Convict, Smells of Soot, Television), Flora and Fiona (Flavouring), the Triumvirate (go skiing), Betsy and Sybil (Midnight), so they are stronger by themself.

I don't find Dorothea's shyness that odd, if she was naturally timid and her upbringing had been that sheltered.

#6: Author: Chalet_Girl, Location: London, UK

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:59 pm
—
Are all of those mentioned by jennifer in the Short Stories book? I read it but don't remeber all the titles? Perhaps my memory is just rubbish.
As for Woolen Measles, as far as I can remeber it seemed a bit thin and didn't really fit into the CS world for me.

#7: Author: Rosalin, Location: Swansea

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:44 pm
—
Given that almost all of New House is set in St Clare's and new girls in the summer term are such a rarity Dorothea should be in the book too. This is the main reason why it doesn't work for me.

The shyness is quite realistic and all we hear about Luigia is that she's dreamy. If she can't manage to pay attention to four middles who are behaving themselves, then she doesn't seem very good prefect material.

I do like Matey being fallible, but the doctor seemed rather condescending.

Not the best offering by EBD, it seems rather pointless Rolling Eyes

#8: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:25 pm
—
Fraid this one made me cringe both times I read it - it just seems such an obvious I've got to write a short story and need to fit it into the series somehow.

Maybe Dorothea's parents were so horrified by the fact that the staff didn't listen to her and ignored any letters they had written about allergies, that they removed her from the school either at half term or the end of term and sent her somewhere where she didn't need to wear woolly vests most of the year Wink

#9: Author: NineLivesBurra, Location: York, North Yorks

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:35 pm
—
I like it. It was one of the first EBD stories I ever read....I don't remember where I picked up the story but I loved it and eagerly began searching for the series from then on.

Luckily for me, in those days, our local library had a librarian who knew books and knew exactly how to find the CS books.

It is a bit short and is different in many ways from other short stories and I agree it would have been a good chapter in a complete novel. I also agree that Dorothea's shyness would not have been out of place. It was set in a time when girls were very cloistered.

I do wish Dorothea was featured more....but there was another character by that name somewhere in the series.....Not that little things like that would have stopped EBD......She did seem to like to change her characters names a little....lol.

#10: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:32 pm
—

JayB wrote:

The idea of Matron mistaking a woollen rash for measles (and showing she's not so infallible after all) is mildly amusing, but it's not really enough to build a whole story around.

Actually I read it as Matron Besley who thinks the rash is measles. The only appearance Matey makes is when she catches Doro after she has sneezed nine times. Doro is then carried by Miss Wilson back to St Clares (methinks they needed a bath chair for such journeys) and it is Matron Besley who is cross about the lack of woollens and who thinks the rash is measles.

#11: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:41 pm
—
Ah, I see - as I said, I wasn't always sure which Matron was being referred to!

#12: Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:27 am
—

JayB wrote:

... I wasn't always sure which Matron was being referred to!

Ditto! It's a confusing story in that regard. She should have always put 'Besly' when she meant Matron Besly I think.

The CBB -> Formal Discussions

output generated using printer-friendly topic mod. All times are GMT

Page 1 of 1