VICTORIAN GREETING CARDS
Have you ever seen greeting cards from a different age?
Pretty girls in pretty frilly dresses, boys dressed as a page,
Ladies, languid, rather sleek, arms of grace and so slender,
Men immaculate and usually in black, eyes so very tender.
Are these true picture of those Victorian times so long ago?
All the cards have lovely trimmings and clean drapery show,
Highly polished large furniture, much food of the very best,
But I think that living then, would never, ever pass my test.
The women’s long gowns dragging in snow, mud and rain,
No washing machines to help, think of the effort and pain
Come a wet washing day, the visions of the cards pass away
As quickly as the thought as having a monthly bathing day.
The Christmas cards look pretty with a stage coach in snow
As passengers inside and happily on top the scene does show,
But there were no springs, no padded seats as slowly they travel,
Not on smooth highways but on roads of potholes and gravel.
A feast upon the table with many tasty foods everywhere spread,
When even more than today many were hungry, not even bread
To eat, just a rich chosen few, blest with plenty money to spare
To celebrate each holiday with this extra special kind of fare.
You never see a card of a poorhouse with a wreath on the door,
Maybe an little extra food or fire for those who were very poor,
No kind words for those who could put fine clothes on their back,
Many rich presumed erroneously twas their own fault they did lack.
I do not think there is such a thing as the good old days gone by,
Not for the poor and needy, who were hungry and happy to die,
Although I like those old Victorian greeting cards I do know,
That it was not just that way, the truth they could not show.
(Millicent) Ann Margetson July 17, 2003