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My Victorian Child
We should have known there were going to be problems with raising
a "Victorian" child. Before she was born there was a wicker pram for "outings", china dolls
and mohair horses. I was one of the few people I knew that actually had maternity garments for the 1800's. By the
time she made her debut in the past when she was 2 months old- it was to be a hopeless cause. She was named Annie
Elizbeth- after Annie Oakley and my Great-great grandmother- but to keep her straight from Mama when we were at
reenactments it soon was shortened to Annie Beth. By her first "reenactment" she had a complete period
wardrobe from flannel petticoats, to long white gowns with tiny mother of pearl buttons, and endless amounts of
tucks, puffings and lace. To finish this was a tiny silver baby rattle, purchased from an antique store- battered
and dented but it chimed with a beautiful ringing sound when shook. This tiny child in the white dress set about
winning everyones heart. The grizzled mountain men would come up and ask to hold the baby, and she would coo up
at them - One named Snake- presented her with a string of coral beads- a sign of long life and health and a perfect
gift for a Victorian Child. By the time she was 6 months old- was wanting to crawl about when
we went out- so I made her first "short gowns" in a Mother Hubbard style. By now I had learned much from
experiance- why a baby's first gowns were usually white (they can be boiled clean and scrubbed with lye soap and
still look good) and why they were long (its so much easier to keep a baby covered and warm in a drafty area) Now
it was time for me to learn more lessons. Dark colored prints and plaids did not show dirt and light colored
sunbonnets kept the harsh sun and wind from baby's face- she wore all without complaint. Dresses with tucks at
the hem and drawstrings at the neck allowed for growing room for a quickly growing child. Sleeves were cut extra
long so there would be hem to let down when they became too short. Annie Beth didn't know a stranger, and was quickly
learning to "pose" for the cameras of tourists.
She was also learning to be a mimic. We started seeing bits of
"reenactment" popping up at home all the time- she would dig out her period clothing and ask if we were
going to see her friends, she was the only 2 yr old I knew of who could properly identify a wide range of antiques,
and seemed to think being a victorian child was "fun". She recieved a real china tea set for Christmas
that year and a wicker doll buggy for her beloved china doll. Things were heading down the path of no return.
At National Competition that year she would actually be in the
winning specialty skit and her proud papa would make a present to her of the Medicine show wagon. She was now firmly
entrenched in the past- after all everytime she went out into it she was the center of attention -what child wouldn't
love this?
Things could take some funny turns at home because of all of this-
for instance the evening she gets out of the bathtub and runs straight for her cowboy hat. She placed it on her
head (while in her birthday suit) and makes a makeshift stage from a toybox lid. Then she climbs on the stage,
takes off her hat with a sweeping bow and announces "Ladies and Gentlemen - -Miss Annie Oakey!" And us
without a camera.... I had people tell me I was being cruel to this child because of
taking her with us everywhere and submersing her in this strange world we have created for ourselves, but she has
adapted well- She recently won a "championship" as she calls it for best Jr. costume and was sooo proud
of herself. So were her parents. I wouldn't have it any other way- and she's becoming a true Victorian
Child.
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