Aunt Jane was wonderful.
It is lore in my family - whenever Aunt Jane was mentioned, the word wonderful was associated.
Aunt Sarah did not get such universal rave reviews. She was respected but definitely not the comforting type.
Jane was probably in her 30s when the children came into her care. She had been nursing her mother most of her life and now she had what spinsters of her era and class could never aspire to - three young minds to mould.
But I think that they gave back joy in tenfold to Aunt Jane.
The children - responsible older sister A already left school at 12 about to kick her traces, brother T the knight in shining armour at 11 and scarrion EM - my grandmother. They had been in care in Far North Queensland until rescued by the Aunts (I have told that story before - I think - here maybe?)
Their were strict rules to adhere to - the Aunts hired war widows to "do" in the house and the garden, and the children were not to interfere as these women were to be able to have pride in providing for themselves and family so it was not to be considered child's play. Or charity.
The children's favourite game was, on hearing the approach of Aunt Jane's footsteps, they would agree on hymn for her to be singing as she came into the room. Sure enough, through the power of ESP she would be warbling along to it as she came into the room.
8 comments:
No aunties in my life, mum was an only child and dad had two brothers, but I never knew them as they lived and died in Germany, while we came to Australia before my first birthday. I made up for it though, my own children have many aunties and uncles and the grandchildren ditto.
Our lives would definitely have not been the same (if indeed at all) without these remarkable women,
What a nice post about Aunt Jane. I had four aunts (and one by marriage) that all played formative roles in my life over the years.
My children loved to casually hum a tune then note how quickly I'd be humming it myself.
I never got to meet Aunt Jane unfortunately but even so she had an impact on my upbringing
I love this story. I hope you can collect these stories and put them into books for the younger generation who will never get to meet them any other way.
What a wonderful story. I love their care for war widows.
Good idea Debby. We learned these stories from Mum and Grandma, there is already one generation who didn't get them from the latter source.
Their mother had been a widow with a child (husband died before daughter was born) and then their own father had left them and their mother when they were teenagers so they knew what help would be needed and how important dignity was.
Post a Comment