When You Were  Sweet Sixteen

I love you as I never lov’d before,

Since first I met you on the village green

Come to me, or my dream of love is o’er.

I love you as I lov’d you

When you were sweet, when you were sweet sixteen.

^Written by James Thornton 1896 

It is August the 8^th, 1913 and I have just turned 16.  My name is Myrtle May Lock but everyone calls me Tillie because I hate my name.  I have a sister called Ruby (she hates her name too) who is 12, a brother called Charles (known as Charlie) aged 10 and a little brother called Claude, aged 7. Claude fell off the bed on his head when he was a baby and has never been quite right since.  He is always sick and misses so much school.  As a result, I missed a lot of school too, looking after him as Mother is often unwell.  I left as soon as I could at the age of 13 so did not ever go to high school.

Father said I had to have a trade as I should not have to depend on the family or a husband to provide for me.  I had the choice of dressmaking or millinery.  I decided that dresses were more important than hats and liked the idea of working with clean, soft material instead of my parent’s job running a smelly fish shop. At least Father now sells second hand goods and Mother can rest a bit more.

As the oldest in the family, I am always expected to do most of the work.   My sister Ruby avoids it when possible and is very demanding. When Father bought a cow everyone wanted to learn to milk it.  Everyone but me.  I knew that when the novelty wore off, I would be the one getting up early in the morning to milk the cow. I can’t avoid the weekly silver polishing, however.  Every Saturday morning, we four children must sit at the table and polish all the cutlery, the teapot, coffee pot, sugar bowl and milk jug.  When I have my own home, I’m not having anything made of silver.  Why make work for yourself?

As it is I work long hours five days a week at the dressmakers, measuring the ladies and drafting patterns for their gowns. I do most of the stitching by hand although we have a Singer treadle sewing machine for making linings in some of the dresses. We receive copies of the latest European fashions in magazines like “Gazette du Bon Ton” from France and “Harpers Monthly” from America.

That reminds me.  I was reading a magazine a few days ago and it went into great detail about the “unsinkable ship”, the Titanic, which hit an iceberg travelling from England to America. Over a thousand people drowned.  I have decided I am never going on a ship, ever.

Have you seen my birthday present?  Oh, I know I received the usual handkerchiefs, combs and linen for my glory box but wait until you see what else I have.  

I have an admirer!  He is much older than me and isn’t all that good looking, but he is very kind and has a lovely big house.  My father doesn’t approve of him so all I will say is that his initials are S.B. He asked for a lock of my hair!  In fact, he said, “Please may I have a lock from Miss Lock”.  I didn’t know what he was going to do with it but I snipped a long strand for him to take away with him.  Today he presented me with a blue velvet box.  I opened it carefully and inside was a gold bracelet!  It looked as though some plaited leather was threaded through the gold but it turns out, it was my hair.  On the inside is inscribed “From S.E.B. 9-8-13” and on the outside, in a gold shield, are my initials, MML. I shall wear it all the time.

I think my father thinks if I leave home and marry S.B there will be no one to help my mother but then it will be Ruby’s turn.  It’s time she did her share!

Father has stopped me from doing many exciting things.  Just recently a new photographic shop opened in the main street of Stawell.  I was looking at the pictures in the window when the owner came outside and asked if I would like to have my photograph taken.  He said he would put it in the front window to show people what he could do.  I had to wrap a sheet around my shoulders and let my hair down to my waist.  You should have heard the gossips when my photograph appeared in the window. The photographer told me a week or so later that a friend from Melbourne had seen the picture and thought I should try out to be a model for the big department store Myer. My father said no way would he let me go and model in Melbourne so I am doomed to spend my life in Stawell sewing dresses for wealthy ladies who seem to have a lot more fun than I do.

I wonder what the future holds?   Will I marry S.E.B.?  Will I leave Stawell and live somewhere more exciting, like Melbourne?  Will I have children and grandchildren? Will I be happy? Only time will tell.