Magic For Marigold is a novel by L.M. Montgomery published in 1929, though it's actually an amalgamation of/ expansion on four short stories that she had written previously. It is the story of young Marigold Lesley, being raised by her mother and a variety of older relatives (her father died before she was born). This has never been one of my favourite of Montgomery's works; I don't think it quite successfully makes the leap from being a number of short stories welded together to working as a novel. I don't think I'd picked up my copy since Junior High. But it has some great moments, and I'd forgotten how much I like the character of Old Grandmother. After Marigold is born, there is a family gathering to decide the baby's name, much to her mother's dismay (she wants to call her baby Marigold): "I think the baby should be called after one of our missionaries. It's a shame that we have three foreign missionaries in the connection and not one of them has a namesake--even if they are only fourth cousins. I suggest we call her Harriet after the oldest one." "But," said Aunt Anne, "that would be slighting Ellen and Louise." "Well," said Young Grandmother haughtily--Young Grandmother was haughty because nobody had suggested naming the baby after her--"call her the whole three names, Harriet Ellen Louise Lesley. Then no fourth cousin need feel slighted." The suggestion seemed to find favour. Lorraine caught her breath anxiously and looked at Uncle Klon. But rescue came from another quarter. "Have you ever," said Old Grandmother with a wicked chuckle, "thought what the initials spell?" They hadn't. They did. Nothing more was said about missionaries. |
Reading Magic For Marigold around the campfire:
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