Who was the Log Cabin Lady… and other interesting questions
You can read about the book here, read the Introduction here, and the Preface and part of the first chapter here. You can buy The Log Cabin Lady from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The release of this book has generated lots of questions from readers and the media. Here are a few of the things that we have been asked so far.
The Log Cabin Lady is an anonymous autobiography, but is there any indication of who the Log Cabin Lady was, or has there been any attempt to find out her identity?
This is a great question, and one that we’ve wondered about ourselves. We’ve done some online research, but unfortunately haven’t come up with any answers, so the Log Cabin Lady remains a mystery. The Preface mentions that a few changes in geography and time have been made in the story — presumably to protect her identity, but there are definitely some clues. Based on the information in the book, the Log Cabin Lady met her husband when she was twenty and travelled with him to England within a year or so of their marriage. On their arrival, there is mention of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee and war between Greece and Crete, which would date their arrival in England to 1897 (that was the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the year of the Greco-Turkish war). On that basis, the Log Cabin Lady would have been born around 1877. However, there’s the complication of Gladstone getting mentioned regularly, and he left Parliament in 1895 and died in May 1898, so that doesn’t necessarily add up. So, as you see, it’s a mystery! If you can shed any light on who the Log Cabin Lady might have been, we’d love to hear from you.
Why have you dedicated the book to Marie Mattingly Meloney and why are you donating part of the proceeds to the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity?
Marie Mattingly Meloney (photograph courtesy of Photographic Archives, University of Louisville)
What impressed us most was Meloney’s ability to make things happen. Her campaign for Betters Homes in America and her fundraising efforts to buy radium for Marie Curie were particularly remarkable. And without Meloney’s support and encouragement, the Log Cabin Lady would never have shared her story with the world. It’s impossible not to admire Marie Mattingly Meloney’s strength of character, and Dormouse Press is honoured to have been able to dedicate the book to her.
The original proceeds of The Log Cabin Lady were used for charitable work, and we wanted to continue that tradition. We thought that the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity was the perfect choice and something that Marie Mattingly Meloney would have approved of.
Why did you decide to reprint the book now?
The Log Cabin Lady was first published in 1922 by Little, Brown and Co. We felt that readers in 2011 would enjoy the book because it’s full of social history, and also because many of the issues it raises are still topical, especially for women. Society has changed radically since the 1920s, but there are still plenty of women who lack confidence. The Log Cabin Lady’s experiences also bring home the need for tolerance and understanding of different cultures — something that is very important in the multi-cultural societies of the twenty-first century.
How do you feel the text of the book reflects Marie Mattingly Meloney’s spirit and personality, or echoes Meloney’s goal as a writer to educate women?
At the time the book was written, Marie Mattingly Meloney was the Editor of The Delineator — a women’s magazine that published short stories and provided practical help for women on things such as sewing, embroidery and needlework, and advice on both fashion and home decor. That same year Meloney had begun a Better Homes in America campaign to encourage the use of labour-saving equipment in the home and bring high standards of wholesomeness and achievement to home life. I think Meloney was a real ambassador for providing women with information that would make their lives easier.
During one fundraising luncheon she was challenged by a woman who was wealthy enough not to have to do her own housework. She told Meloney that it was “stupid” to print articles about bringing up children, furnishing houses and feeding families. Meloney’s response is included in the Preface to The Log Cabin Lady: ‘There are 20 million homes in America,’ she said. ‘In 92 per cent of those homes women do their own housework, bring up their own children, and take an active part in the life and growth of America. They are the people that make this country the great nation that it is.’
That conversation was overhead by the Log Cabin Lady and was what prompted her to tell her own story, privately, to Meloney. Realising that other women could benefit from hearing about the Log Cabin Lady’s experiences, Marie Meloney encouraged her to write it down and helped her to get it published.
Society is structured very differently today and the perception of what is polite or proper is very different – what is it about this book that will appeal to, or inform women today?
In encouraging the Log Cabin Lady to write her autobiography Marie Meloney was instrumental in helping to deliver a reassuring message to women in the 1920s about family values, education and self-belief. Since then, times have changed almost beyond recognition, and yet there are still plenty of people — especially women — who are held back in life because of a lack of confidence. We hope those women will take heart from the fact that, despite humble beginnings, the Log Cabin Lady emerged as a strong, confident woman. And the great thing is, she did it without compromising her values and beliefs or her inherent sense of kindness.
It wasn’t always easy for her — there were times when she felt desperate. The turning point came when she realised that custom is a matter of geography. She suddenly understood that what is considered good manners in one part of the world, is bad form elsewhere. The Log Cabin Lady made mistakes, but they were made through lack of knowledge. She solved that problem through education — not a formal education, but by teaching herself as much as she could about the countries she found herself in, and the customs of the people she met.
I think the message of the book is that none of us should be afraid to make mistakes — they show that we’re growing and learning as people. Mistakes are fine, as long as we learn from them. The story of the Log Cabin Lady shows us that there is nothing that can’t be learned and, once you truly start to believe in yourself, all sorts of things can be achieved.
Meloney and the Log Cabin Lady were both from America’s Midwest – certain to be considered by high society in Britain at the time (and even by high society in America) to be rather behind-the-times or backwards regions of the US. The Log Cabin Lady had a lot to learn about high society and Meloney, for her part, seems to have been a self-made woman in many ways, who had to educate herself on the ways of the world. What are the contrasts between where these two women came from and the worlds they found themselves in. Do you think these contrasts made them more sensitive than most to societal rules and norms?
There is definitely a parallel between the Log Cabin Lady and Marie Mattingly Meloney — they both began their lives in Midwest states and eventually found themselves in New York. That must have been both exciting and a little terrifying for them both. They’d grown up in places that offered a sense of space and freedom, and where priority is likely to have been given to the more elemental things in life. If you’re bringing up a family in a log cabin, the thing you’re going to worry about is whether there’ll be any food on the table at dinner time, not whether you’ve got any clean napkins to use when you eat!
Meloney entered the world of journalism at a very early age, so I think she must have already had inner confidence, even at that stage in her life. And she must have learned quickly in order to survive and succeed in her chosen career.
The Log Cabin Lady was far less confident and more naïve, and so her transformation to confident socialite took much longer. Just as she was learning to cope with the wrath of her in-laws and class differences on the East Coast, her husband announced that they were moving to England. This was yet another setback to her confidence. Learning the etiquette of East Coast America had been hard enough, but now she’d have to come to terms with a new culture in a different continent. Worst of all, it was no ordinary social scene she was entering into. The Log Cabin Lady was to be presented at court to Queen Victoria. She would dine out with high ranking politicians, Earls and Lords, and spend time on country estates. Most British people would have found these situations alarming, let alone someone who was not just from a different class, but also from a different country.
The Victorian era in England was a time of prudery and formality. People didn’t talk openly about their emotions. Expressions of love tended to be communicated using the ‘language of flowers’. At the seaside, bathers were wheeled out into the sea in bathing machines so that they could go for a swim without anyone seeing them in their bathing costumes. It’s even rumoured that it was considered improper to say the word “leg” in mixed company — the euphemism “limb” was used instead. It was also a time of contradictions and hypocrisy. Despite an outward appearance of dignity and restraint, these were times when poverty, child labour and prostitution were rife. It was during this era that the Log Cabin Lady arrived in London. The years that followed were what she described as “the three most wretched years of my life”. And yet, she survived them. She charmed a lot of people with her kindness and emerged stronger and ready to face the Great War, when it came, with courage.
You can read more about the book here on our website.
Six steps to better business writing
If you want to succeed in business, a flair for language is essential. Your customers will make assumptions about you based on what you write—which is why correct grammar, punctuation and spelling are so important. If your writing doesn’t make the grade, you won’t be taken seriously.
Here are six easy steps to improving the effectiveness of your business letters, emails, leaflets and reports:
Consider your audience
The most important thing to ask yourself before you start writing is: ‘Who am I writing for?’ Writing a sales letter to a customer will be very different to producing a technical report for a business audience. You should adjust your writing style to suit your reader. Try to keep it as simple as possible, even if you’re writing about something complicated.
To be effective it helps to be clear about the message you want to communicate and understand why you’re writing—is it to inform, advise or persuade? Taking a few moments to think about your message and plan your document will help you choose the best writing style for your audience and help you communicate successfully.
Choose the right tone of voice
The tone of voice you adopt in your writing should reflect the nature of the document, who you’re writing to, the kind of organisation you work for, and the products you sell. A company selling colourful beachwear will adopt a different tone of voice in its promotional literature to one selling medical equipment. Your tone will also vary depending on whether you’re writing to a customer to let them know about your latest product, or composing a warning letter to an employee about their poor timekeeping.
No matter what your reason for writing, try to be honest and tactful. If the situation requires you to be firm or critical, try to do so without being sarcastic or unnecessarily harsh. Remember that people interpret words in different ways, so tread carefully and make sure you select words that are appropriate and right for the situation you’re writing about.
Use everyday English
When you’re writing, avoid using words that you wouldn’t use in everyday conversation. Sometimes you’ll need to be formal, especially if you’re writing a technical or legal document, but generally you should choose words that are as short, clear and straightforward as possible.
If you were talking to someone you wouldn’t say: The contract commenced in November and will conclude in February, so why use that kind of language in a document? Instead write: The contract began in November and will end in February.
Using everyday English will make your documents less formal, more readable, and easier to understand.
Jargon
Every business organisation has its own jargon. It’s the shorthand language that we use in meetings or when we’re talking to colleagues. Using jargon can be a positive thing as long as the people you’re talking to understand what it means.
You shouldn’t use jargon when you’re writing to customers, or if you’re writing to another business that isn’t familiar with your company’s unique terminology. Instead, explain things in simple terms.
Bear in mind that when new staff join your team, they won’t be familiar with your company jargon, but they may be too embarrassed to say so. Help them along by explaining any jargon you use, at least until they’ve learned it for themselves.
Meaningless phrases
There are lots of old-fashioned phrases that still creep in to twenty-first century business documents. Most of them are totally meaningless and sound like they were written a hundred years ago. Things like:
Please contact the undersigned…
Please find enclosed herewith…
I should be obliged if…
And, of course, the classic:
If there is anything further I can do to assist, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Expressions like these are outdated and unnecessary. Cut them out.
Proof reading
If there’s time, it’s always a good idea to get someone else to check your work, especially if you’re producing a document or leaflet that will be distributed widely. A fresh pair of eyes will soon spot any errors that you’ve missed.
When you’re writing you can often become blind to the words on the page. It’s easy to read what you think you’ve written, rather than what’s actually there. That’s why it’s essential to thoroughly proof read your document.
One of the best ways to proof read is to print out a copy of the final draft of your work. It’s easier to spot mistakes on paper than when you’re reading a document on-screen. With a paper copy, you can also scribble notes and changes in the margin.
Try to do your proof reading somewhere quiet like an empty meeting room. Getting away from ringing phones and chatty colleagues will help you focus on the task in hand. It will also give you an opportunity to read your work out loud if you want to. This can help you pick up on misplaced commas and missing words, and highlight awkwardly constructed or over-long sentences.
Proofreading may seem tedious and boring, but it’s the only way to find and correct errors before your work is published.
This blog article is an extract from Writing at Work by Ellis Morgan.
To help businesses communicate more effectively, we’ve published a new book under our Dormouse Press imprint called Writing at Work by Ellis Morgan.
It isn’t a stuffy academic guide to grammar. Writing at Work is an easy-to-read, practical handbook with advice on punctuation and grammar, how to find the right tone of voice, deal with jargon, and ditch meaningless phrases. It also includes a list of alternatives to long or difficult words to encourage the use of everyday English.
ISBN 978-0-9569466-2-1
RRP £8.99
If you’d like us to send you the first 30 pages of the book as a FREE PDF, please complete our online form.
There is a science to getting rich
The Science of Getting Rich is the book that inspired the best seller The Secret and the film of the same name.
Its author was Wallace D Wattles, who believed that there is a Science of Getting Rich. “It is an exact science,” he said, “like algebra or arithmetic.” In The Science of Getting Rich Wattles explains that there are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring wealth — and once you learn and obey those laws, you will get rich with mathematical certainty.
First published in 1910 and now reprinted by Dormouse Press, this book will show you how to use creative visualisation to achieve your goals and make your desires a reality.
You can read more or buy a copy from Amazon here.
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A writer-friendly publisher
Here at Dormouse Press we know how hard it can be for authors to get their work published. Writing is a tough business, which is why we’re establishing ourselves as a publisher that helps new writers and encourages them to submit their work to us for consideration. If you do send us your book proposal, remember that it can take up to three months to make a decision on your work (although we’ll try to be quicker than that if we can), so please be patient.
If we decide we’d like to publish your book, we’ll work with you to help you deliver the manuscript on time. Our marketing budgets are limited, so we’ll expect you to work proactively to market your book once it’s been published and be willing to give interviews on the radio or to newspapers, and take part in other publicity to promote your book. If your work is rejected, we’ll do our best to explain why. Remember that a rejection isn’t always because the work isn’t good. It may be that we’ve already published a similar title, or don’t feel there’s a big enough market to make publication or your book a good business proposition.
You’ll find our submission guidelines for authors on the ‘Write for Us‘ page of our website.
Dormouse Press also supports www.writingnetwork.co.uk – an online writing group for writers. The site is managed and written by one of our directors, Jane Bettany, who maintains the site in her spare time. At www.writingnetwork.co.uk you’ll find writing tips, a regular blog, recommended reading, and there are also opportunities to promote yourself and your books and become a guest blogger. So, if you’re a writer or you’d like to be, why not check it out?
We respect the environment
At Dormouse Press we care about the environment which is why, together with our parent company Guidemark Publishing, we’ve committed to offset our carbon footprint by planting a tree in the National Forest for every 1,000 books we sell. The National Forest is a new, wooded landscape being created for the nation across 200 square miles of central England.
Our first 15 trees will be planted later this year on 2 December 2011.