68th Thread: A shameful livelihood
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My mother speaks a lot of nonsense, and bets on chance instead of resorting to wisdom, but we must be kind to her. Do you remember my godmother? The weaver’s sister? My mother asked her to teach me. She wanted me to be happy, as I found spinning boring. It is not shameful at all, on the contrary, see how respected I am. Where else would I have gotten such a decent dowry anyway? Not from the captain, I wouldn’t have. Instead of taking care of my mother, he spent all his wages on goods above our means: silver buckles, hair wax, stamped leather, tobacco from Holland. It made him feel as if he were in a class apart. Ill-tempered, he liked to pace back and forth in our garret, fume, punch the table.
– It is shameful ! A respectable woman weaves or spins. She does not foul her hands with the innards of the poor. Even baking is more honorable! Even, even carding is more honorable!
Who was he to me? While he ranted away, my mother gulped down her wine and grimaced behind his back. I was too old to be amused by her pranks. Soon I left to live with my godmother.
This is the 68th of 100 women who talk to their daughters over 2500 years. Some other stories, before the Crusades: The 56th woman is a powerful preacher, as was common in medieval times. The 55th woman was upset at her father's trade. The 54th woman tells a fairy tale about aging. The 53rd woman, having climbed up socially, rejects her own mother. The 52nd woman's sister, a smart and lucky business woman, raises the status of her niece. The 51st woman leads the hard life of a hunchback. The 50th woman's mind is as feeble as her back. The 49th mother explains why women should not fish. The 48th woman finds refuge in a fishing village. The 47th mother lulls her baby with an optimistic song. The 46th mother rebells against the wealthy. It all starts here: first thread, and the last stories will take place in ... present day America.
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