| t first, Personal Commentary from Author: | | | | that they’ve navigated their mighty |
| The excerpt below shows the heart and soul of | | | | steamships across the oceans, they’ve |
| the story’s main character, Elsa | | | | explored jungles on dangerous expeditions, and |
| Thompson. In the same way a little girl will spend | | | | they’ve mapped the stars of the heavens |
| hours dressing and fashioning her Barbie doll with | | | | through avenues of science. But sadly, the |
| dazzling outfits that resonates with | | | | geographic terrain of a woman’s heart |
| Barbie’s persona, I too, spent many | | | | and soul remain uncharted. The places |
| hours—weeks actually—forming and | | | | within—where their voices, their aspirations, |
| fashioning Elsa’s character. | | | | dreams, and ambitions reside—remain |
| Barbie’s fashion and flare sets her in the | | | | unexplored. Though men have sought to |
| center of our modern society. She’s a | | | | understand their womanly counterparts, only a |
| metropolitan girl. But Elsa’s persona and | | | | few have successfully journeyed their way to |
| apparel was carefully formed and neatly tailored | | | | her. |
| according to the fashions that were upheld by the | | | | ~ |
| upper crust of society’s influential. | | | | Kingston, New York, was home to Elsa |
| She’s a daughter of a wealthy banker | | | | Thompson. Her neat and orderly world reflected |
| during the era of 1915; and she’s ready to | | | | the tidy customs that had trickled over from the |
| step onto the stage for her audience. | | | | Victorian culture—a culture that most |
| Elsa is distant and reclusive. She’s | | | | people remembered as being old-fashioned. But it |
| melancholy in nature. And she’s a pianist. | | | | was a fashion that her father had fought to keep |
| She finds herself constantly pondering upon her | | | | alive—at least in his home. At nearly |
| future. Though America’s Industrial | | | | twenty-one, she had gracefully matured. Her long, |
| Revolution was going forward with great intensity, | | | | wavy, dark brown hair normally reached her |
| Elsa didn’t give it a second thought. And | | | | waist. But raised in etiquette’s formalities |
| regarding courtship, she doesn’t give that | | | | and disciplined to her father’s structure, |
| a second thought either. Elsa is very focused with | | | | the young lady wore her hair up, elegantly |
| her agendas. | | | | sculptured in a stylish bun—a fashion that |
| She’s determined to reach her personal | | | | still exists for all women. |
| goals by herself. And she endeavors to avoid | | | | Her attire—ornate dresses with lace and |
| conflict, the kind of conflict that would come from | | | | embroidery—remained a lavish protocol of |
| courtship. And I quickly discovered that my | | | | her affluent upbringing. Though Elsa’s |
| audience fell in love with her. But later on in the | | | | outward appearance marked her as a member of |
| story, Elsa meets a charming young man in which | | | | society’s influential—as her father |
| she tries to convince herself that she has no | | | | so established her to be—her appearance |
| feelings for him. | | | | and un-boastful ways reflected her poetic and |
| Story Excerpt | | | | sophisticated nature. |
| May, 1915 | | | | Her father managed the affairs of the local bank |
| Stupid machines, frivolous ideas … some | | | | as its executive officer, and her mother occupied |
| engineers need to exercise better thinking! These | | | | her days as an active member of the Kingston |
| were the criticisms of old-fashioned folk. Elsa | | | | Ladies’ Guild. Music had been an obligation |
| Thompson often heard their disputing and was | | | | for many post-Victorian girls, but, for Elsa, music |
| swayed into believing them. But, at the same | | | | became a part of her being. At four, Victorian |
| time, she really hadn’t debated the | | | | protocol introduced her to the musical arts. As the |
| issue—nor did she have any interest in | | | | years progressed, her talent matured. She |
| inventions or machines in the first place. | | | | brilliantly rendered the classics of Bach, Brahms, |
| Established in her world of determined agendas, | | | | Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin from her piano. |
| the talented young lady had no interest in a beau. | | | | Like the great composers, Elsa mastered the |
| Music, writing, and reflecting on personal goals | | | | instrument, knowing the language of music from |
| dominated her time. | | | | her soul. |
| May 19, 1915 | | | | With little effort, the Kingston student’s |
| I do not object to men; they are handsome and | | | | reputation grew throughout her community. |
| delightful—quite pleasant at times. It is | | | | At the conclusion of Elsa’s second year at |
| courtship that troubles me. Courtship and | | | | the University of Kingston, she and another music |
| machines are alike. They both need time, | | | | student, a dear friend who was more self-ruling |
| attention, and much troubleshooting. A woman in | | | | and less enslaved by the formalities of the |
| courtship conveys her feelings through a | | | | wealthy class, were asked to display their talents |
| sophisticated language of | | | | at an upcoming event away from home. |
| expressions—even messages women | | | | The overly protective banker objected to his |
| convey in words men fail to understand. Courting | | | | daughter traveling without an adult escort. But, as |
| men become easily flustered when they cannot | | | | she was considered of adult age, he reluctantly |
| tell what causes their young ladies to be moved | | | | lowered his guard and allowed her to go. |
| to tears. If a man chooses to know me, he must | | | | However, when Elsa returned home, her father |
| learn the language of my heart. I would never | | | | would encounter troubling news—as the |
| speak of my feelings to a man plainly. How would | | | | strict banker soon realized, he had made a |
| a man know the language that a woman speaks? | | | | mistake by allowing her to travel un-chaperoned. |
| Men have difficulty with that, I think. | | | | (Excerpt from The Silent Note reprinted with |
| A recently published article in a women’s | | | | permission from the author, Patrick Davis). |
| magazine Elsa had stumbled across reaffirmed her | | | | (Originally published at GoArticles and reprinted |
| thoughts about avoiding courting: | | | | with permission from the author, Patrick Davis). |
| In our modern age of 1915, brilliant men boast | | | | |