Summer Lessons from Vintage Fiction

Summer can go on and on and wear us out. Vintage fiction reminds me how good I have it, and provides inspiration for living graciously through the hottest days.

Meals must be appetizing. In a cool, comfortable home, breakfast might be melon set in ice, thin glasses of orange juice, delicate hot biscuit, cereal with real cream, and coffee that is a joy to drink. Never mind anything heavy, smelly, or less than dainty.

If you must be in town, a leafy green park is a good place to rest. Especially if it has a fountain, and a place to buy an ice cream.

Choose your thinnest shirtwaist dress when you get dressed in the morning.

Cleanliness is most important in the heat. A tiled bathroom is a wonderful privilege, and a good place to wash out your stockings. Especially with unlimited hot water.

An electric fan is a blessing. Turn it on while you rest and read.

A private home, a kitchen with refrigeration and beautiful running water, a bed made up smoothly with fresh sheets, and a shady place to swim, are blessings that any homemaker, vintage or modern, can gratefully count.