Gifts

“You have rich relatives and rich friends? Use them. Every time they take you to tea, put your tea money aside. If they offer you money? Accept it. Presents? Sell them….” -Mr. Penury

Image: EML gifts, original photo by the RHSS

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What tangible (and sometimes intangible) gifts have been given back and forth between Emma and others in The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower? We thought it would be fun to track gift giving and see if we can make anything of it one day! Though Arabella chides Emma for accepting gifts from men, “…you accepted a gift from him. Not even I am foolish enough to do that,” we love all the gift giving back and forth and hope Emma never follows Mr. Penury’s advice to sell them! To all of you who possess the love language of gift giving, do you see any emerging patterns or think any of these gifts are more meaningful? We will continue to add to this list as new volumes are published. Aside: We note that many teas were shared out and about with Pierce and occasionally with Islington, but since it is unclear who paid, each instance has not been listed below.

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Hawkes gives:

“Imperterritus” card with embossed gold lion on one side

FNH notebook for tracking the Roman

His luck Vol.5 Nov. 30

Treasure Island with a hand drawn Lion card attached to the front Dec 1

A peaceful first Christmas at LLH (convinces Archibald to go to his sisters house) Dec 23

Ireland Myth, Legend, and History (Declans copy) Dec 23

Wordsworth poetry for Stonecrop

Slice of chocolate cake on a moonlit night at her bedroom door at Stonecrop

Various candies

A candle

Also Emma “steals” (borrows) Coleridge from Hawkes at Stonecrop (even though E usually refuses to borrow books from other people, this seems significant!)

His scarf (twice!) on Valentine’s Day, but she returns it, and it’s unclear if he meant for her to keep it or not

Pierce gives:

Afghanistan photo

Emerson Self-Reliance signed by the author

Emerson other essays

Dalliance raffle ticket which won Latin Phrases for the Unrepentant

More than fair “studio” rent on top of his rent for LLm

1/3 of the grocer bill; ALL of the butcher

Photo of Emma and Tybalt on the step of LLH

Photo of Emma looking grief worn

Emma a kiss on the cheek for Christmas vol.5 Dec 24

Custom bound Walt Whitman Song of Myself Dec 24

Photo of Tybalt looking like a philosopher

Train tickets/ inn lodging for Maxwell’s funeral trip

Islington gives:

Fancy port for Dec 24 gathering

Plutarch Lives beautiful gold gilded pages. Perhaps her nicest book excluding Declans Shakespeare Dec 24

Ferns and Relatives book for Stonecrop

Flowers after the Dec 5 “intrusion”

Fencing lessons

South tower room and month at Stonecrop

Freedom to determine her own schedule and be wild at Stonecrop

All 3 Alchemy give:

Lion pendant

Mrs. Penury:

Tea, flowers, and delightful note at a meeting with Mr. Penury (after he confessed to his wife, Emma’s situation and his neglectful role in it) Sep 17

10£ for her entertaining letter about potential jobs Nov14

Yellow chair Dec 23

Tickets to Mozart concerto performance

Chambers gives:

Sold Emma a deeply discounted “damaged” but custom bound copy of the dictionary A-J

Dictionary L-Z

Aunt Eugenia gives:

5£

face cream

Mixing in Society Book

Complete wardrobe x 2

Hand-me-down but made over dresses

Arabella gives:

5£

Slippers

Pamphlet

Spyglass

Tea/ Pastries

A gift for Emma’s birthday, to be given in person, and never noted in the journals

Saffronia gives:

3 paintings + Islington kitchen portrait (Agnes selected Islington’s portrait, so maybe a gift to her instead of Emma?)

Sunset color illustration

Hawkes and St. Sebastian sketch

Birthday party (plus Roses)

Reprobates give:

Pink roses on the doorstep

E of A crown and scepter

Bell from duel? (Not sure if this is a gift or inadvertently stolen by Emma)

Masquerade mask for Twelfth Night Ball

Rosette bouquet at Twelfth Night Ball

Roland gives:

Jane Eyre

Ferns and Relatives book

Shakespeare Comedies in full

Tickets to opera

Tickets to another opera/ musical?

Jack gives:

Red Gloves

Pastries

Apple tarts

Tea

Lunch at the Rose and Eagle

Mary gives:

Two scarves she knitted

Tad gives:

Fancy rug (with stain)

Jane Eyre society gives:

A copy of Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre pen

Emma gives:

To Arabella- Gingerbread

To Evelyn-Gingerbread

To Pierce - pillow with Latin phrase

To Islington- pillow with Latin phrase

To Hawkes- pillow with Latin phrase

To Parian- magnifying glass and new shoes

To Agnes- recipe book, pen set, new gloves

To Hawkes- box of pastries intended for Night Watchman after duel

To Hawkes- a 1/3 of a cake as a peace offering (“a piece offering”) because Archibald and Tybalt ate it before it could be delivered

To Hawkes- a candle with the same apology cake for inattentiveness in church Easter Sunday.

To Agnes- train tickets to Scotland

To Hawkes- Embroidered Fox banner (We assume she gave this to him when completed as she said she was making it for him at Stonecrop.)

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RHSS SIDE QUEST:

If you have a young reader, bestie, or book club that you are wanting to introduce and share the Emma books with in a fun way, here are a few ideas for a “book box” for Volumes 1-2. The idea is for each item to be wrapped and opened whenever that journal date is read. (Please note the RHSS have no financial interest or commission earned from the links below, they are just included here for examples.)

Mar 7 - St. Crispians Map (printed from Beth Brower’s substack here)

Mar 18 - Imperterritus card (mine was purchased from the St. Crispians tea society last year or you could DIY it)

Apr 1 - Journal (One option here)

Apr 12 - Bookmark

Apr 23 - candle (example here ) and candle holder (here)

May 6- cat stickers

May 19 - Victorian London Fog Tea (here)

May 31 - lucky unlucky marble

Jun 12 - bookish stickers

Jun 16 - white feather (here)

Jun 27-28 - Jane Eyre (here)

Additionally include small envelopes or write on specialty paper some of your favorite quotes, such as:

Mar 28 “But my true love is the evening walk, that last hour of daylight that has its way with sunlight, shadow, and soul.”

Apr 6 “It takes a courageous man to marry a woman with a mind.”

Apr 8 “Could is a challenge. Would is a favour.”

May 1 “Have no fear, Miss Lion”––and Hawkes quirked an eyebrow upward––“you’ve become one of my favourite members of the parish. Your sins are simply marvellous.”

May 13 “St. George is not the only one who can slay a dragon, Emma Lion. I’ve seen you wield a sword.” It was, perhaps, the most wonderful compliment I’ve ever been paid. I intend to keep Roland.”

Jun 2 “Dreams are not reality….UNTIL THEY ARE.”

Jun 30 “I have had many rabbits in my Rabbit Room, Miss Lion. Alas, you have not been one of them.”

Images: Original photos by the RHSS of gift box ideas