The Books: Mustard Seed of Magic (Norma Johnston)

Daily Book Excerpt: YA fiction:

Next book on the shelf is Mustard Seed of Magic by Norma Johnston. Fourth book in the Keeping Days series. It’s now 1902. I gotta be insane to remember these books so clearly – it’s been kind of fun, though, to pick them up again and flip through the pages. Memories coming back. I loved this series as a teenager. Not as much as any of the LM Montgomery series, or any Madeleine L’Engle series – but almost as much. I’m really glad I still HAVE these books … I bet they were sitting in a box in my parents attic for years until I was settled enough to go and get them.

So what happens in this book? Tish asks for her beloved writing teacher, Mrs. Owens, to give her private tutoring sessions. She wants to grow as a writer. Huge melodrama ensues. Turns out, Tish only wanted praise, not criticism!! Also going on: Mary Lou Hodge, the girl who got pregnant earlier in the series, is now back in school – after her “vacation” (nobody mentions where she’s gone) – and scandal and gossip still follow her around – and yet now it seems undeserved. The baby she had is …. I can’t remember – I think her parents are raising it to believe that THEY are her parents and Mary Lou is its sister. I think that’s the plan. Let’s see what else. Oh – more drama between the Tish and Ken, her sweetheart – sort of. His family has moved away – but they come back once or twice a year – and Tish and Ken write these long tortured letters to each other. Blah blah. They’re 16. They’ll get over it.

Here’s an excerpt involving the poor outcast floozy, Mary Lou Hodge.

From Mustard Seed of Magic by Norma Johnston.

The Living Pictures were an artistic success, and, having been carefully chosen, were innocuous enough for the whole neighborhood to approve. But the biggest show of the evening, and decided controversial, was Mary Lou Hodge, who showed up to usher wearing an overelaborate pompadour and her sister Viney’s notorious peek-a-boo blouse.

Mrs. Owens was backstage, engrossed in a multitude of details, when Mary Lou unveiled this tawdry splendor, which probably explains why the situation wasn’t dealt with tactfully thre and then. The first I heard of it was when Stella seized me in the wings, a few seconds before the lights went down.

“Did you see her? She looks like something off a burlesque poster. I just caught a glimpse through the curtain crack, and what’s more Miss Albright and your aunt are staring at her with judgment in their eyes.”

“Wouldn’t you think she’d have had more sense? And why didn’t the president make her go home and change? He’s right out there taking tickets at the door.”

“He’s male,” Stella said scathingly. “He either didn’t notice her clothes, or he noticed too much and didn’t use his head. But Miss Sadie’s head’s working, I’ll bet you anything.”

The house lights went out, to the accompaniment of applause and stamping feet. There were the usual catcalls and silly giggles; then the footlights went up and Stella stepped out, flushed and self-possessed, to welcome the audience and introduce the program.

I read my narration, and it and I were well received. So was the program; there was so much applause we were obliged to reopen the curtain to encore several popular scenes. Mrs. Owens was pleased, congratulating everone on the hard work done, announcing we’d taken in enough money to guarantee Literary Magazine printing bills for the balance of the year. I gathered from her manner that nobody’d gossiped to her yet about Mary Lou’s attire; I hoped the necessity would not arise.

It was an empty hope. We all went back to Bron’s for hot chocolate and dessert, and Miss Sadie and Aunt Kate raced each other to see who’d be the first to explode with righteous wrath.

“Girl obviously hasn’t learned a thing …”

“… knew there would be trouble if the hussy were allowed …”

“… undesireable influence …”

“… moral leaders; have a Christian duty to reprimand …” And on, and on.

I was sick to death of the whole subject of Mary Lou Hodge.