A Proper Victorian Courtship

Courting Miss Cartwright is (no surprise here) about the courtship of Rocky Gideon for Miss Temperance Cartwright, an example of A Proper Victorian Courtship. …And then for Miss Felicity Cartwright, her sister. What a mess!

But first he finds himself conflicted by what he genuinely believes is the right way to go about selecting the correct bride–one who will ensure marital contentment that surpasses life’s difficulties and will last his lifetime. Rocky needs stability, so when Felicity arrives in Mountain Home, Colorado, and he’s drawn to her, he has more reasons than the simple “she’s the sister of the girl I’m already courting” conflict to keep them apart.

Rocky’s directions came from the Cartwright father–who just happens to be a preacher.

The Marriage Guide for Young Men

I came across a fantastic primary historical resource: The Marriage Guide for Young Men: A Manual of Courtship and Marriage, by Rev. George W. Hudson, published in 1883. While studying this Victorian-era book so much of the conflict and story for my new novella crystallized.

Rather than use direct quotes from this now public-domain book, I created fictional quotes from my character’s own book of the same type. The Reverend Cedric Cartwright wrote his book: The Gentleman’s Guide to Courtship and Marriage based upon his life experience, advice he’d given to parishioners, and his own world view (naturally skewed). I decided to write brief snippets of Cartwright’s book as chapter headers within Courting Miss Cartwright.

The basic Victorian-era view about a “proper courtship”–how to go about in such a manner as to respect a young woman’s feelings and ensure the young man obtains the right wife for him–is common throughout many “self-help” books published in the 19th century.

I want to share a passage of Rev. Geo. W. Hudson’s book (the real one, published in 1883). This section first sparked the possibilities and Courting Miss Cartwright is the result.

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 1, p 58.

Part 1. Marriage Guide Young Men, beginning on p 58.

Part 2.

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 3

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 4

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 5

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 6

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 7

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 8

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 9

Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 10

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 11

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 12

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 13

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 14

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 15

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 16

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 17

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 18

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 19

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 20

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 21

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Kristin Holt | A Proper Victorian Courtship; The Marriage Guide for Young Men, part 22

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eBook files of Rev. Geo.Â W. Hudson’s book: The Marriage Guide for Young Men: A Manual of Courtship and Marriage:

Courting Miss Cartwright

NOTE: While Cowboys & Calico‘s time has come to an end, my novella, Courting Miss Cartwright is now available for kindle and in paperback from Amazon and KristinHolt.com.