WOMEN AND VICTORIAN VALUES, 1837-1910
Advice Books, Manuals and Journals for Women

Part 3: Sources from the Bodleian Library, Oxford

Part 3 covers 14 journals starting with The Cosy-corner novels (1905-1907) which are an excellent source for studying the aspirations of middle and working class women. In addition to the serialised stories there is much on romance and travel.

The Mother’s Magazine (1842-1862) and The Mother’s Companion (1887-1896) also feature articles on travel, as well as stories and much on domestic life and women’s health. Differing portrayals of domestic life are given in The wife: a journal of home comforts (1892-1893), The ladies’ home (1898), and the rather elitist
The Lady’s World (1886-1890), which has much on fashion and society. Woman’s World (1868) is more down to earth and features advice on how to get a husband and how to run the household as well as letters. For instance:

"Dear Editress, I am the eldest of 7 and the others are all boys. We have very little money and cannot afford to keep a servant and it is drudge, drudge, drudge from morning to night. I get no time to improve myself, scarcely any for reading and I am now 18. ... Other people seem to have pleasant occupation, why should my life be so horrid? Elsie.

Dear Elsie, Just at present ... life seems a little hard, but there is no reason why you should call yourself a drudge. ... I would like you to turn to p22 of this issue and see how Christ honours the very meanest work. ... Be content with your lot, strive to help others with kind words, a bright smile or sympathy and in helping them you will gain happiness yourself."

The education of women and the profession of teaching are the main theme of The Girl’s Mistress (1893-1895), The Infant’s Mistress (1893-1898) and the Journal of the Women’s Education Union (1874-1881). They cover everything from nursery teaching to finishing schools with discussions of appropriate texts and women’s rights to higher education. Other titles include Reports of the Mother’s Union (1892-1912), The working gentlewoman’s journal (1906-1910), Working ladies report (1879-1887) and The Girl’s Companion (1908), which intriguingly describes itself as "a journal for engaged girls only."