The Roberts Girls

I can hear it clearly now as if I were there in the Parlour of Birdsall Cottage this moment. The routine of the girls upstairs getting ready for bed.

Lucy reading aloud from a book while reclining in the comfort of the 'ugly chair' in her room. Renowned for its comfort, but not its beauty, my sentimental eldest daughter would never give it up for something more fashionable out of pure loyalty.

Molly begging me for enough time to finish just one more story from her little red storybook.

Rose sitting with legs crossed in the middle of the bed she shares with Molly and works at drawing and writing in her little journal, humming loudly, the cat at her side. I am unable to make out exactly what the song is that she's about, but she seems very sure of the tune and increases in volume as she goes. 

Sophia playing with her dolls, their little doll lives filled with drama and intrigue. There is a great deal of gasping and hushed conversation between them. 

Silhouettes of the Roberts girls by Mrs. Anne Leslie of Shadow Portraits.