An excerpt from the book: Feminine Ways: a Handbook for the Maturing Girl, written and illustrated by Wisterhya Rosethorn
- A copy of the book can be purchased from Kelynn or found in the Scholar Hall library. They will soon be available in The Shire also.
"Grandmother Willow enters the girl's room. Fine tendrils of spring sunshine dance upon her walls. She lay in bed, her eyes and nose rosy in hue and a green cast on her cheeks.
Lilly groans, and tells her grandmother: "My throat is burning, my eyes water and I may only breathe through my mouth. My skin is dry, my muscles are weak. What do I do?"
Grandmother Willow smiles tenderly: "I will tell you in a moment."
Lilly says: "Will you hold me and kiss me, so I can feel safe and secure? Will you massage my tender joints and put a layer of cream over my cracking lips?"
Grandmother Willow shakes her head, though her smile lingers. She answers Lilly like so: "My darling daughter, I will not brush your hair, wipe your nose, kiss your cheek, massage your joints or tend to your lips. For that could make me ill also. Before anyone else, a woman must protect and nurture herself. For who will benefit from her care, if she herself is sickly?"
Lilly nods. She understands that a woman must be well, to take care of others.
Grandmother Willow proceeds: "Your ailment may linger long, but a lady like I has methods to shorten its run or fully remove its cause. What I will do to you, as you must do to those around you who suffer, is to feed you a drink made on chamomile flowers:
You will need: a half-pint jar, a tight lid, dried chamomile, boiling water, a strainer
- Make sure the half-pint jar and lid is clean and dry.
- Fill the half-pint jar quarter full of dried chamomile flowers.
- Pour boiling water over the flowers - careful not to burn your fingers!
- Put the lid on tightly, and leave it over night.
- In the morning, strain away the plant material.
- Sweeten with honey, and warm it up again, if you prefer.
Drink this every day you suffer from your ailment, and it shall vanish."
(...)
Lilly proceeds to use Grandmother Willow's cure, and before she knows it, she is well once more and can continue her responsibilities in the family. "
In the back of the book is a note regarding the recipe:
"This recipe is a long-time cold remedy used by the Fairbarn family, of which the son works for my father. Buderick Fairbarn has personally given me the accurate information to create this recipe. His testimony suggests, that it is a common treatment method for colds and infections in The Shire."
