The Girls of St Leonard's

Today I attended a funeral of a dear friend of my late mother-in-law. She and Mary grew up in the same little outport in Placentia Bay. They remained friends all their lives, raising their families in Corner Brook. Pauline was a gracious woman, very beautiful and intelligent as was Mary. As I was chatting with Pauline's daughter-in-law at the reception today, I remarked how amazing it was that these women from a tiny outport had such airs of sophisication. Not only were they beautiful, but they were very progressive in their ideas and their fashion sense.
The daughter-in -law explained some of the mystery to me. She said that her mother grew up in Clattice Harbour, not far from St. Leonard's.They would travel by boat to St Kyran's to attend mass on Sundays. The girls were competative and always tried to outdress the girls from St Leonard's and St Kyran's. How they got their sense of fashion, she explained was through French magazines, their fathers would bring back from St.Pierre and Miquelon.The fishermen would frequently make runs to the French Islands off the South Coast of Newfoundland to deliver fish and more importantly to get a load of rum, after all this was during the"prohibition years".
The girls of Clattice Harbour would pour over the magazine's from Paris and copy the styles. She said they would often pick berries to dye the clothing to match the latest colour trend of that fashion season.

I can just picture Mary and Pauline. They would not be outdone by the Clattice Harbour girls! These were young women of creative natures and a natural beauty. I would love to have seen them in St Kyran's church on Sunday. As it was, I count myself lucky to have known them in their prime.
Welcome to heaven Pauline, Mary is waiting to welcome you in her best blue chapeau!