Back Then, Sims in the 1800s, Stories

QueenofMyshuno

This is from an entirely 19th-century, multi-family world I'm currently creating, complete with different social classes and different roles, such as factory workers, bankers, farmers, etc. This thread is for their stories.

I have another thread for more of what-happened-in-your-game-today and behind-the-scenes type things that you can view here: Back Then, Sims in the 1800s, General Stuff.

QueenofMyshuno

The Factory, Part 1 of 2

Eula and Etta Novak grew up in a modest, middle class home with their doting and bumbling father, their mother having died giving birth to Eula. Like all good daughters, they tended to the home and their father’s comfort. But when their father died, leaving the sisters with extensive debt and no income, they found themselves in dire straights. Evicted from their house by the bank and forced to sell their possessions to pay off the rest of their debts, they ended up in an unfamiliar city on the factory steps of the Upton Manufacturing Company one early morning, penniless and petrified, on the first day of work at the first job of their lives.


The arrangement had been hurriedly made with the company owner, Oliver Upton, by the family lawyer through an acquaintance of an acquaintance. The sisters would live and work at the factory, thus solving both problems of shelter and coin. The lawyer was all too aware of the alternatives for women in these circumstances, which were usually limited to starvation or prostitution, and thusly was pleased with himself for having provided a solution. What he was not aware of was Oliver Upton’s reputation amongst his workers.


They were terrified of him, and for good reason. Mr. Upton was a cruel and malicious man who was prone to bouts of rage. Not a day went by that he didn’t shout forbidden words at one of his workers.


On his desk, he kept a bottle of whiskey, and beside his desk, there was always a bat. He made liberal use of both. Oliver Upton was not a man whose bad side you wanted to get on.


Miss Snelling, who seemed to be in charge, quickly ushered the sisters in and assigned Etta the task of cooking breakfast for the workers. Etta had only ever cooked on her own stove before and never for so many people. Despite her best efforts (and despite the fact that I cheated her a 1 cooking skill so this wouldn’t happen), she burned the food badly…and herself, as well.


Miss Snelling informed her that there was no time to clean up before she was due on the factory floor, so she had no choice but to show up on her first day of work covered in soot. This caught the eye of Mr. Upton who was furious. “I took you and your sister in as a favor, and this is how you repay my kindness, you ungrateful, little wench?! If you think you can disrespect my workplace like this, you are mistaken, madam. I’ll be watching you. One more misstep from you, and you’re out on the street!”


Etta had never been talked to this way in her life, much less yelled at by a man, much less yelled at by a man she had never even been introduced to. Shocked, confused, and shaking, she felt the tears well up in her eyes but was determined not to cry in front of him. She, too, knew the alternative to being a factory worker, so she bottled her feelings and took the abuse.


From that point, Miss Snelling assigned Etta all the worst jobs. When all the other workers were relaxing after a full 12-hour day on the floor, Etta was washing dishes…


…or doing the laundry, or some other fatiguing task. Miss Snelling would not allow her sister, Eula, to help her, and Etta, who had always protected her little sister from the more harsh aspects of life, pretended to Eula that she was fine with all the chores, making the excuse that she welcomed the distraction as it kept her from thinking about their dear father’s passing.


And even though her back ached and her feet felt like lead, even though her hands were raw and her skin cracked from endless buckets of dishwater and laundry detergent, even though she would always be the “bad worker” in the eyes of Mr. Upton and Miss Snelling no matter how hard she worked or how hard she tried, she was grateful for the job and the bed and the roof over her head. And most of all she was grateful that her sister had food and a warm(ish) place to sleep.

QueenofMyshuno

The Factory, Part 2 of 2

Etta wasn’t sure if she was assigned extra work by Miss Snelling because her boss Mr. Upton had ordered it or because Miss Snelling didn’t like her either. She suspected it was probably both. The only person Miss Snelling really seemed to like was Horace Thacker.


This was quite funny, in a not funny sort of way, because Horace Thacker was by far the laziest person Etta had ever met. He was a slow worker and frequently sneaked away from his post to take naps. He sometimes even, somehow, fell asleep standing up.

(I did not assign this sim the lazy trait or any similar traits, but for some unknown reason, he can only work a fraction of the time as the other sims before he’s exhausted.)


Etta suspected that the only reason Horace Thacker still had a job was because Miss Snelling had the boss’ ear, and she obviously fancied Horace. On the other hand, who knows what the boss and Miss Snelling were saying about Etta during their frequent talks.


Unlike Etta, Eula was fairing well, considering the circumstances. She was, of course, sad and missed her home and her father, but she quickly made friends with the other workers and was well like by all. That is to say, she was liked by most everyone and tolerated by Miss Snelling, which is actually saying quite a bit. Her sweet, unassuming, and optimistic demeanor helped her get along with others and cope with any situation.


And then there was Vincent. Eula was instantly moonstruck by his big, dreamy eyes (as she put it) and handsome features. She finagled her way into switching stations on the workfloor so she could be closer to his, and she almost always managed to sit near him during meal times. She looked upon him with complete adoration.


The feeling was not mutual. But Eula, in her buoyant way, figured that given enough time to get to know her, he would change his mind. She just needed to spend more time talking with him, but he was often difficult to corner.


Vincent would regularly turn in immediately after supper and retire to the men’s bunk room with his very good friend, Jake, where, presumably, they were either talking about their day or sleeping soundly.


Eula thought it was truly sweet how close they were.


One of the advantages or disadvantages to the sisters’ change in social status, depending upon whom you ask, is that they could now visit the previously dark and mysterious chambers of a drinking establishment without ruining their reputation, for when one is poor, one does not have much of a reputation to ruin. Eula reveled in his newfound freedom and embraced it with a sense of adventure.


Etta’s exposure to this seedier element of life as a factory worker, however, was in pressing danger of taking a dark turn. With no father to guide her and no chaperone to oversee her actions, she took to drink with astonishing enthusiasm, using it to dull the pain, both physical and emotional. Where her foray into the nightlife started as a fun excursion to solve the mystery of exactly what went on in a public house, she began to obsessively think about when she would have her next outing and, more importantly, her next drink. While Eula had Vincent to dream about, Etta dreamed only of the pub.


And so her existence became an endless blur of work and drink and more work, and the only thing that kept her from throwing herself into the river behind the factory was the will to go on for her sister’s sake.

(By the way, this is the future Factory One, the Partihaus residence in Windenburg, before it was remodeled into a contemporary residence in the late 20th century.)

QueenofMyshuno

Cherry Walker
(A Wordless Story)

QueenofMyshuno

The Prescotts, Art Store

(Links to some deco item cc can be found on My Tumblr.)


Mr. Sumner Prescott owns and operates the Discerning Art Boutique in the Willow Creek province of The Simpire.



It caters only to the most tasteful (translation: wealthy) clients.
(FYI: This building used to house the Willow Creek Library.)



Even Baroness Chadwick shops here. Should you happen to have the good fortune to be invited to Mr. Prescott’s home to dine or, by chance, chat with him at the local pub, this fact will more than likely come up in conversation.



The lower classes and townies are not allowed in the gallery (thanks to clubs). Mr. Prescott becomes very angry at the riff raff gathered on his porch. “Get off my property!”



Miss Lipi Tatham has been with Mr. Prescott for two years now, and he’s quite happy with her performance. She excels at customer service.



Mr. Henry Stroud has been an employee for over 10 years…ever since he got kicked in the head by that horse. What he lacks in brain power, he makes up for in strength and loyalty. He handles deliveries, plus other simple tasks.



Because the good Lord did not see fit to give Mr. Prescott any sons, he sometimes enlists the help of his daughters at the gallery. He looks forward to the day he has a son-in-law that he can pass the business down to.



Heidi, the younger one, is very outgoing. She enjoys getting out of the house and talking to the customers.



Reva, the older one, has a personality that leans toward the quiet and pensive. She often wanders off to quieter corners of the gallery to contemplate the art work.



This painting, titled “Checkered Garden,” is her current favorite.



The dark-haired woman didn’t come in with the Baroness. Apparently, she has never heard of the term “personal space.” Although, to be fair, this being the 1800s, probably nobody has ever heard of that term.



Lipi rings up her purchase on some strange device. “Look what I invented, Mr. Prescott. It will automatically keep track of all purchases and inventory.” Mr. Prescott is not pleased. “That’s stupid and overly complicated. Get rid of it.” Lipi says, “Oh, okay” and throws it in the trash, never to invent again.



At least Henry has the decency to use pencil and paper (and not mess up my screenshots).



It was a busy and profitable day. Mr. Prescott meets with Henry in the warehouse and gives him instructions for tomorrow morning’s deliveries before closing up shop.


(Note: I had an art store in a modern save where I tried to take pictures with somewhat avant-garde angles, close-ups, and filters, whereas this 1800s store has pictures that focus on things that would appeal to people of that era, like landscapes and symmetry.)

QueenofMyshuno

Day in the Life, Fidelia Meryweather

(Links to pose and female clothing cc can be found on my Tumblr.)


You might be inclined to think, given Fidelia’s strong personality and active disposition, that she’s the type to jump out of bed at the break of dawn, invigorated and ready to face the world head on. I assure you this is not the case. On this very morning, as on most mornings, she is lying in bed and gazing out her window at the grey dawn, thinking about the activities and obligations of the day to come. Fidelia has been looking forward to this particular day for over a week now.



The day starts with the usual family breakfast and the usual breakfast conversations. Mother shares the latest gossip about who is marrying, who is courting, who will most likely be marrying or courting soon, and who really should be marrying or courting but isn’t. Today, Fidelia and Victor collectively breathe a sigh of relief when their names are not included in the “who should be courting whom” list, but Harland, the younger brother, is not so lucky. Harland quickly changes the subject to banking, his favorite topic of conversation.



Victor, the eldest, also has his usual breakfast topics. He either enthuses about a musical piece he’s working on or about some serendipitous meeting with a cat, whether it be a client’s cat or a street cat. Fidelia has no idea where her brother got such a keen and intense interest in cats as the family doesn’t even own one and mother will not allow animals in the house. Of course, Victor’s musical talk is prone to launch father into a tirade about the irrationality of choosing a career in music over banking, especially given the fact that one’s father is a banker and it would be so easy to learn the business. This speech always ends in the phrase, “It’s not too late to change your mind, son,” which results in Victor appearing to be intensely interested in his plate.



After breakfast, father and Harland retire to their respective offices to work. Even though the bank is closed today, their work is never done. Victor prepares for his piano students, and Fidelia goes downstairs to the parlor with mother. Because, as Fidelia is often reminded, she will need to run a house of her own one day (mother is always quick to add the phrase ”hopefully soon”), Fidelia often sits in on mother’s meetings with house staff to discuss shopping needs, meal planning, and things of that nature.



Later in the morning, Miss Heidi Prescott arrives for her lesson. Heidi is not only a pupil of Victor’s, but also Fidelia’s best friend. Fidelia and Heidi have an outing planned after her lesson, which is why Fidelia is excited about today.



Mrs. Prescott visits in the parlor for a bit after delivering Heidi. The Meryweathers are very well connected, with many families visiting the residence, due to Victor’s music lessons, a fact that mother enjoys greatly, given her outgoing and socially inquisitive nature.



At last, the morning’s obligations have been attended to, and Heidi and Fidelia can take their leave to visit the ruins where FIdelia hopes to find some good rock or fossil specimens. Since it would not be proper or safe for two young women to visit such a place unattended, Harland accompanies them.



The three of them are good friends and have been since childhood, so Harland doesn’t mind. He and Heidi get along very well, which is good since Fidelia’s head is usually someplace else on trips like these as she scrutinizes the surroundings for places to dig.



After about 45 minutes of looking, Fidelia finds something promising. There are samples here she cannot get around her home, so she’s hoping to add something to her collection that she doesn’t already have. Despite more looking, Fidelia doesn’t find any more viable samples, but she’s happy because the one she did find looks promising.



The three stop to relax, have a snack, and converse before heading back home, as is their custom on trips such as these. Harland and Fidelia tell Heidi that her name came up this morning at breakfast, which it occasionally does. Specifically, Mrs. Meryweather said to Harland “Miss Prescott seems like she’d make a fine match for any young man. You are fond of her, are you not?” The three of them laugh about this, as Heidi and Harland, although fond of one another, do not harbor any romantic feelings between them. Indeed, their feelings for each other are more akin to siblings or cousins.



Back home, Fidelia breaks open her sample to find an arrowhead fossilized into the rock. She is thrilled about this discovery, checking reference books for any clue as to the arrow’s origin and making notes in her geology journal.



She starts to feel bad, though, as Heidi is clearly bored with the procedure, so she puts the sample aside for now.



Instead, she and Heidi talk. They talk about everything…boys, family, friends, fashion, and their dreams. Heidi’s dream is to marry a man who is handsome and kind. Fidelia isn’t sure what her dream is. She only knows that marriage and running a house don’t seem all that exciting, and she desperately wants something exciting to happen in her life. If she were a man, she would probably join the crew of some ship and sail off to the farthest corners of The Simpire, but alas, she is not a man.



Soon the Prescott family servant, Amersham, arrives to escort Heidi home. He’s greeted by the the Meryweather’s butler, Mr. Hastings.



Heidi leaves and Fidelia is called to dinner. Today was such an interesting day, and she regales the family with tales of her arrowhead find.



The family gathers in the parlor after dinner, and Victor entertains them for a bit by playing the piano. Fidelia’s favorite song is “Funiculi Funicula,” and the family attempts to sing it, but since it’s in another language, they mess it up, as they always do. This is cause for much laughter, even from father.

(Note: You can hear a rendition of “Funiculi Funicula” on YouTube.)



Then it’s time to get ready for bed.



Before bed, Fidelia cannot resist reviewing her notes on the fossil she found one last time. She then goes to bed and snuggles down into the covers, happy that something a little exciting happend in her life today.

(Note: If you’d like to see a “Day in the Life” for Heidi, go here.)

Mariefoxprice83

I love this! Fidelia in particular is great.

QueenofMyshuno

@Mariefoxprice83 Thank you! Some of Fidelia's personality developed as I was writing, which is one of the reasons I love to put my sims into stories.

QueenofMyshuno

Visiting the Vicar

Since the Vicar’s salary does not allow for a maid and he doesn’t yet have a wife, the townswomen volunteer to go to his house now and then to cook and clean for him. While some of the women do actually cook and clean when they get there, the more well-to-do ladies bring their servants and spend their “volunteer time” conversing with the Vicar. Today, Miss Reva Prescott has brought along the family servant, Amersham.




Because most of the women who actually have time to go to the Vicar’s house are the well-to-do ones, the Vicar spends a great deal of his time visiting. As he’s new to this post, he doesn’t mind because it allows him to get to know the town and its people. “Are you sure your man doesn’t want some bread, too?” asks the Vicar. “Oh no,” replies Reva, “I’m sure he had some before we came. After all, he baked it himself.” Ladies don’t eat with their servants, but she’s too polite to point this out.




Reva was pressed into service by her mother and father, and she strongly suspects their motives were not soley to help the unwed Vicar, as they do not attempt to hide the fact that their main goal in life is to get her married off. For this reason, Reva was reluctant to come but dutifully obeyed her parents.




However, she is actually enjoying her time with Vicar Livingston who seems a kind and thoughtful man with many interesting ideas and philosophies. She’s surprised to find herself looking forward to her next volunteer visit. Her day has been very busy, though, and she’s quite exhausted, so she calls for Amersham and says her goodbyes for now. As they drive off in the carriage, she hands Amersham some bread she has saved for him.