Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on April 25, 2006 at 11:57:04 from 213.38.124.194 user ACB.
In Reply to: Re: Fussing grannies - Susan posted by andyb on April 25, 2006 at 04:05:07:
Well, I've never had any problem with Susan "taking charge on railway journeys" and I have no doubt that Ransome drew this detail from life - from one of the Altounyans, perhaps.
With respect, I think Prue is mistaken. Ransome is not suggesting that a little girl was really "in charge" because her mother, not being a Modern Woman, could not "multi-task", despite having a nurse available, but is saying that Susan, as the eldest girl, appointed herself in charge ("took charge") of rounding up the other children, listening for platform announcements, fielding items of baggage, and so on.
I remember crossing London with both parents, and a Nurse, in 1958, en route to a posting in Mogadishu. My mentally handicapped four year old brother (hence the nurse!) lost his "Sooty" glove puppet, and was so inconsolable that a parent was diverted to Hamleys from Victoria Station to get him a replica, just before the train pulled out. That is the sort of thing that happened all the time on long railway journeys with numerous children, and is, I think the sort of thing that Susan would have been "in charge"`of.