Review, Revision, Edit and Update
Reading Morning Ethics aloud this morning, it sounded flat. So I asked one question: what's missing? Sounds, aromas...So what was missing? Setting the scene before diving into dialogue. Because I 'know' the characters and the kitchen, my tendency is to assume that my readers can read my mind! Consequently I reworked the opening of this episode, along with revision throughout the episode.
Morning Conversation
Morals and ethics. That was the discussion over tea and coffee that morning. The sunny kitchen was warm, cake and muffins just out of the oven, tea kettle whistling. Martha Haverstock-Digby set out their tea things while Elizabeth - or Cook as most called her - poured boiling water in the pot.“Orange pekoe or Earl Grey, Martha?” “Orange pekoe as usual, dear.” The two old friends had tried to solve many of the world’s problems that morning, as they had many mornings. And some of their own, but they were too mundane to spend much time on. Their morning visit was always sprinkled with laughter and then slowed to serious, and then they laughed again. Martha was serious when Elizabeth brought up the subject again. “But you know, Elizabeth, sometimes I get the two of them confused, so I’ve looked them up. Adjusting her glasses, Martha read from her old blue dictionary: Ethics are ‘moral principles that guide a person’s behaviour' and morals are: ‘lessons, especially those regarding what is right or prudent.' When I read those, it all made sense. I can think of one or two people who never learned about either of them.” She chuckled. Elizabeth smiled. “Let’s change the subject, Martha. What about something for the Storyteller? I think that almost everyone at Beaufort has written something. Even your grandchildren, Martha! Those were such sweet letters.”
“Well, maybe it’s time for us to do something different. I’ve had a chance to review some of the stories and I’ve hired most of the people here. Well, except for James and you, and I guess Samuel. And I think we all have learned many lessons. I don’t know about you but I’m still learning. It seems that morally we’re fairly stable too. What do you think, Elizabeth?”
“I think that while we all need morals and ethics, as a topic for morning coffee it’s on the boring side. Unless we gossip about someone’s lack of them. That can get pretty lack lustre too. But I will say, Martha, that none of us are born with either morals or ethical behaviour. The first time I made a cake like this one, it was not very tasty.” Elizabeth finished her coffee and ate the last of her muffin.
“Well, Elizabeth your cakes are delicious so I guess you’ve learned your cake making lessons. But you’re right. None of us started out knowing about anything we’re good at now. But what does any of this have to do with our offerings to the Storyteller.”
“Do you want more tea, Martha or should I rinse out the pot?” Martha held out her cup. “Just half a cup please, dear. Can I take a muffin or two home to James?”
“Of course. I've set aside a couple already. As to what morals and ethics have to do with our little writings for the Storyteller, I really don’t know, Martha. Except maybe, that each little writing, showed our behaviour at whatever ages we were. Just by taking on the weekly stories for our writer, could show a certain ethic. Even the children were at least moral, doing what was right, although they have probably never heard the words ‘ethics’ or ‘morals’.”
“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths,
but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.”
~ Anne Frank
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