Polly: A New-Fashioned Girl

In Short

L. T. Meade’s Polly: A New-Fashioned Girl is a classic domestic story of a large, motherless family navigating independence, grief, and growth in rural England. Following their mother's death, the headstrong Polly and her sisters persuade their physician father to let them manage the household themselves. When their unruly Australian cousins, Flower and David, arrive, family dynamics explode into clashes of will, runaway children, and hidden pets. Through trial, temper, and severe domestic mishaps, the children slowly learn self-discipline, compassion, and the deep value of steady love.

The Story

The story opens in the languid heat of a July day, shortly after a devastating bereavement has struck the Maybright household. Dr. Maybright calls together his six motherless daughters—led by the practical eldest, Helen, and the defiant, fiercely independent middle daughter, Polly—to discuss how they will live without their mother. Desperate to avoid a stern, spectacled resident governess sent by their formidable Aunt Maria Cameron, the girls convince their father to let them manage the home themselves. Dr. Maybright agrees to give their plan a trial, granting each sister a week to run the household on a strict budget, while permitting Polly her own way to let experience teach her what advice cannot.

Polly’s turn at housekeeping swiftly descends into chaos. Confident that she can easily manage the servants and meal planning, she infuriates the long-suffering cook, Mrs. Power, who takes a mandatory holiday to avoid a nervous breakdown. Left to handle the kitchen alongside a nervous young kitchen-maid named Maggie, Polly suffers a series of hilarious culinary catastrophes, culminating in "Indigestion Week." Her pride is further woundedA household of lively siblings tested by independence and a fiery wild child from Australia find that growing up requires both freedom and a willingness to be tamed.

In Short

Set in rural England, this domestic story follows the six motherless Maybright sisters after their doctor father gives them the freedom to manage their own household instead of hiring a governess. Their well-meaning experiments in cooking and finance quickly spin out of control, bringing chaos to the family. Tensions peak when two young Australian cousins, Paul and Virginia (Flower), arrive to live with them. Flower's explosive temper and impulsive acts create sharp conflicts with the headstrong Polly. Through local misadventures, runs with eccentric neighbors, and a family crisis, the girls learn humility, affection, and self-control.

The Story

Following the death of his wife, Dr. Maybright faces the daunting task of raising his six daughters: Helen, Polly, Dolly, Katie, Firefly, and the baby. Reluctant to impose a rigid, elderly governess on the spirited girls, he decides to honor his late wife's philosophy of education. He grants the older girls turns at managing the household budget and running the home. Polly, eager, defiant, and full of confidence, leaps at the opportunity to prove her independence.

Polly's week as housekeeper proves to be a hilarious disaster. She clashes immediately with the cook, Mrs. Power, who takes a mandatory vacation in protest. Left to run the kitchen with only the inexperienced kitchen-maid Maggie, Polly finds her budget depleted when Maggie gives the food money to her own desperate mother. Forced to serve her father a meager dinner of plain boiled potatoes, Polly receives a gentle lesson in humility from Dr. Maybright, who understands that his daughter must learn through experience. Shortly thereafter, the formidable Aunt Maria Cameron arrives with her snappy dog, Scorpion, attempting to impose strict order, but her stay is interrupted when the family prepares for the arrival of their orphaned Australian cousins, David and Flower.

The arrival of the cousins brings a new dynamic to Sleepy Hollow. While David is gentle, Flower is a beautiful girl with an untamed, fierce temper. Polly and Flower clash almost instantly. When Flower feels thwarted, she impetuously runs off onto the lonely moor with baby Pearl in her arms, hiding in a thicket. The frantic search that follows plunges the household into distress. A local runaway misadventure with Maggie leads Polly into the clutches of the gaunt, menacing "wife of Micah Jones" in Deadman’s Copse, while Flower, desperate and scared after her escapades, trades a real diamond to Mrs. Ricketts for nine shillings and fourpence to catch a night carrier to Bath.

Despite these dramatic turns, the wilderness of the moor and the warmth of the Maybright family gradually soften Flower's wild nature. A severe trial brings the family even closer together when Dr. Maybright suffers a period of blindness, requiring quiet devotion from those around him. Flower devotes herself to reading to him and serving him, finding in his gentle guidance the paternal strength she needs to conquer her fierce passions. One year later, as the family gathers in the house, a letter arrives from the doctor revealing that his sight has been restored. The once-divided household celebrates in joyous unity, with Flower fully transformed into a loving, integrated member of the family.

How It Unfolds

The freedom experiment Dr. Maybright presents his six daughters with a choice to manage their own home rather than submit to an elderly governess. The girls eagerly agree, trusting in their late mother's memory and their father's unusual confidence in them.

Indigestion week Polly takes her turn managing the household and immediately drives the cook away on a forced holiday. After her kitchen-maid gives away the food money to pay her mother's rent, Polly is reduced to serving her father a dinner of plain boiled potatoes.

Aunt Maria's intrusion The overbearing Aunt Maria Cameron arrives with her ill-tempered dog, Scorpion, attempting to bring order to the unruly household. Her strict habits drive the children into quiet rebellion as they prepare for incoming guests.

The Australian barbarians The family welcomes their orphaned cousins, David and Flower, from Australia. While David is polite, Flower displays a fierce, explosive temper that threatens to destroy the peace of Sleepy Hollow.

The stolen baby Enraged by an argument over the kitchen-maid, Flower impulsively snatches baby Pearl from her cot and runs out onto the lonely moor. She hides in a clump of oak trees, sparking panic across the entire household.

Trouble on the moor Polly and Maggie encounter the menacing wife of Micah Jones in Deadman's Copse while running away. Meanwhile, Flower trades a valuable diamond to a poor villager for coach fare in a frantic attempt to escape to Bath.

Healing and light Dr. Maybright loses his sight, prompting Flower to channel her intensity into caring for him with devoted reading and quiet service. One year later, a joyous letter reveals that his vision has returned, cementing the bond between all the children.

The People

• Polly Maybright: The central heroine of the story, who is energetic, defiant, and intensely confident in her own abilities. She wants to prove she can run the family without adult supervision, but her stubbornness frequently gets her into deep trouble. Through her mistakes, she grows into a softer, more empathetic sister.
• Flower (Virginia) Dalrymple: The newly arrived cousin from Australia who possesses striking beauty and an untamed, violent temper. She wants respect and independence on her own terms, but her fiery reactions cause severe harm, including kidnapping the baby. Her time with Dr. Maybright eventually tempers her spirit.
• Dr. Maybright: A loving, wise country doctor and father who believes in letting his children learn life lessons through experience rather than harsh punishment. He wants his daughters to grow into responsible adults through gentle guidance.
• Helen Maybright: The eldest sister, who acts as the sensible, steady anchor of the family, stepping in to cushion the impact of Polly's and Flower's chaotic choices.
• Firefly and David: The younger children who act as observers and accomplices throughout the various escapades, navigating the stormy dynamic between Polly and Flower.
• Mrs. Cameron (Aunt Maria): The rigid, critical aunt who attempts to bring conventional discipline to Sleepy Hollow with her dog, Scorpion.

In Its Own Voice

When Dr. Maybright remembers his late wife's advice on how to handle their headstrong daughter, he reflects on her unique nature:

"'Polly is the most peculiar and difficult to manage of all my children. She has a vein of obstinacy in her which no persuasion will overcome.'"

After Polly's disastrous attempt at cooking leaves the house without dinner money, the kitchen-maid Maggie attempts to explain her desperate choice:

"'I clutched hold of the half-sovereign in the butcher's pocket, and the half-sovereign in the grocer's pocket, and I said to mother, 'Miss Polly'll give 'em to you, 'cause it's a big heart as Miss Polly has got.'"

When cousin David warns Polly about his sister's intense disposition, he reveals the hidden danger beneath her quiet surface:

"'When Flower isn't nice, it's not a small thing, it's--oh, she's awful! Polly, I don't want any of you ever to see Flower in a passion; you'd be frightened, oh, you would indeed.'"

What It's Really About

Beneath its playful domestic surface, the book explores the balance between self-will and moral discipline within a motherless family. It questions whether children learn better through rigid rules enforced by authority figures like Aunt Maria or through the freedom to make mistakes under the compassionate eyes of a loving parent. The story contrasts Polly’s well-intentioned, reckless independence with Flower’s dangerous, untamed anger. Ultimately, the plot argues that true maturity is not achieved by imposing one's will on others, but by learning self-control, empathy, and forgiveness through shared family trials and quiet devotion.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy Victorian domestic fiction and stories of spirited young heroines, such as Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, will find much to admire in L. T. Meade's work. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, filled with vibrant character dynamic, gentle humor, and genuine emotional warmth. Its portrayal of sibling rivalries, ruined dinners, and childhood schemes feels surprisingly modern and relatable, even over a century after its publication.

Modern readers should be prepared for typical nineteenth-century juvenile literary conventions, including occasional moralizing, melodramatic plot twists—such as temporary blindness and runaway episodes—and heavy local dialect among the working-class villagers. The story's depiction of the "barbarian" cousin from the Australian colonies also reflects period attitudes toward colonial life versus traditional English upbringing. However, these historical elements add depth to a charming story. What remains with the reader is the poignant depiction of sisterly loyalty and the enduring power of a patient, understanding father.