Six Girls and the Tea Room

In Short

Six Girls and the Tea Room is a warm 1907 domestic tale following the resilient Scollard siblings as they establish a tea shop in New York City to support their widowed mother. Spearheaded by the energetic fifteen-year-old Happie and her older sister Margery, the project pulls their close-knit family, distant relatives, and dynamic neighbors into an expanding orbit of shared life. Through sheer industry, loyalty, and humor, the household navigation of small spaces and tight budgets yields unexpected reconciliations, professional opportunities, and lasting romances. Marion Ames Taggart's novel has endured as a sweet, optimistic depiction of family solidarity and girlhood initiative.

The Story

The story opens with the Scollard family living in a cramped New York flat affectionately dubbed "the Patty-Pans." To ease their mother Charlotte's burden as sole breadwinner, eighteen-year-old Margery, fifteen-year-old Happie, and their friend Gretta launch a commercial tea room on a desirable street near Fifth Avenue, guided by their dryly generous older relative, Miss Keren-happuch Bradbury. Though the venture begins as a precarious trial, the girls win over skeptical local patrons through good baking, honesty, and hospitality. Among their regulars is the brusque, intimidating Mrs. Jones-Dexter, a wealthy woman wrapped up in her fragile grandchild, Serena.

Life in the tea room demands every ounce of Scollard energy. When Bob, the eldest brother, sprains his ankle, Happie steps up to fill his place as an office clerk, demonstrating her arithmetic and fearless resolve. Meanwhile, midwinter social frictions arise when local acquaintances attempt to exclude Gretta—the rightful owner of a Pennsylvania farm living with the family—from social invitations, prompting Happie and Bob to take a firm stand for their friend. Relationships deepen as older sister Margery falls in love with Robert Gaston, a gentle young man whom Happie initially views with comedic suspicion.

Amid the bustle, a misterious German musician, Herr Lieder, begins frequenting the shop, playing the piano with extraordinary skill. His music deeply affects thirteen-year-old Laura, a budding musical prodigy, and eventually catches the ear of Mrs. Stewart, the dancing mistress who sublets the tea room space. A chance encounter reveals a dramatic past: Herr Lieder is actually Hans von Siegeslied, Mrs. Stewart’s long-lost husband. This emotional reunion brings peace to Mrs. Stewart and opens a life-changing door for Laura. Recognizing Laura's exceptional musical talents, Herr Lieder and his wife arrange to take her to Europe for formal conservatory training.

Concurrently, Miss Bradbury decides to legally adopt Happie, providing financial security to the Scollard clan so Mrs. Scollard can retire from her grueling office employment. After a joyous winter spent between the Manhattan tea room and snowy retreats in the mountains, the Patty-Pans chapter draws to a close. The family moves into a roomier residence on Fifty-Eighth Street, and by May, they gather on the New York docks to see Laura off on her voyage to Europe. Surrounded by friends, suitors, and new opportunities, the Scollards look toward a bright future.

How It Unfolds

The venture begins Miss Bradbury leads the Scollard sisters to a shop near Fifth Avenue beneath Mrs. Stewart's dancing school. Margery, Happie, and Gretta prepare to launch their ambitious tea room to aid their mother.

Winning difficult patrons The girls handle demanding customers, including the formidable Mrs. Jones-Dexter, who criticizes their tea but hires them to select books. Soon, Mrs. Jones-Dexter takes a liking to the sisters and asks them to interact with her delicate granddaughter, Serena.

Defending family loyalty When local acquaintance Elsie Barker refuses to invite Gretta to a social dinner, Happie and Bob decline their own invitations. They choose strict solidarity with their friend over upper-class social acceptance.

Happie enters business Bob sprains his ankle, threatening his position at a downtown office. Happie courageously marches to his employer, Mr. Felton, demanding to work in Bob’s place until he recovers.

Romance and winter outings Robert Gaston enters the sisters' lives, courting Margery and disarming Happie's initial reluctance. The family enjoys snow-fort battles, sleigh rides, and joint holidays at their mountain home, the Ark.

The musician revealed Mrs. Stewart hears Herr Lieder playing the tea room piano and recognizes him as her estranged husband, Hans von Siegeslied. The unexpected reunion restores their marriage and alters the family's trajectory.

A permanent home Miss Bradbury executes legal adoption papers for Happie and buys a larger home on Fifty-Eighth Street, allowing Mrs. Scollard to quit her job. The tea room closes after fulfilling its purpose.

Fairwinds and farewells In May, the family gathers at the dock as Laura sails for Europe with the von Siegeslieds to pursue her musical education. The Scollards celebrate their good fortune as they prepare for a summer in Crestville.

The People

• Happie (Keren-happuch) Scollard: A fiery, quick-witted fifteen-year-old who acts as the family's energetic protector. She wants to shield her mother from overwork and defend her friends from snobbery. Through her enterprise at the office and her fierce loyalty, she grows into a trusted, mature young woman who earns Miss Bradbury's formal adoption.
• Margery Scollard: The eldest sister at seventeen, gentle, capable, and maternal. She desires harmony in the shop and peace at home. Her steady character wins the heart of Robert Gaston, guiding her smoothly toward young womanhood and an eventual engagement.
• Bob Scollard: The eldest brother and sole male provider initially. He is hardworking, humorous, and deeply devoted to his sisters. His ankle injury tests his independence, but his sisterly support network keeps his business prospects alive.
• Laura Scollard: A thirteen-year-old musical talent who craves artistic expression. Impatient and sensitive, her artistic potential is realized when her playing attracts the mentorship of Herr Lieder, leading her toward European study.
• Mrs. Jones-Dexter: A sharp-tongued, wealthy older woman who hides deep tenderness under a prickly exterior. Desiring companionship for her frail granddaughter Serena, she evolves from a severe customer into a generous ally of the Scollard household.
• Miss Keren-happuch Bradbury: A wealthy, independent older relative with a dry wit and sharp judgment. She wants to see the Scollard children succeed through honest effort, ultimately acting as their financial savior by moving them out of their small flat.

In Its Own Voice

"Formosa Oolong," she said severely. "I hope that you are sure there's no green tea in it!"

Mrs. Jones-Dexter delivers her first imperious order to Happie inside the newly opened tea room.

"No one can safely talk secrets in a flat, and no one can brew secret potions, for good intent or ill, in the most distant end of their elongated connections."

The narrator reflects on the close quarters of the Scollard household, nicknamed "the Patty-Pans."

"All these years, more than five, my girl, ever since your widowhood, I have watched you cheerfully, unflaggingly working for your children, teaching them, putting under foot and out of sight your own sorrow and weariness of body and mind."

Miss Keren-happuch Bradbury offers Charlotte Scollard a restful future in a new home.

What It's Really About

Beneath its cozy domestic narrative, the novel explores the dignity of youth-driven labor and the true nature of gentlefolk. It argues that a home's worth is measured by mutual devotion rather than wealth, showing how financial hardship can be transformed into a source of moral strength. The story questions rigid social hierarchies, placing honest work and loyalty above artificial social standings. It also touches on the healing power of reconciliation, demonstrating how small, everyday kindnesses within a community can untangle old personal tragedies and unite isolated lives.

Why Read It Today

Six Girls and the Tea Room will charm readers who appreciate classic turn-of-the-century domestic fiction like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. It offers an uplifting, comfortable atmosphere filled with wholesome family humor, snowy New York winters, and the satisfaction of cooperative work. Reading it feels like stepping into a bygone world of parlor games, hot tea, homemade fudge, and unconditional sibling loyalty.

Modern readers should be prepared for its unapologetic sentimentality, leisurely pace, and late-Victorian domestic ideals. The characters speak with formal, polished mannerisms, and the plot relies on fortunate coincidences—such as sudden reunions and unexpected inheritances—that reflect the optimism of early 1900s juvenile literature. Yet, the story's core warmth, sharp comedic dialogue, and genuine celebration of female independence and family unity make it a comforting, thoroughly enjoyable retreat.