In Autumn, Chapter 1, Claudia and her sister, Frieda, meet their family's newest boarder, Henry Washington. Accordingly, Henry used to board with Della Jones on Thirteenth Street. However, Della's senility has made it difficult for her to maintain her rental responsibilities; this is why Henry has had to move.
As described, Henry is an unmarried man who is sensible and a 'steady worker with quiet ways.' The girls' mother hopes that Henry will work...
In Autumn, Chapter 1, Claudia and her sister, Frieda, meet their family's newest boarder, Henry Washington. Accordingly, Henry used to board with Della Jones on Thirteenth Street. However, Della's senility has made it difficult for her to maintain her rental responsibilities; this is why Henry has had to move.
As described, Henry is an unmarried man who is sensible and a 'steady worker with quiet ways.' The girls' mother hopes that Henry will work out well at their place. Henry arrives on a Saturday night, and the girls, curious about their new renter, lose no time in assessing the character of this newcomer.
Among other things, Claudia notices that he smells nice, like 'trees and lemon vanishing cream, and Nu Nile Hair Oil and flecks of Sen Sen.' Sen Sen is a type of breath freshener, popular in the 70s and 80s, especially among men.
When men were men, the choice was Sen Sen.
Claudia and her sister are pleasantly surprised when Henry addresses them in a friendly manner. He disarms them by calling them Greta Garbo and Ginger Rogers, the names of two well known, beautiful actresses. Henry further endears himself to the girls when he performs a magic coin trick for them. Claudia tells us that they loved him, and that despite what came later, there was no bitterness in their memories of him.
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