Washington as a Diplomatic Post in European Eyes

A Washington Winter
by Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren
1883

"…Washington is rated as at the foot of the diplomatic ladder by European governments. Goslings are sent here to learn to quack and try their wings, and crude tyros to make a beginning."

Spectacles

A Washington Winter
by Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren
1883

"Coming from Massachusetts, of course he wore spectacles…"

A Washington Season in 1883

A Washington Winter
by Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren
1883

Page 111: "A Washington season may be said to commence on New Year's Day, and to terminate with Ash Wednesday. This interval usually includes about two months' space of time, in which a series of gayeties engage the entire attention of society people; but with the setting-in of Lent, Catholics and Episcopalians withdraw more or less from the world, and their number is large enough to exercise decided influence over society movements, if not to control them."

A Washington Winter - Reconstruction

The author places the blame for the carpetbaggers of reconstruction squarely on the shoulders of Southerners themselves: "The close of the war found the leading families of the South sullen, discontented with the inevitable new status, and mourning over the Lost Cause. They disdained politics; and, in place of trying to gain political control of the seceded States, they held aloof in stolid contempt. This was, perhaps, not to be wondered at, in view of the violent revulsion of all their cherished hopes and feelings; but it was senseless and unwise. It gave the opportunity to strangers, men who sought the South as adventurers, to get control of local interests."

I can well imagine how this paragraph would have been received by those who lived and suffered in the south, especially Virginia, during the American civil war! I can hear the outraged voices rising in protest. I wonder if Thomas Nelson Page, a Virginia writer of the same period, wrote anything about this book? Or Sara Pryor, or Constance Cary Harrison, or later, Ellen Glasgow?

Novels Set in Washington DC

In my continuing quest for Washington society novels, I have discovered a wonderful list of novels set in Washington. Many, although not all, of the 19th century novels on the list are available for download at Google Books. Meanwhile, I continue reading A Washington Winter.

Washington Society 1883 - Visiting Days

A Washington Winter
By Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren
1883

"Monday is the reception-day of the wives of the Justices of the Supreme Court. Tuesday is a day selected by many in society to receive. Wednesday is Cabinet Day. Thursday is Senators' Day. " Mrs. Wilton proposes to receive on Friday from three until six, "for on this day most of the old families of Washington receive their friends. Each Saturday evening I propose to hold a conversazione."

A Washington Winter by Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren

I've been collecting digital books again. I began by searching for novels by Constance Cary Harrison, one of the Virginia-born novelists I enjoy. Then I got sidetracked by the idea of searching for Washington society novels. I have found several titles which sound promising, one in particular called A Washington Winter by Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren. Much to my surprise, there seems to be a body of 19th century novels set in Washington. A Washington Winter was published in 1883, and I would bet that Betty Herndon Maury read it. She was living in Washington at the time. I would love to know what she thought about it. Oh, for a discovery of a collection of letters by Betty!