Dorothy Payne, Quakeress: A Side-Light Upon the Career of 'Dolly' Madison

The narrative follows a woman born Dorothy Payne from a Quaker childhood in rural plantation communities through marriage, widowhood, and years as a celebrated hostess in the national capital. It describes how she cultivated friendships with successive presidents and leading statesmen and helped shape social life around the executive mansion. The account highlights episodes of patriotic service, social diplomacy, and efforts to preserve art and furnishings connected with official life, then traces quieter final years. Organized chronologically, the work draws on letters, Friends meeting records, portraits, and family recollections to reconstruct personal character and public role.