Society as I Have Found It

The author recounts a lifetime of observations and anecdotes about fashionable society, travel, and entertaining, describing European seasons and American social scenes, the organization and etiquette of balls, dinners, and picnics, and practical advice on hosting, menus, wines, and introductions. Interwoven are reminiscences of country estates, carriage-driving fads, club-like social institutions, and the tastes and manners of hosts and guests, with reflections on how social standing is negotiated through hospitality, appearances, and ceremonies. The tone alternates between reminiscence, practical guidance, and humorous anecdote.