The Gilded Age sparkles and stings in this witty collection from the era's most fashionable chronicler. Richard Harding Davis, whose society sketches defined New York high life for a generation, reimagines Cinderella among the staff of the Hotel Salisbury, where bellhops and housekeepers dream of one night when the ordinary becomes extraordinary, when class boundaries briefly blur at the annual ball. Davis captures aspirations, hidden romances, and the irrepressible human desire to be seen for more than one's station. His social comedy blends humor with genuine heart, satire with romantic warmth - tales where a bellhop might possess more genuine nobility than the guests he serves. These are lightweight entertainments, yes, but ones that puncture pretension with grace and remind us that the desire to transcend one's circumstances is as old as storytelling itself.
