The Colonel and Mrs Moulton

The heiress, Mrs Moulton, was described in the newspapers as the daughter of a rich American piano maker. She moved to Paris the 1840’s, where she sought acceptance and notability. She aspired to hold soirees and fetes that all the most important people would attend and asked a Madame Lemercier and Colonel Thorn for assistance in making her entrance into society.

Reluctantly, they agreed to help her under certain conditions. Essentially she was not able to invite anyone to her first soiree herself, and had to do exactly what she was told by Madame D’Appony, Madame de Bethune and others. The whole business sounds like the extremes of snobbery, but it was a price she was prepared to pay to gain acceptance in Paris.

Her first ball was a resounding success, but according to the newspaper report, no one noticed or acknowledged her as the host.

I apologise for the blurry text, but it’s worth reading. Especially the final anecdote about the valet’s faux pas.