About the Book
LETTER I First Impressions of New York LETTER II The Family Dinner LETTER III Jonathan visits the Express Office LETTER IV The Political Meeting and its Disasters. LETTER V A Little of Jonathan's Private Love Affairs. LETTER VI Jonathan's Opinions of Ministerial Interference-A Card of Invitation, and an Evening Party at Cousin Beebe's, in which Jonathan makes some Mistakes and a Lady Acquaintance. LETTER VII Scenes in Broadway LETTER VIII The Morning Call-A Coquette's Dressing Room. LETTER IX A New York Parvenuc LETTER X New-Year's Calls-A real Yankee's New-Year's Treat of Dough-nuts and Cider-Jonathan's ideas of the real difference between a real lady's House and Furniture and the House of a stuck-up Parvenu LETTER XI Visit to the Park Theatre-First Impressions of the Poetry of Motion, as written on the air, in the aerial feats of Mademoiselle Celeste LETTER XII Jonathan receives an Invitation to a Fancy Ball-Dilemma about the Dress-Choice of a Character LETTER XIII Jonathan Slick and the Grand Fancy LETTER XIV Advice to Jonathan from the Humstead-Jonathan's criticism on his Brother Sam's book LETTER XV Jonathan visits the Milliner girl-Reflections about her situation. LETTER XVI In which Jonathan shows up the Hardships of Sewing Girls LETTER XVII Jonathan gets Ill and Homesick-Resists all entreaties to go to Washington, and resolves on going back to "the Humstead" with Captain Doolittle. LETTER XVIII Jonathan puts up at the Astor House Jonathan's Ideas of a New York Cab, and the usual quarrel of a Stranger with CabmenLETTER XIX A live Yankee and the Parisian Danseuse LETTER XX Jonathan goes to the Express Office-His Opinion of Zeke Jones and the "Brother Jonathan" Newspaper-Explains his Absence, and enters into a new Agreement with the Editors. LETTER XXI Jonathan Visits Mr. Hogg's Garden and gets a Bouquet LETTER XXII Jonathan gives a Description of the Theatre -Jonathan mistakes Williams in his Comic Song of "Old Maids and Old Bachelors to Sell," for an Auctioneer who is knocking off "La Belle Fanny," to the Highest Bidder LETTER XXIII Jonathan gets out of love with Fanny Elsslerf LETTER XXIV Description of Cousin Jason's Equipage-Figure cut by Mrs. Jason Slick and her Daughter-Manners of a Noble Lord-The Dinner-Jason boasts of his Birth, Heraldry, and Coat of Arms-Jonathan creates great Consternation by proclaiming the Head of the Family as a Shoemaker-Makes a Speech. LETTER XXV Jonathan rides to Mill-The Millerite Excitement-His Marm waits for the World to come to an End-Letter from New York-The old White Horse. LETTER XXVI Jonathan arrives in New York-Travels on the Deacon's Mare-Has Trouble with the Colt-Embarks from Peck Slip, on Capt. Doolittle's Sloop, to meet the President-His Introduction-Jonathan's Idea of the Cold Collation-The Reception-Landing at Castle Garden-Review of the Troops-The Procession LETTER XXVII Jonathan attends the President at the Howard House-Visits the Park Theatre with the President and his Handsome Girl-Goes with Mr. Robert Tyler to have his Hair Cut at Clairhugh's-Takes Refreshments with the Ladies at the Howard House-Bed-chamber Scene with the President-Serenade LETTER XXVIII Jonathan goes to see Mr. Macready-Description of the Theatre-Introduces himself to a Handsome Girl at the Theatre-Enters into a Flirtation-Promises to Visit her-Jonathan takes a Novel Method of providing himself with a Fashionable Dress-Quarrels with Captain Doolittle-Is reconciled, and starts off to make a Morning Call on the Handsome Girl. LETTER XXIX Jonathan Visits the Handsome Girl-Describes a Gambling-House in the Morning before it is put to rights-Visits the Lady's Boudoir-Describes the Furniture, the Lady, her Dress, and Conversation-Is Interrupted by the Gentleman of the House-And leaves with a promise to return and escort Miss Sneers to Mad. Castellan's Concert. LETTER XXX The Gambling House-Jonathan is taken in with Cards.
About the Author :
Ann S. Stephens has the distinction of having been the author of Dime Novel No. 1. With two or three other dime novelists, she had her name included in the biographical dictionaries, an honor rarely conferred upon the lesser writers of her day. Ann Sophia Winterbotham was born in Derby, Connecticut, in 1813, the daughter of John Winterbotham, a manufacturer of woolen goods. She was educated at a dame's school and at South Britain, Connecticut. In 1831 she was married to Edward Stephens, a newspaper man of Plymouth, Massachusetts. They went to Portland, Maine, where her husband, in 1835, published the Portland Magazine of which she became editor. She also contributed to it poems, sketches, and historical tales. In 1837 the Stephens moved to New York City where she accepted the editorship of the Ladies' Companion, a position she held for four years. Her husband meanwhile had obtained work in the Custom House. Her first long novel was entitled "Fashion and Famine," and was published in 1854. Among her writings, thirty-two of which are listed by Allibone, the most famous, doubtless, is "The Old Homestead," originally published in New York in 1855 and reprinted in numerous editions, but most widely known from its dramatization by George L. Aiken (another dime novelist) in 1856, and especially from its stage revival during the 1880's and 1890's by Denman Thompson. "Malaeska," the first of the Beadle Dime Novels, was issued in June, 1860, but it had previously appeared as a serial in The Ladies' Companion. Beside her novels, Mrs. Stephens wrote a "Ladies' Complete Guide to Crochet, Fancy Knitting and Needlework" in 1854, a "Portfolio of Fancy Needlework" in 1855, and a "Pictorial History of the War for the Union" in two volumes, in 1865. She also wrote a number of humorous works, the best known being an imitation of Haliburton's "Sam Slick, the Clockmaker," and entitled "High Life in New York, by Jonathan Slick, of Weathersfield, Conn." This was published in 1854, and gives the experiences of a down-east Yankee in New York City. A uniform edition of her works in fourteen volumes appeared from the press of T. B. Peterson and Brother, in Philadelphia, in 1869, and a new edition in twenty-three volumes in 1886.
