Beauty of the Fifties: Memoirs of Madame Clay of Alabama, Describing Social and Political Life in Washington and the Southern States, 1853-1866. Presented in Short Story Form by Eda Sterling, tells the story of an influential Southern woman who moves to Washington in middle of the 19th century. The reader is transported under the blindfold to the luxurious balls and intrigues of political circles, seen through the eyes of a special witness and participant of the events. The events described create an interesting sketch of the history of the time, where Madame Clay's involvement in the key events is reproduced with an exceptional feminine sharpness and feeling.