Cinderella, and Other Stories

In Short

This volume brings together several narratives—including the title piece, "Cinderella," and the sprawling "The Reporter who Made Himself King"—that explore the intersections of class, ambition, and international intrigue. Whether set in the bustling hotels of New York City or on a remote Pacific island, these stories examine how ordinary individuals attempt to assert control over their destinies. The collection has endured as a vibrant snapshot of the Gilded Age, defined by a brisk, journalistic observational style that prizes quick wit and a keen eye for social irony.

The Story

The collection opens with "Cinderella," where Van Bibber, a man of leisure, encounters a remarkable chambermaid named Annie Crehan at a hotel ball. Struck by her natural grace and dancing ability, he and his circle attempt to catapult her onto the professional stage, only to encounter the guarded, protective skepticism of her partner, an elevator operator. This story sets a recurring theme: the well-intentioned but often intrusive interference of the privileged into the lives of the working class.

"Miss Delamar’s Understudy" presents a satirical look at the anxieties of matrimony. Stuart, a bachelor who prides himself on his intellectual independence and wide-ranging curiosities, marries a woman he calls "the Picture." Soon, however, he struggles with the domestic boredom of their life, feeling that he must perform a role rather than share a genuine existence. He finds himself longing for the excitement of his former bachelor habits, eventually realizing that the constraints of his own expectations have stifled the connection he sought.

"The Editor's Story" follows a group of journalists who become obsessed with a persistent plagiarist named Edwin Aram. Aram sends in stolen poems to their magazine, providing increasingly absurd addresses that lead the staff on a chase through the city. When they finally confront him, he remains strangely unrepentant, viewing his deception not as a moral failure but as a clever game. The editors are left to reconcile their righteous indignation with the realization that they have been outmaneuvered by a man who possesses no shame.

"An Assisted Emigrant" offers a more somber tone, tracking a young Italian boy named Guido who is sent to New York to support himself. Finding no buyers for his modest collection of plaster religious figurines, Guido eventually finds himself back on a ship headed for home, comforted by a sympathetic engineer who treats his religious icon as a good-luck charm.

Finally, "The Reporter who Made Himself King" provides the most ambitious narrative. Gordon, an American correspondent, finds himself on the island of Opeki, where he becomes embroiled in local politics and the threat of German colonial annexation. He attempts to manage the island’s affairs, even engineering a short-lived "kingship" for himself to protect the local monarch. However, the chaos of his reporting—exacerbated by a home office hungry for sensationalist headlines about massacres and explosions that never actually occurred—exposes the distorting power of the press. Gordon’s grand attempt to play the hero ends with him realizing that the real story is whatever the public in the United States wants to believe, regardless of the truth.

How It Unfolds

The ballroom encounter Van Bibber spots a chambermaid whose elegance outshines the guests, prompting him to intervene in her quiet life. His efforts to "promote" her reveal a fundamental disconnect between his generous intentions and the reality of her social standing.

The marital performance Stuart attempts to mold his new wife into an idealized companion, only to find the reality of marriage less stimulating than his solitary interests. He ultimately confronts the hollow, performative nature of his own expectations.

The hunt for the plagiarist The editorial team tracks down an elusive poet who uses fake addresses to hide his thefts. The confrontation reveals the absurdity of the editors’ self-importance when faced with a man who considers his dishonest work a trivial matter.

The exile of the immigrant Guido struggles to survive in a harsh, indifferent winter city. His failure to integrate leads to a bittersweet return, highlighting the vast distance between his simple origins and the demands of the New World.

The accidental monarchy Gordon attempts to act as a diplomat on a remote island to thwart imperial encroachment. His efforts are undone when his own newspaper’s demand for sensational news turns his small-scale political maneuverings into a national media farce.

The People

Van Bibber acts as the prototypical observer of the era, possessing the means to help others but often lacking the foresight to see how his interference affects their dignity. Annie Crehan, the "Cinderella," is defined by her quiet pride and the genuine talent that marks her as an anomaly in her station. Stuart, the husband, is a man of vast, disconnected knowledge who discovers that his desire for a "perfect" domestic life is incompatible with his own restless, selfish nature. The plagiarist Edwin Aram is a fascinating, slippery figure who thrives on the editors' desire for a villain, making him an emblem of the era's cynicism. Finally, Gordon is a man of action whose desire to influence world events is ultimately hollowed out by the commercial demands of his own profession.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the social fluidity of the hotel staff during their annual celebration:

"In the flutter of preparation all ranks were temporarily levelled, and social barriers taken down with the mutual consent of those separated by them."

Reflecting on the stifling nature of a life that must be performed for one's spouse:

"He thought of several things he might say, but he argued that it was an impossible situation where a man had to make conversation with his own wife."

Regarding the moral disconnect of the plagiarist who views his theft as a business enterprise:

"I don't say, mind you, that I ever took anybody's verses and sent them to a paper as my own, but I ask you, as one gentleman talking to another, and inquiring for information, what is there wrong in doing it?"

What It's Really About

These stories function as an investigation into the nature of performance. Whether it is a chambermaid learning a "high society" dance, a man trying to play the part of a satisfied husband, or a journalist manufacturing a political crisis to satisfy an editor’s deadline, the characters are perpetually negotiating the distance between who they are and who they are expected to be. The collection argues that the modern individual is trapped in a web of public perception, where truth is often sacrificed for the sake of a better narrative. It raises the question of whether a person can ever truly exist outside of the roles assigned to them by their class, their profession, or the media.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the brisk, observational prose of the late Victorian and early Edwardian periods will find much to admire here. There is a distinct, rhythmic quality to the writing that makes the transition from the snow-covered streets of New York to the palms of a Pacific island feel seamless. You will likely feel a sense of recognition at the portrayal of the media’s hunger for sensation, as Gordon’s frustration with his "night editor" echoes the modern challenges of a news cycle that prioritizes headlines over accuracy.

However, a modern reader should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes embedded in the text. The stories reflect a time when colonialism and class superiority were often taken for granted, and the descriptions of the islanders and the "assisted" immigrant carry the biases common to the author’s background. These elements can feel jarring or patronizing to a contemporary sensibility. Despite this, the book remains a valuable artifact of its time, capturing the restless, ambitious, and often cynical spirit of a world that felt it was changing faster than it could comprehend. It is an ideal read for those interested in the history of the short story as a tool for social commentary.