Set in the New York of the 1840s, and 50s, and 60s, and and 70s, the four short novels in this collection each reveal the tribal codes and customs that ruled society, portrayed with the keen style that is uniquely Edith Wharton and s. Originally published in 1924 and long out of print, these tales are vintage Wharton, dealing boldly with such themes as infidelity, illegitimacy, jealousy, the class system, and the condition of women in society Included in this remarkable quartet are False Dawn, The Old Maid, The Spark, and New Year and s Day.