Tea at Trianon: A Shop of Pure Enchantment

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

A Shop of Pure Enchantment

Christmas shopping is a chore which I usually put off until the last minute. I have a large family, five brothers and sisters, and unless someone specifically asks for something in particular, I am never sure what to get for everyone. This year I was determined to start the process early, and since I happened to be in Maryland for Thanksgiving, I decided to venture over to Buckeystown where one of my oldest and dearest friends has a shop. With the economy in shambles, my husband and I make it a policy to patronize small businesses. Visiting my friend Virgina's shop, Chartreuse and Company, ended up being a decision which benefited me perhaps more than it did her. It ended up being a one stop shopping trip, due to the great bargains and creative and varied merchandise. I was able to find something for everyone.

Chartreuse and Company has a little of everything, including antiques, religious statues, objets d'art, china, greeting cards, floral arrangements, linens and furniture. Hot coffee is usually served. Virginia's house and farm, known as "Clifton-on-the-Monocacy"on Buckeystown Pike, has been in her family for generations; the main shop is in one of the restored barns. It is like walking into a magical cottage in a fairy tale.

Next weekend, Chartreuse and Company is offering a special tag sale, so if any readers of Tea at Trianon who live in the Washington, D.C. area happen to be in Frederick County, it will be worth your while to stop by the shop. Sometimes the main house is open, which is inspirational to anyone interested in historic sites.

Buckeystown is right outside of Frederick, Maryland, worthy of a day trip in itself, especially during Advent and Christmas, for the many wonderful stores, restaurants and historic homes. Not to mention the shrines of Our Lady and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton that are also close at hand.