IN 1805 JAMES and his son Daniel decided to hold a weekly “family” entertainment, at which all of the nuclear family were expected to play their parts. Everyone was to contribute a written piece, in ...any form—letter, essay, poetry, lecture, or short story. Collectively, these pieces were addressed both to the other family members and to their descendants, with the intention, they said, of helping them create their own happy families.¹ Once these papers were bound, they called this year-long project their “Domestic Bagatelles.” These bagatelles provide a rare glimpse into early nineteenth-century family life.
“Bagatelles” possessed a privileged
