Peterson's Magazine, Vol. 49

# Peterson's Magazine, January 1866

Peterson's Magazine for January 1866 (Volume 49) contains fiction, poetry, practical needlework instruction, fashion plates, and steel engravings. The lead serial is "Mrs. Petroleum's New-Year's Party," a satirical story about newly wealthy oil magnates hosting an elaborate ball on Fifth Avenue; it features extensive social commentary on the newly rich attempting to establish fashionable standing. "The Soldier's Orphans" by Ann S. Stephens runs across multiple issues. Other fiction includes "A Second Wife's Story" by Louise Chandler Moulton, works by Frank Lee Benedict, and stories by T. S. Arthur and Clara Augusta. The bulk of the magazine comprises detailed illustrated instructions for needlework: crochet projects, knitting patterns, embroidery designs, and fashion diagrams by Mrs. Jane Weaver and Emily H. May. Monthly colored fashion plates depict ladies' and children's garments. Poetry contributors include Josephine Pollard and various period poets addressing themes of love, memory, and mortality. The issue also includes music scores and book reviews.