The Craze of Christina

Museum Catalog Note "The Craze of Christina" by Mrs. Emily Lovett Cameron, published by Street & Smith in 1899, follows Mark Clifford, a struggling journalist unexpectedly inheriting his estranged uncle's estate worth £8,000 annually and the grand house Esselton Hall. The inheritance comes encumbered with exacting conditions: Clifford must retain his uncle's butler Docker for life, cannot marry for three years, and cannot leave the property for more than a week. Violations incur severe financial penalties. The narrative, rendered in Victorian domestic comedy style, centers on Clifford's frustration with these constraints, particularly his contempt for the implacable Docker, whose rigid adherence to the will's terms and withering disapproval torment the young heir. The opening presents Clifford's initial despair as Docker insists he begin expensive renovations to the decaying Esselton Hall immediately, beginning his three-year confinement.