Book excerpt: Baltimore's Halcyon Days chronicles Baltimore's social elite, their homes, and their lifestyle from the dawn of the Republic to the demise of the fingerbowl. Long and widely renowned as an enclave of good taste and culture, Baltimore has from its inception offered a good life to those who could afford it. From hunt cups to hatpins and terrapins to tophats, Baltimoreans were connoisseurs of the best. When life was their oyster, they knew the best way to have it served.