"Why the Milkman Shudders When he Perceives the Dawn" by Lord Dunsany

Beaver hats would have been most in vogue in the early 19th century, coming primarily from the New World, where beavers were still around in large numbers but were barely still existent in the Old World.

Work smocks would have been a thing primarily in the 18th century.

The Stuarts, as monarchs of the entirety of the British Isles, would have been roughly the whole of 17th century.

recondite: little known; abstruse

To follow along: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/13821/13821-h/13821-h.htm#milkman