OUR PARIS LETTER.

Southland Times, Issue 3027, 11 March 1878, Page 2

OUR PARIS LETTER.

LADIES. PARIS, Jamtaby 19th. The boys have gone back to school to tb. joy of parents who will not be less happy whei they return ; the nursery is no longer a wr^ck strewn with the debris of toys and smaihec bon bon boxes ; the doctors bills hare beei settled for treating ju»enile gastric fevers; the heusehold, in a woH, has become as orderly as if tranquillity had been guaranteed b; a Napoleon 111. or a de Broglie ministry From the 20th December to the Twelfth nigh and succeeding seven dayi, the heads of families lose their heads ; the proipect of a eouj d'Efcat could not more unstring the nerves these laying in of stocks of toys, and of sweet meats, of preparing heavy dinners for adults and special routs for youngsters ; the noces sity to visit people you dislike, and to receivt persons you abhor, under the penalty of beinj ranked as a Basbi-bazouk or a missionary Cossack ; the having to distribute gifts ii kind or in cash, and to stoop to the ignc miny of accepting something like plunde from esteemed friends, and then to be askec to believe that all this constitutes happines and upholds civilisation, is but adding iDsul to injury, and sufficient to make one grin lik Voltaire or envy the solitude of Bobinsoi Crusoe before his marriage de raison with hi man Vendredi. An. affectionate son waylay you in a corridor, or behind a door, and fire, off hi*! drawing-room rifle, which gives you i cold shiver for a minute and a headache to sixty more; then the demands fo holp for wounded dolls, and clamor ings to make the artistes of i Marionette theatre observe all the rules o art ; from such domestic delights one wouli be almost tempted to be delivered, followin; a Litany response. During January, every body appears to be so polite, amiable, »nc attentive, that Paris has the air of resemblinj a little heaven below. What illusion, what i whitened sepulchre ; it is the moment whei i he tongues of Lady Teazles solve the prob lem of perpetual motion, and like the news papers, make their reviews of the dead years scandels, while discounting plenty in advance Ihe New Year exacts novelties ; well thei place to the gallant municipal Council o j'aris, a most maligned body, as they are ac cused of disbelieving in Henri V. anc Napoleon IV., now they have resolved t< replace the nnmes of those streets, honored— or dishonored— by 'the men of the Cou] d 1 Ktat,' by the names of bodies distinguishe< for their talents, virtue, domestic accomplish ments, and patriotism. Thus Paris will really become the ' paradise for women,' us thi Americans boast. Let no one say hencefortl in presence of a lady, that the city aldermei and councillors are red republicans ; that the; are ' radioes' I verily believe, after this display of sympathy with women's rights What is a me de Morny, in comparison witl ame d'Seloise or avenue de I/ucrece ; then is a street baptised Helene, but it is afte Offenbach's, not Troy's fatal beauty. Wehavi of course, the place Jeanne d'Arc, as a set of to the avenue Maldkoff, but if Amazoniam e^er be requi>ed, they can be forthcoming ir Maids of Saragoasa or Jeannes de VHachetti there aro cynics who take another view of th< baptismal honors destined for our sex ; thej obeerre it is to put us in a pillory, einco on< of the council is a gentleman — I beg pardonis a horrible creature, who hopes to be elected an Academician on account of his strong writings against blue stocking*, and who counts upon the advocacy and support ol that dramatic enemy of our sex, Alexandra Dumas. Is woman behind the age ? TSo for ladies positively young and fair, are adopting the excellent example of many young gentlemen, who, graduates of the Universities, give free lectures on special branches of knowledge, wherever two or three workmen may be gathered together after their day's labor. The ladies who thus volunteer to instruct their less fortunate sisters, seek the latter in the large work-rooms, and instruot I hem in technical and artistic matters belonging to their profession, and often rescue a flower born to blußh unseen, and saving it from wasting its sweetness en the desert air. By family and fortune, by their youth and beauty, these red-cross ladies of the battlefields of social life, have no occasion to seek notoriety in order to secure husbands ; their parents or friends will provide them with such when they deem the moment suitable. They are only briefless barristers and ex-political servants that invade Dorcas meetings and charitable committees composed of ladies, who combine fortune-hunting with philanthropy, and that ladies themselves are combining to eject. There is one evil however, against which we cannot struggle — the Clubs. We do all in our power to retain our lords or masters, or both, at home. We prepare^ the most cozy dinners, securo the finest wines, and mineral waters enough to make a battery against Krupp cannons, yet the Club dinner out attracts us ; even a hop party at which a Quaker might and supply a collection of saure bottles open the quadrille, and where the most fascinating ladies arrive to do -wall-lower duty, can hardly secure the attendance of paterfamilias, and as for securing eligible young gentlemen, why we mutt soon enter into negotiations with the matter-of-fact wife of a leading draper, who comman '■» the shopmen to attend her parties as partners for the dances, paving them in addition for their: thus working over hours. This social evil has become worse, Binoa clubs publish their, menus of dejeuners and dinners, competing thus like the proprietors of a patent medicine. 1 or rival photographists. A few jean ago, five o'clock teas were fashionable, now the hour has been postponed till nine, and terminates on the stroke of midnight jsometimef

terim, and no fnifc dress it rtqiriwd, o^whitf amounts to the same thing, a ii|lv, wijl jiofc loss caste if she appears in a«.&gh bi&bd toilette, no* a gentleman be bla<&|Wedjj|phe arrives in a frock cojifc Wiokea^pgriei||y, tM» arraß||<rawnfe iiiinteisdejl forj~rf|j&slations, and i*. a d^lopzaenfeloifiK^«#ihnet. leaving th^ftrigin'of the senalbftrhlriovation to the|meteptif«ieUns to discover, these gatherings are exceedingly agreeable, and abore all, free from fatigue and ' starch.' — To descend to fashionable argot. I met an old lady the . other evening, who, in reply to an observation that chilblains and chapped hands are very general this season, and prove rebellions against every form of cold cream aad salve, remarked that she noted this endemic daring years of war. It may be that the evening of her life gives ha mystical Jore,jwUk,iiMlflij - another added to the stock olafflietfona that neutrals have to bear while tfyeißitfssiansfaw. oivilising the Turks. There U^notherillnega tfrat never fail* to araw. jiv^a'TTnrulmS"" I)oxe8, no matter wlfether 'mankind ba at peace or war, I refer fer inftaen**r~ft°irTor punctual as velvet dresses and ermine muffs; but it is a preventable affection, as thanks to it we can decline an invitation to a stalled ox banquet a»d hatred, and envying oar dinner of herbs and 1 f ef It is what in the di loraatio worli is named s. ' presentable sicknes< ' In Franco it resist*! all visitors, bat creditors and. tax collectors^/ Before respirators came into fashion, to make* us resemble the harlequins of Italian-jianW-mines, French ladi s never went out unless^ masked. Turkish women dp not softer from coryza, tho elegant name for a qojtdin tjfo^ bead— and when Qajejen, Afaj-gujntp'. Ifhrejnr that kind of physio ,to the, iftogaV, il #**^: ' °^ jwimiringher beautiful. f eatures sjten»rroyjy e-caped beipg grilled like * £?t \ laurence. Mdlle. Thiers is 'dowa ' frpm.tho,mea»Jeo, and whispering tonguei allege she caught the malady from one; of .the .many lexers of condolences sent her. A Frenoh song says that nothing is sacrod with aaapeur, as ft lady in this country will quickly find if she engages a good cooking cook, 'who will receive the bi-weekly visits of thirty one cousins, almost a battalion,. from the nearest barracks. Well, there has been brought but within the"'* last few days, one of those? puzsfleV or quefe. tions. where a card,ornamented with a *eotion of a cemetery, invites yetr-for two sous, to discover Monsieur Thiers, whose death. pqr«, trait, ' with spectacle/ is a Silhouette. A. sfj Baspail who died the other day, does alab I dafcy in a similar aaanner ;he_repo.Bea^on\*. death-bed, •urroundfld;: jrith'PypwsM, .and cherubim and seraphim in the form of beatified attvriers. Not many ladies attended the memorial mats at the Madelenie for the repose of* poor Yictor-HmmarmePs tool — for-ovoß-monarchs have want o^tlfese posthumous aids to salvation. The fact is r j; the mass was a political tribute of JPranpe to Italy, for the latter is being courtedatre«beby this country - and Germany, and though the^uli have the attractiveness, the -Tuetons can make the more substantial marriage fjettitomeßt; Lad£e| : do not cue much for po?kics.nnJes«jninipt€r| surpass one another in giving- fealis-and receptions. Talljrand'i advise to diplomabut* was, ' Give good dinners and keep well with the ladies.' ISovr we do nob presume to know all the tweedledee and tweedledum differences between a kingdom,** empire, and a republic, but for us the best form of government is that, which gives most bails, It is raid that as soon as ministers have completed the task of undoing all that their pred«c«»sor»didr—jrbich. seems to be the Penelope task of all French administrators, the gaieties they will give will surpass all the marvels of that kind by which Baron Hausmaun and the Duo de Morny dazed and dazzled foreigners. A note of over due official fetes is registered on many elegant carnets. Why, for example is M. Krantz, the commander and chief of the Exhibition, in arrears? he has never given a scrap party even since his nomination. To be. sure his palace is very beautiful, at least the Froeodero half is, for the ' couple ' of buildings remind you of the union of a very plain husband and a very handsome wife. There is no mud, or not so mucb,about the grounds, the gardeners are decorating the exterior, and sculptors and artists the interior ; the police are on duty, and foreign soldiers on guard, but an avant ball by the Commissioner would not be out of place. The present would be a capital moment to begin, as it is the season for fancy balls.and biiarre costumes might represent the ordinary toilettes of all nations. The charm of a masked ball is.that it partakes a little of the forbidden fruit, where each invited competes to be remarked, and where only the t v«ry witty be* come the observed of all observers. For such a mixed society nothing is to difficult to select as a suitable toilette. .French ladies, who never make an error in ordinary wardrobe glories, *re hew i btojgh^to,a,at»ndstilL The safest course to pursuer it to place yourself unreservedly in the hands ot a dressmaker whose speciality is, tcprapare Jiueens ,and shepherdesses, paj/sames and gipaes^ . She will get you up regardless of expense, whether you give her that authority or not. In the provinces ladies club together and bring down a leading marchand* • r de9roh99 t >iyiith.'<i\a.ee staff, her books of drawings,>and her stuffs ; The more anachronic aad- strange fancy balls are, the more they are beautiful and successful. Actuality cuts a good figure. A heathen Chinee, a dashing Greek, a bespangled 1 urk, fisher girls of all cotmtries, and personages from mythology and. history. The best models to study are actresses, for a Masked^ hallos only a theatre,a stage, where aU th« speyators are performers. The prevailing ..fashion .for boots and shoes can tie made to do duty in the eccentricities of carnival. Thus half* boots and shoes for evemßg parties, are trimmed with flowing bows of ribbon, choice lace, Rhine pebbles*AafiLeven precious stones, while for out door wear,itlw, heels of boots have galvanised metal tips, raggestive of 1 frosting* during froeen road*.: .Pockets have disappeared, the better to return. In the pinoesse robe that neoeuaire if disguised by a 'bias intricacy } but the 'latest, novelty is to aave the pocket in the labU«r, and a very convenient plan it is into the bargain. A new sna'. c bracelet has appeared. . . Jft oomists of numerous coils, which enehcle the arm,and looks effective when >tK»' short : Ae^relof a ball dress, terminating at the elbow, is continued open like, nearly to the wrisfc. For the princesse robe the sleeves musfcl>e flat. White faille, veiled with gauze is much in vogue for ball toilettes. Corsage decollete, with a bouquet, and a pouff'cf similar flowers im the hair, a rose ribbon with % gold medaillon '' at the, neck, and demilong glbvet.* Vigogne , silk aad woollen* are the most favorite materials for promenade dresses,' and clotK of f % sombre shade is preferred for paletots. The knitted silk dress is becoming- a favorite, as nrigH4 be expected from its fitting QxefigateJ&gnaAfully. It is embroideßedwfth ooJofiscl flowew, and drapes as gracefully tv the princess polonaise. For trimming an elegant' toilette Pompadour lac© is the mod^i'Meli as the duchesse cleeve. Ther» is up, c^nge. in, bato. The capote is monopolised liy ybunganff wr features,and is made in black roV^lue velvet, white felt, blue plush, or Velvet/ and fur, witk feathers and ribboDS to match.' In3eed; the fashions are daily adore andnJortfWedmißg to individual*, and herieeTWr^semibsf^ Adopt the colors that became'you, and allow the dressmaker to arrange them', and shape the materials.- Art requires thi*fr--yott--d*»»s-Ha harmony with yourself, not inthj^dther or a fashion plate. I forgot to add that 60 toni of Bristol board have been wedin ?aris alone for the -printing of jthesj> *g^omina|4e i S^ir Year's dtjtl|iting9sjß|j|;,. TV>:^ . .- if . : . .^