OUR LADIES' LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 4192, 3 August 1876, Page 4

OUR LADIES' LETTER.

Paris, June 10. Even drawing-roojns have caught the two current epidemics—foreign politics and religion—and when gentlemen's minds are occupied only with these subjects, it is quite ttselesß for ladies, despite all their powers, i© attract them elsewhere. And it is un-

certain where the conflagration may extend to | Padding lane may be in the east of Europe* but Pie corner can be in the west of the Continent. Then the late Sultan was men an excellent patron of Paris trade ; he eontributed largely to swell the two milliards of gold that are now looked up in the caves of the Bank of France; it was in Paris that he ordered the toilettes for his 1,200 wives—be the same more or less—and it was equally ' here that he commanded case's of bonbons -for the beauties—sweets ever to the sweet. -We are not therefore astonished, after an absence of twenty years, to find our old 1 friend the Eastern. Question vwy important Western one. As inventors •f the revolutionary system of Governments, Parisians naturally follow with great interest and good wishes the rising of the - -itflas-; eoup d'etat which brought about the fell of Abdul-Aziz was considered in the

Bjjhfc of a Turkish 4th of Feptember. Our trtindents, who consider themselves in the fight of one of the governing powers of France, were upon the point of sending a fangraiulatory address to their Mahnmedan friends and brothers. Unfortunately the tragical end of the deposed Sultan has shown that in these little affairs the Turks prefer the teachings of the Spanish school to the milder precepts of the French. Mourad V. has perhaps but followed the example of tbat old Carlist chief, who replied when

e»lled upon at his dying hour to pardon his enemies, " Good Father, I have none, for I have shot them all." Religious questions are the order of the day; the Comte de Mun would have us all just " to shut our eyes and open our mouths, and see what the Pope will send us." But French society, even where most truly religious, does not at all accept this doctrine. Then it is difficult to understand what the bishops and cardinals mean by selecting as the chief defender of the Church such a

■wild man of the woods as de Cassagnac, fan., who seems to fight all the duels for his £arty, the Bonapartist, and who has cer»inly by a command of intemperate and tin- . polite language, as to cause ladies to blush behind their fans, fault of a "cage" in which to place them, in the French House of Commons. This young man, who has the further misfortune to edit the most violent journal in the city— le Pays —informed the astonished deputies, among other historical evidences, on the debate on the Superior Instruction Bill, that the Greeks and Romans were never defeated till they neglected the ahrines of their gods and goddesses. This at once brought down the Honse. A re-

publican member iuproved the occasion by | relating a story. Under Charles X., he •aid, a brigadier was charged with the re- I ligious education of a troop of dragoons; among other counsels he recommended them above all things to respect the saints. " But, brigadier," observed one of his pupi's, " how about Saint George, the one you know that killed the drarjon ¥' In French the word dragoon is written but with one "o." The brigadier, after a moment's reflection, answered j "No doubt he did it in fair duel, and after obtaining his colonel's permission ; «o our duty is to forget that little affair." Horse-racing is another subject of general conversation, and is most interesting besides, aa it involves special toilettes. Next Sunday

tne grand prize will be contested, and if the day be fine {and may St. Swithin not forbid it!) one-twentieth of the population of Paris may be expected on the course of Longehamps. England is exporting its thousands of excursionists in anticipation of this event, and the Provinces are expediting their tens of thousands. The winner of tho English Derby—Kisber—is backed by the ladies, and not only boxes of gloves, but complete toilets, and a trip to the seaside, depend on hia prowess. May it prove once more true that what woman wishes the gods wish. Some enemies have circulated that Kisber is Prussian, and so he ran great danger of receiving anything but a warm reception ; but the journals prominently denied the fact in very large and wicked-looking type. The horse belongs to a Greek gentleman, who has many associations at Marseilles, so the animal is recommended to be accepted as French. This incident shows that we are

very far from having made it up with a Prussia, yet M. de Girardin, always in search of the philosopher's stone, is endeavoring in his journal to prove to his countrymen that their interest lies in joining Prussia and Kussia againsc England, Turkey, and Austria. It is rumored that this strange theory is advocated by the Prince Napoleon, who has recently taken Ids seat as deputy for Corsica. Though the Prince claims to be the best Eepublican in France, he cannot remove a particle of his immense un--vpopularity. The journals teem with sarcasms and caricatures of the "fat boy," as he is called. Some of them are so nasty as to render the perusal of a newspaper at present by a lady dangerous. Happily the most disgusting insults emanate from the Bonapartist journals themselves. Another strange deputy is M. Godin, and as he owes his election to a pa ; rof new boots, he is nicknamed "M. Gody Two Shoes." He is a lawyer who only pleads in the Supreme Court, and has never put his foot in Pondicherry, which colony he represents. Some years ago a native lawyer rejoicing in the name of Pounoutamby appeared before the Court of Pondicherry to plead a case. He wore a pair of new patent leather boots. The judge, though a Frenchman, immediately insisted on his pleading satire fashion—without boots and stocking*. He declined to appear baiefooted, and was auspended for ten days for contempt of Court. The Colonial Courts upheld the decision. Lawyer 1 oumoutamhy then appealed to the Supreme Court of Paris, His case was defended by M. Gody, who had the judgment superseded. M. Gody became the lion of Fondicheny, and the electors, to mark their admiration, voted him their deputy.

Legal matters are like an epidemic in France, and the Orleans family may be excused remarking that law-suits rain on them. A man has brought an action against the whole Orleans family, the poor mad Empress Charlotte not excepted, to recover the sum of 120,000fr. lent by his ancestors to that political scapegrace, Philippe-Egnlite, tho creat-grandfctther of tho Comte de Paris, The claim was dismissed. The Orleanist princes are not famous for their generosity, ibut they ought not to be expected to discharge claims contracted bofore the Revolution of 1789. The line must be drawn somewhere. Then they are expending a great deal of money in repairing their cas?les, and just now they are "concentrating" all the members of their family who have died In ox le in a common vault. It is thus that Louia Philippo's ashes at last repose »uong the French people whom like tho Mrst Napoleon, ho too so much loved. Another ex-ruling family is also tormented by law suits, involving sums from one thousand to one million francs. A native of Marseilles is trying to establish that the late Napolean 111. promised to purchase his itotel. The executors turn a deaf ear to theaeidemands, while they themselves aiv claiming for tbe estate, the contents of j museums and the gems of public picture I talleries, on the ground that such is private

property. Then a deputy proposes to make the heirs of the late Emperor responsible "for the crimes of the coup d'etat and

damages for the patriots massacred ;" if compensation be awarded in this instance, the inhabitants of Ohisellmrst ought to commence studying the fate of Belisarius. A Lyons paper publishes sime particulars connected with the late visit of tho Imperial family to that city. The total is as fabulous as the hoarded cash of the deceased Siiltan ;

20,000fr. alone were put down for eau de Cologne ; the town had to be " odorised;" it would have been as cheap almost to run up a plank or card-board series of houses, as preceded Catherine of Russia on her voyage to the Crimea. All the "so called presents" made by the Empress to the local institutions wero defrayed ont of tho city's own treasury ; 10,000fr. were expended for sanding the streets ; four times as much for flowers, and five times the sum for fireworks. "For the organisation of the great popular demonstration, 25, OOOfr." This sum was paid to persons who followed the cortege and shouted r/'i'? I Empemir, &c, &c. The men for this work were paid at the rate of 3fr. per day, the women 2fr., and the ohildren lfr.

The death of George Sand, though sudden, was not unexpected ; illness of late has provented her from taking, as she said, her "hygrenieand intellectual trips to Paris." Sho resided in her castle at Nobant, in the ancient Prorince of Berry, -where she had been brought up, with her only son Maurice, and her daughter, the separated wife of tbe sculptor Her chief delight of late was to romp with her numerous grandchildren, not that she neglected literary work, a field in which she has incessantly labored since forty-four years, commencing the first sheet of a new novel after finishing the last of another. She was born in 1804, married to Baron Dudevant in IS'22, and againsther will, and from whom she separated after the birth of her second child, and adopted literature to earn her bread. She collaborated in some reviews with Jules

Sandeau, and hence her publisher invented for her the nom de plume of George Sand. Her habits and modes of thought were of the manly sort. She was a capital sportswoman, smoked at one time like a chimney, shot wolves as well as partridges, and could as readily hunt down a wild boar as write a description of nature. Friends say her writings did not corrupt, but only led people's minds astray, tormented and pained them. In auy c»se she never truly described society in its realities ; she painted a variety of social details, as she herself believed they ought to exist; she dabbled in the Woman's Rights question, and by all accounts did it more harm than good, as she viewed it from the dreamy point of view. She was an enthusiast of the 1848 Revolution and of Universal Suffrage, but she was considered

as having a foot in all political camps. She was a great woman, with a virile manner for I treating questions, and her country will I never look upon her like again. ' The plan of the 1878 Exhibition building may be considered as definitely decided upon. The structure will be erected in the Champs de Mars and the Trocadero, the Jena bridge being utilised to connect the sites; there will bo endless galleries, and a score of exits and entrances. Frrnch ex hibitors have resolved that wherever females

can be employed to superintend stalls only the fair sex shall be selected Such gallantry alono ought to ensure the success of the exhibition, only French -women evor manage to have all things their own way. The beginning of the end of tho Paris season—if such ever has a termination— is evident by tho number of charity or fancy fairs, which in truth are only day soireis. Many elegante* commence to view all these institutions as wearisome, and not a few as costly. However, it is under the patronage of theso charities that fashion dares present its most advanced novelties; for charity, like love, covers a multitude of sins. Extreme elegance united to extreme costliness, may be described as the reigning characteristics of the fashions. There is an evident desire to securo a positon for the chevreau corsage ; it certainly shows off the figure as neatly as a well-fitting glove does a hand. It is black, white, or ivory according to taste ; indeed it is to be met with in all shades, from the lightest to the heaviest. Toilettes, like hats, exhibit a decided leaning to bine and red colors—the new parasol is scarlet, or Sultan red. Fortunately" tho shade was baptised in t ; me; then having chosen one color for the base of the toilet, taste must decide for the second shade, as the figure determines the cut of the corsage, &c. Of course only light materials are patronised, and these are infinite in variety ; a silk and a woollen are generally fourd combined; blue faille, or china crape and mauve faille, are to be encountered lor promenade dresses ; but cambrics, gauzes, grenadines, and linens, &c, plain and striped, are to be everywhere met with. Hats are composed of paUlason, and are trimmed with bine, white, or red gauze. There is a decided leaning to fruits, instead of flowers, for garnishing, taking care only to patronise the fruits as they come into season, Flowers of course are always the r, ode. ; tho rose can be worn at any season. At the Longchauips races lately a lady created quite a sensation with a lilac faille, trimmed with white lilac. Embroidery continues its invasion ; every linen costame is covered with it. The new fringe is chenille, and among its thousand applications that to scarves is very successful. The Marie-Stuart, the prevailing hat, is always trimmed in harmony with the toilette ; and for travelling, the dust-coat, a kind of Ulster, called also a crtche-misi-rr, with a pelerine and a sailor's collar, is a necessity. After the running for the Grand Prize on Sunday next, the fashionable world is expected to run for the sea-side, or Spas. The begira will not be extensive this year, as the state of tho political world is not assuring ; but whether the Bilken sons and daughters of pleasure depart or remain, Parisians will still have their cakes and all in tho gay outdoor amusements of the Champs Elyseca and the suburban fetes, with mornings at tho rinks, a'tcrnoons in the Bois, and evenings at the open-air concerts, and an ice at Tortoni's before going to bed.