OUR LADIES' LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 4309, 18 December 1876, Page 4

OUR LADIES' LETTER.

Paris, October 28. The daughter'of one of orir fashion queens, on, being asked which she liked best, the [country, qr the town, replied "Oh ! the } e nihtry," for it is all flowers and sunshine.'?_- In j her mind, perpetual winter was her idea of i city life. '.lii the course of a few years that j same little inuocent will long for winter, jwith its, accompanying balls, , raouh, soirees, ,and* dinner-parties—the -latter lust, because jheavy and mrjtt»' enile. At present we dance audsing-here-marry:and give in marriage i—as if me war of 1870 had never been, and Jas'if that of \?as not to. be. Formerly said to dance on arvolcano ; now he dances only near one,' which is both' a liotiuctiotfiandrat difference: It is felt hat in-.ease of an eruption our house is aEfe^faft^-^at^^. s^Mmi? r ? "Ball on*' he eve of Waterloo; all will go tnerry.as a marriage -bell, till -we~hear the" booming of the cannon.. It must not be conthis that the French are indif-down-for meddling and muddling into the, cross purposes 4 or Eu-' they are disposed to let the. !' outer/ barbarians " , settle their -quarrels WtH6ttt* ! th6if'interference', not that they? iave altogether l#st all. their vanity*; for. they f eer ' fully' persuaded they could solve, that wearisome Eastern question better ihanjaUJwie professed diplomatic physieians ; perhaps akin to that iyoung lady who, when isked if ,sbje plftjied-the replied'" No,; triedj" Tile coming is gradually absorb* : ihg Citbe .attentiont-.«f the nation, whi(jh' is icateesing may-it .never entertain others—that that tournament will be-the occasion for France taking her revenge. Then* a*e" : few persons but are occupied to nave a'nnger in the pie, so that ihveutionsand marvels Will be couceakd. to j ajgrteat. extent till 1878. It is even said that ' there will be a famine in, the fashions 4iextyfear, owing to saving up of ideas for the exhibition ; and to prove how the tendency is being ministered to, a new .journal has arp- \ peared, ; specialty devoted to the costumes j and.tb'ilettes of France during the last three ' centuries.; . In thus fctimulating artistes to find.novelties, the chances of success are "•facilitated. The railways companies intend having carriages renewed for the •coniing event; indeed it may be safely concluded that France will then be dressed in new suits—certainly will only appear | inj %et Snuday clothes. I lately accomIpspiied some lady friendf, who were en route >ior Nice, to visit the sitts of the exhibition ; a letter of- introduction to a prominent | engineer at once removed all difficulties; the ' gentleman was occupied with a theodolite, and had as many assistants about him with of calico-backed 'paper drawings, as if 3ie were a commander-in-chief surrounded ■ with"his staff on" a battle-field. On, approaching him, only a pair of dark, twinkling and astonished eyes were visible'; atonee.he -changed his cap in the act of saluting, Ironic <a. beret and sou wester, to a very respectable Tjirolese hat, and as all the party wore the inevitable Ulster) .he opened likely to prevent as, to sex. He was most obliging gentleman I ever encountered,' ■:. and-: took infinite pains' to explain what all the trenches i epreseuted, where would be stuated the exits and the entrances, where the different nations would be located, and indicated the desert places destined to blossom like the rose. The mysteries of the Trocadea Cascade were expounded, and the plan of its i palace; how the river would be crossed, and j aUjthat. Of course, we thanked him for his ' Jtujiious and the " simplicity >' of lis explanation; but frankly, we comprehended v/jry. little, and we concluded that by! May-day. 1878, the details would be plainer. We brought away with us a general ridea of laborers everywhere making trenches $ carts conveying earth here and there, of men putting up plank fences, of our guide's affability, and the gallantry of his workmen. < who, unable to imitate Sir Walter Kaleigh and his mantle, spread boards for us whereover the r mud was between ankle and knee- ; The raeterologiats admit they do not ..understand the weather, so in this reiSpeet: resemble the general community. We, are enveloped, or jather imprisoned, in a leaden* cold, damp fog—the most disagreeable .period of life in Paris, the I most trying for health, since a fortnight. It blockades the capital like the Prussians, and M. Leverrier is nearly out of his senses because he has not been able to watch that 'rogue of a planet Vulcan, said to be at present? flirting between Mercury and the Sun. It is* intended that the Exhibition Palace to crown so majestically the summit of the ;Tjoi6aden, will be a permanent structure #hd will be converted after November, 1878, into a winter garden. Peuding this censum - ihatiom the impatient who have court-yards are (covering them in, tilling them'with shrubs and flowers, aiid converting the centte into a skating rink. JSot content with this sport, the wealthy sugar merchant, M. Say, has inaugurated private race.courses, wnere his friends compete, as jockeys riding their own horses, for prizes presented by the kdy spectators, who have their stand, buffet; and a musical band' to perform during the intervals. Pleasure docs . nit nio-iopolise all the time a id attention of I*>W cltijanld. they have been peculiarly "Wruok by the paper read at the Working Congress by ",w»rkwom n" on the conditions „,.,u remuneration of female employment in France, and especially in Paris. It was this branch of that useful and credit-ably-conducted Congress which attracted most attention, and, it may be added, syn:. Eathy,; for: the ■ Baroness Rothschild—the. ff#dy Burdett'Coutts of France—has formed Wftaiety. of business rather than of charitable ladies, to secure for milliners and dress-jaak-rs "a. fair day's wages for a fair day's work." They will give their own toi|ettes to be made by co-operative societies,: and will guarantee them credit for materials and patronage. The experiment isoply intended to snow workwomen that

.their amted-effortff, if K&dTv aaslated at the i premier p<x% f ca» attain ai etamfcfcbint capable 1 of enabling them-to compete witprpaitablishments that., give out work at starvation prices, and sell under honorable trade rates. This, movement will not be allowed to interfere with that sore question of -ladies in a reportable, but not rich, position, occupying their spare hours working for the shops. Were it not for thjs source of gaining money, to minister to the otherwise insufficient expenses qf the household, many honorable [famines would be reduced to -very pinched; ,if not distressed, circumstances. lam aware [ofladies who clothe themselves and their ji children from the proceeds of the sales ot ,: their needle, embroidery, lace, designs, wpol work, millinery, &c, and girls thus brought up ever-make model wives; as from an early age they are imposed with the necessity of J economy aad_thrift, of the importance of j: occupation as the Jbest remedy against ennui, jand for making homes comfortable, and, j consequently,, There is no occasion ifor ladies ever to go to the shop ; a reliable and confidential intermediary brings Tthe \ j work required,- offers it at a fixed price, .calls for it when executed, and pays,at' the isainetime. The same agent also negotiates ;to supply toilette materials at something ' Ainder retail prices, and will deliver articles in advance, against work i;o;be may be safely said that no lady can be uniemployed in Paris—none but can add >to their limited resources. Happily, Frenchyivgina" exdfepted—do not plunge.into.ex? travagahce as tb dress, or ruin their husbands with bills from the marchande de modes. They, are foreigners, mostly from Brazil and RusVa, who appear inpublicgot up'fegardleas of expense. Frenchwomen dress "not;fotfforeign countries, but for France," and-care not whether they be modelled or competed with ; :they know precisely what, suits them in respect to shape, color, and va-iety,.\yith a scientific precision springing from instinct added to-which a P*^*} 6 f carriage in the tujnblest ranks that may be- almost approached at a respectful distance, but never fra-Mased.:by other nations. ',. v: