LADIES’ LETTER FROM PARIS.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 271, 24 April 1875, Page 4

LADIES’ LETTER FROM PARIS.

(From the Press.') PARIS, February 20, Ordinarily Lent is a “time of refreshing,” particularly if one ha,s undergone a round of balls aud dinners; then a “ retreat” limited to your own home, a repose from the worldly calling of visiting, and a punctual attendance at church, act like so many tonics or a jubilee, and brace you up to encounter the twenty-four hours’ vacation called mid-Lent, where you once more share in the pomps and vanities of the world, for the Church recognises that all praying and fasting would make Gill a dull girl as well as Jack a dull boy. Even while undergoing the severities, not of abstinence on the score of food, but the deprivation of joining in a waltz or a mazurka, the canon law does not object to chamber concerts of an edifying character, nor to entertainments of legerdemain or marionnettes. You can have a representation of the Mother Gigogne and her numerous offspring jumping out of her pockets in the back parlor, but to stray into a theatre, to throw a lingering look on the other Mere Gigogne would be the abomination of desolation. There is M. Jules Vernes’ play—- “ The tour of the world in eighty days,” being geography made easy for beginners. To do half the tour of the world would just occupy the forty days that young hearts desire to see expired, for mortification is never a pleasing spectacle; but that solution cannot even be enjoyed. Spring, like courage, comes and goes; the sun one day laughs at our windows and dancingly enters the room; the morrow Jack Frost reigns over the panes, and supported by a north-eastern wind, sends the blood in the veins like the mercury in the thermometer down to zero. Adieu, then, to visions of spring fashions and demi-season toilettes; we rush back to furs and feathers, to flannel bandages and warm drinks, believing that the transit of Venus has compromised the solar system, and that the Chinese are not perhaps wrong in attributing the small-pox which carried off their Emperor to that astronomical phenomenon. The new opera has had its first masked ball, and was a doll, respectable affair, where everybody seemed to be afraid of everybody, and dancing was as formal as in a young ladies’ boarding school, despite the musical contortions of Strauss. A second ball will be held in honor of mid-Lent, and will not be so very select, a little gay vice will be admitted to leaven the crowd. It is no small matter to obtain a box or a fauteuil at the new opera. In the matter of listening to a first-class musical representation, those will never be disappointed who expect little; people attend only to do the grand staircase and to see themselves reflected in the mammoth mirrors that must have been manufactured for members of the Rameses family. A toilette here must be in the pink of fashion, and as perfect as this world can make it, to pass muster. Provided the dressmaker, who delivers your robe at the last moment, has not forgotten to send the sleeves with the corsage, you can make no mistake in being d la hauteur of the situation, by sparing no wardrobe glory ; anything in the way of imitation is im, ossible in that Asmodean, not green, hut gold and white room; here the opera cloak plays an important role; it is as the fan and the mantle for a senora; white matelasse perfectly fulfils this end, and looks charming when trimmed with white cock feathers, silk marabouts, or swans’ feathers; striped sicilienne, with sparklinggold galnns, or sicilienne or cashmere of a pale blue color with silver gala ns to match, look very charming ; garniture in black fur is also to be encountered, and the shape is generally round, a kind of modified dolman. Of course all these preparations pre-suppose you have secured places, the most difficult matter for visitors, who being pressed for time are mercilessly fl-eced by the theatrical agencies that seem to hare a monopoly of the spare places at the opera, which they sell only at a high premium. You might as well ask Marshal de MacMahon to form a Ministry, or the Assembly to vote a constitution, as to expect the ticket office at the opera to find a vacant spot in the house, as well seek for the “ forty-first” fauteuil at the Academy, where by the by Dumas file has been received with dll honors. The celebrated dramatist’s head onght to be turned from the quantity of incense burned under his nose. All Paris seems to vie in rendering homage to his talent, at which really great men smile. Even the Due D’Aumale, who could not leave his military command at Besangon, to join in the annual mass for the repose of the soul of his ancestor Louis XVI,, was present at the “ immortalisation” of Dumas. The duke is quite right to eschew politics. The best statesmen in France are those who know nothing at all about constitutions, which places them on a par with those claiming to have a profound knowledge of them. Dumas is regarded as a man of ideas. He has certainly a good many paradoxes which do duty as such, and to show his gratitude for the greatness thrust upon him by the Academy, he intends writing a drama, where lovely woman who stoops to folly will be dissected and disposed of according to a new and original plan, She is to be neither killed, pardoned, nor got rid of by galloping consumption. The future alone will reveal the cure, just as it is expected to act in reference to the form of government for the country; there is no lack of ideadmen goodness knows in France, all that is to be desired is to have sensible ideas; Emile de Girardin, the pontiff of journalism, laid down that a journalist ought to be accouched of one idea at least per day, and he generally produced his, the first half in the morning edition of his paper, and the second moiety in the evening number; the last one he submitted was July, 1870, wherein he advocated the seizure of the Rhine territory, to make the Prussians French against their will, as the Alsatians have been changed to Prussians nolens volens, he seemed to have listened also to the “ voices." These latter suggest Jeanne d’Axc j her claims for canonization are under consideration, just as any common mundane affair in a public office; since years the Bishop of Orleans has been charged to institute the necessary inquiries respecting Joan, commencing by ascertaining did she really exist, for the tiacred College is very cautious; the matter still rests with ' him, as being a deputy of course his time is fully occupied, like his 749 confreres, doing nothing; in the meantime Parisians are about raising a true statue to the patriotic maid, that recently erected being hideous; it is said, however, to have been purchased by a South American Republic to commemorate one of their Saragossa maids, thus in the harmony of the world nothing is lost. The Orleanist princes, fading more and more from public life, are to be kept im view by the princesses; these ladies have resolved to introduce fly fishing into France, a pastime quite unknown it seems; Izaak

Walton’s system is alone recognised as orthodox —the rod with a worm at one end and a fool at the other; in the way of inovations the princesses have not been lucky; they endeavored to “ lead ” by wearing the hair as flat as is worn by a quakeress, and as shining from pomade as a waiter’s in his teens; then came the very plain dresses, straight as a pump, and as free from ornaments as a Puritan’s; if the ladies do not catch fish they may men, and such are badly wanted for the interests of their party. Salaam old lace, and if possessing a good supply of it, never cease to forget the provident care of grandmothers; lace is the important material now for toilettes, and with a China crape scarf, or a similar soft stuff, and the exercise of tact and taste, a toilette may be changed as infinitely as the sand on the sea shore, and like the stars differing from one another only in glory. Matelasse is quite a pet material, in a redingote, when it is pique in diamonds or squares, it is trimmed with faille and ostrich feathers, and is worn over striped velvet and satin toilettes; grey pearl cashmere is very general for indoor dresses; and promenade toilettes consist of vigogne and faille of two shades; the jupon is in vigogne before and at the sides, faille in the middle and behind. Hats are flatter than usual, they have less of the soup and more of the ordinary plate look; they are less jauntingly worn and not so heavily laden with garlands and feathers; there is no diminution in the quantity of jet used in their trimming. What will our beauties be when the sun shines on their corsages and bonnets laden with jet beads and spangles ? They will outshine Charlemagne and his merry men in their coats of mail as they now appear in the new drama of “La Fille de Roland,” at the TheatreFrangais. Tuesday is the aristocratic night at this theatre, and full dress consists in wearing a high-bodied robe (the contrary is the rule at the National Opera). White and light grey seem to be cutting out black in felt hats. A French mother generally studies the preparation of her daughter into society like a work of art. A good apprenticeship is needed, for the profession of a woman of the world is very complicated. Between fourteen and seventeen years of age, young ladies generally constitute evening parties for themselves, and where young gentlemen are as rigorously excluded as old women from Mahomet’s paradise. No excess of toilette is permitted, nor the shadow of a shade of coquetry. The time is employed with music, charades, and even a little comedy. One lady engages a wellknown actress to give her young friends lessons, and lately the timid young ladies brilliantly executed the comedy of the “ Plaideurs,” with all the accessories, before a company of parents and guardians. In their judges’ robes and velvet pourpoints the young actresses astonished their audience. The piece terminated, the girls re-appeared in elegant evening toilette, robe of white barege, cuirasse and tablier of rose faille, robe in sky blue taffeta, with small mitred flounces veiled with fine white muslin, rose buttons, blue bows, &c. Nothing fresher looking than this collection of gauzes, tulles, and bareges, if not the faces of their owners. The steeplechase season has just opened, and the sport will attract crowds from their winter quarters, despite the severities of the season. When the poor jockeys run the chance of breaking their bones to amuse us. the least compliment we can pay them is to encounter a fresh attack of the mumps, or a neuralgia in their honor. The Bonapartists suffer as if from a political ague—one moment their hopes of returning to power are bright, the next dashed. The passing of the final examination of the Prince Imperial is not extravagantly noticed by his own journals, while a section of the opposition press, as usual, sneers at his proficiency. The newspapers in this country sadly stand in need of a few Chevaliers de Bayard for editors. A mayor of a small village has been dismissed because he organised a mass for the repose of the soul of the late Emperor. No official or political masses are thus tolerated under our Republic, tempered with Monarchists. If the empire ever returns, that mayor is certain to be made a prefect, or placed on the civil pension list, which is about the same thing. For the moment the most agreeable theatrical attractions are the matinees, where a conference, never too long, is given on the piece succeeding to be played; then there is excellent music interspersed, and perhaps a comedy; the hour, two o’clock, is favorable ; it is the period when the breakfast is digested, the most agreeable of all daily meals, and when husbands are best in the humor to join their wives in condemning a bonnet a fortnight old as being dowdy, and a faille dress of two months’ standing as being nothing better than a rag, and quite out of date. It appears that in the national schools the supply of paper is so short, that the making of fools’ caps for the naughty pupils is impossible, so for the future these essentials for teaching the young idea how to shoot will be furnished in oiled calico. If the death rate has not been increasing the lunatic rate is, no less than three new asylums are being erected ; a wealthy merchant has bequeathed all his fortune to build a lunatic hospital, he is of opinion that it is not ignorance that requires to be cured, but insanity ; horse-flesh diet, it is rumored, affects the brain, but the consumption of this delicacy, though slightly on the increase, is not sufficient to as yet affect vital statistics. The wearing of charms is on the increase, yet disease never was less marked than at present, and there is no danger of any social disturbance ; indeed, society is quite happy, has its “breakfasts,” now becoming as fashionable as the afternoon teas before dinner, its balls, and its suppers. Paris is suffering from a plethora of money, and when she ‘asks for some millions, she is almost suffocated with an avalanche of milliards. People seem to be getting accustomed to the want of ministers as well as to the absence of a fixed constitution. Among the female celebrities lately deceased was a “cabman;” the poor woman on her husband’s death at once jumped into his clothes, and occupied his seat on the box ; her remains were followed to the cemetery by 500 Jehus. The Cardinal Bonnechose has given a good lesson to the petty intolerants ; his brother was a Protestant, and died so, and the Cardinal attended the funeral ceremony as chief mourner. It may be remarked, that when a humble curate, his Eminence was during an attack of illness believed to be dead, and was en route to be buried alive ; his escape was horrible. He is now the leader of that useful party for preventing the interment of people before they are dead.