LADIES’ LETTER FROM PARIS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 313, 14 June 1875, Page 4

LADIES’ LETTER FROM PARIS.

{From a correspondent of the Press.) Paris, April 17. Some philosophers maintain a nation ought to be judged by its almanacks, hence perhaps the origin of rating history only as an old one ; others insist that a people is best depicted by the observance of anniversaries. Looked at from this latter point, Paris must at all events be admitted to be an industrious capital, and its citizens endowed with the greenest of memories. Twenty-four hours is popularly held to be the average period that Parisians remember an event, for, like the Athenians their ancestors, and not the Franks as generally believed, they must have something new, whether it be a siege or green peas, a revolution or fresh strawberries ; indeed it is alleged that in the age when revolutions were d la mode, the objects which prompted them on the first day were forgotten when the conflict terminated on the third. Of the several agreeable anniversaries recently held, that in honor of M. Thiers having reached his seventy-eighth birthday was among the most interesting; if the Pope did not send him his blessing by telegraph, or President Grant his congratulations in cipher for having founded the republic, Frenchmen, and above all Frenchwomen, ersayed to drown Thiers in complimentary letters, and there was a concerted attempt to smother

him under bouquets. An old friend sent him from his native Marseilles, one of Thiers’s own pot hooks and hangers copy books employed during the first stage of Latin composition, and the pi inters of Paris presented him with one of his earliest proofs, corrected with his own hand, when he was an art critic in the daily press ; it is a stage secret that M. Thiers corrects all his own proofs, and since the death of his mother - in - law, who was his “ reader,” his wife takes her place. In the coming elections for the new Senate, it is intended to elect Thiers for all the Departments of France, the ovation being designed as a tribute to his patriotism and political foresight in advocating a common sense Republic as the most efficacious of our several perfect political cures. From a Senator to be President of the Senate, is but a step, so that he will be within hailing distance in case Marshal MacMahou desires to lead a cr.mp lite, or that his Sedan wound might open afresh. Hahneman’s anniversary honored the infiniment petits, and seventy admirers of homoeopathy, practitioners included, enjoyed anything but a short commons banquet. Two incidents created much amusement ; a speech by Paul Peval the novelist on behalf of the press, and where he most humorously attacked homoeopathy—his father-in-law being one of the leading doctors of that school—and the arrival of a letter from “ General Tom Thumb,” thanking the society for their affectionate attention to small objects, and demanding to be enrolled as an honorary member. The hippophagic banquet has left on the whole nothing but sunny memories with those amateurs who paid twenty-five francs to partake of beautifully cooked horse, ass, and mule ; of the 120 guests, only five found themselves on the sick list next morning, but then this immunity may be largely attributed to the fortifying influences of Lent on the stomach —well regulated fasts being equivalent to the best of “ bitters.” Captain Boy ton is to visit Paris, but he will come after his own fashion, he will start from Havre and paddle his own canoe up to the Capital, where he will be received by a deputation of young girls all dressed in white ; the Dean of the markets is to present him with a boquet, just as if he were a newly arrived ambassador, and he is one truly with his message from the sea. With the arrival of the waterproof American, the departure of Holtum, his cannon-proof countryman, coincides ; this worthy amused the Parisians by showing them how to stop cannon balls, an object not beneath their attention, as evidenced by the crowds that attended to witness a real ball, shot from a real cannon, caught between his tar-gloved hands. What a pity he did not aid France during the bombardment of Paris, like Captain Boyton. However, these events are now matters of history, just as Disraeli estimates Bismarck’s love letters to Belgium, and which make so many persons uneasy ; not in France, for she has no idea of fighting with anybody, and only regrets her armaments are not so perfect as Germany describes them. The Republic is now sailing in smooth water, and the clergy being ordered to officially pray for it every Sunday, its future may be looked upon with confidence. The Deputies are to have a new Assembly House at Versailles, built of iron. It will be constructed in “ compartments,” so that the ship of State can never founder, an important desideratum in this country; by opening the iron slides the house can be enlarged at will, and perhaps the same facility can be applied for “ shutting up” a troublesome orator. A good deal of growling is being indulged in because the head of the Cabinet, M. Buffet, will neither write a circular nor make a speech wherein the word Republic may be found, and the Constitution honored with some honeyed phrases. Why not order him to take lessons from the Geneva professor now in Paris, whose speciality is to make the dumb speak by enabling them to hear—for France is rich enough to pay for all her glories. If M. Buffet do not consider his ways and be wise, he need never expect to have his name honored as the designation for a street in the slums of the city, or a blind alley, the newest plan for immortalising all who have deserved the nation’s gratitude, and in addition the cheapest of Pantheons, the plate with the name costing less than five francs, and obviating the possibility of their remains being some day ejected from a national sanctuary, like Marat’s and Mirabeau’s, when the tide of popular feeling turns. It is a common observation, and proof of the benignity of the Republic, that the chief thoroughfares of the city are named after the ex-Dynasty and its administrators, only the streets bearing designations of the thirtyfourth cousins of the Napoleon family have given way to names familiar in our mouths (as good) household words. Prompted probably by feelings of commiseration, the Grand Cathedral dedicated to the Sucre Oceur, and to be erected on the summit of Mont Martre, a point higher than the cross on the Pantheon, will contain a side chapel exclusively appropriated for the use of the deputies. Space will be reserved for burning tapers to the Virgin, in atonement for sins. A good supply of confession boxes would be needed. It is said the Cathedral will be as long in point of completion as that of Cologne; but St Peter’s, like the city where it stands, was not built in a day. Efforts are being made to induce the Comte de Chambord to lay the foundation stone, as was originally contemplated, and in a moment when he was expected to occupy the throne of his ancestors as a matter of course. Were he to do so, and a small sum charged to be allowed to see him, the necessary funds might be thus secured to add another new wonder to the world. The military authorities declare the building, being so conspicuous, would, in case of afutme siege, powerfully attract the enemy’s fire ; in that case it might have to be blown up, the safety of the people being the supreme law ; it is strange nevertheless, that while belligerents pray so devoutedly to the god of battles, they have no scruples about destroying the temples dedicated to Him. The theatrical critics have broached an excellent idea, that of having a box or tribune exclusively set apart for them in theatres, as is the case in the Grand Stands and in the Assembly ; at present these gentlemen are treated in a very free and easy fashion, but I am told this is the result of journals not purchasing their places, and so enjoy their independence while securing comfort. The new Opera promises to remain ever new, to judge by the crowds. “ Hamlet” has been produced, the first real opera brought out since the building was inaugurated, and it is totally impossible to obtain a place even for money, and love not being current coin has no power. Crowds go to hear the music in “ Hamlet,” for it is a work whose beauties to be understood must be often listened to. Faure makes the Hamlet of Hamlets, and this year’s Fine Arts Exhi-1

bition, to be opened as soon as the Horse Show vacates the Palace of Industry, will contain no less than three portraits of that unrivalled artiste as Hamlet, each by a distinguished painter. The B'rench are more cognisant of this than any other of the dramas of the “divine Williams;” they quote extracts from it in their speech and in their writings, but. it is a play that has a weirdlike attraction for us all, it poses the grand enigma that all try to solve. Mme. Carvalho, now a quarter of a century on the stage, acts the character of Ophelia, and her impersonation is accepted by competent judges as being more poetical, more ideal, than that of Mile. Nilsson’s creation, and you feel the judges are here right. There is no other musical event, ex ceptan Hungarian, who is announced with a troupe of “ singing cats.” The pushes are trained to “ mew” in harmony with the orchestra, the overture of “Guilaume Tell,” “ Fra Diavolo” (very appropriate), and “ Martha,” Tabby parties must not henceforth be despised, for any attempt to improve the midnight choruses on the house tops, deserves every encouragement. Then when professional singers are becoming chronic martyrs to parsons’ sore throat, it is no small matter to have a supply of cantatrices at hand, for when you have not what you love, you must love what you have, says the proverb. The “ Tichborne” drama, altered to the “ Affaire Coverley” perhaps out of diplomatic respect towards England, is postponed for a further few days. The idea of such a revived infliction is enough to drive English tourists from Paris. Perhaps this may explain (along with the season) why so many English speaking persons are removing to the country. Never was the change so anxiously looked forward to, after the longest and dreariest of winters. Even tonics were commencing to fail to brace up the system. April is ever an important period for Sittings and for “ flights” too judging by the number of absconding financiers; annual tenan's then as a rule try change of air, and the fifteenth of the month is quarter day, when arrears must be settled. The late M. Cochin —don’t omit the “ i”—was an excellent landlord. He always paid his own agent the rents that the latter could never receive, and he died nevertheless a rich man, and a lane has been named after him. But the country; the owners of villa residences bring nearly all their household gods with them; the more sensible, and who are in a position to do so, generally furnish the country residence apart, the furniture being at once light and cheap ; nothing heavy in warm weather and under a Neapolitan sky ; floriculture is not practised by ladies, save gathering cherries and converting them into preserve can be so considered ; gentlemen do not take kindly to gardening; after the third day’s experience in delving, hoeing, and “ raking,” they have enough of the fine art, and fall back on a novel, the journal, beer, and cigars, under their own fig tree, or perhaps tent, for since the war a garden tent has become a necessity. You never encounter a city-countryman going into ecstacies over an artichoke and cauliflower, a Jonah gourd, or Windsor beans, that he has tenderly reared at an expense of their weight in gold. Garden parties are very delightful, but do not consist of a game of croquet and a course of tracts ; they mean a substantial dinner, or more attractive still, a dejeuner, in the open air, in a bower of vines and rose trees, with salads pulled fresh before your eyes, and the leaves wiped, but never washed ; with fruit gathered as you want it, and other “ pretty little tiny kickshaws that William the cook ” may devise, for cooks are never bad tempered when preparing for an al fresco entertainment. There is nothing now to be said about balls ; they are finished for the moment, but history deserves to record that the most successful ball of the season was given by M. Andre, a banker and deputy for Paris. I blush to state, that he, the owner of the first palace in the city, is a bachelor, and the crowd of belles that promenaded in his seven grand drawing rooms, admiring the frescoes, the pictures, the curiosities, the collected glories, looked at him with Cupid and Parthian arrows in their eyes. The men nowadays do not propose as in the time when George the Third was King. But what about the fashions, Miss Flora MacFlimsey will demand ; the first object that strikes the eye, and materially so occasionally, is that the girl of the period has such a display of ribbons, as to resemble a recruiting sergeant; where there are no bows there are streamers, and the soup plate hat reminds me not a little of a floating jelly fish in the leafy month of June, at high tide, and full feelers set. If you do not like ribbon trimmings for your straw bonnet, the whole botanical world lies before you wherein to choose, taking care that green leaves and sprigs predominate for young persons, and that the bonnet for girls ought to well cover the forehead, some hats are covered with garlands of flowers above and below, and a duck of a bonnet is declared to consist of Italian straw, with white feathers, and lined with blue crape “ ombrelles ” will this season be composed of the same material as the robes, and will display initials on the side, which is arranged so as to be ever exposed, but there will be no trimming of lace or guipure, and no plaits. The rage seems to be for initials ; ladies have theirs worked in diamonds on velvet collars, or carved on clasps for mantles and belts. A change has taken place in boots, they are made long and pointed—the latter at the expense of the heel—a salutary amelioration. There is no new material to announce ; plain and checked silk are united in the one toilette ; alpaca and mohair are equally mixed for country wear. Colors are bright, almost glaringly so, and cuirass bodices are still the vogue ; the redingote and mantle tight in the back and loose in front, are in great favor, and the stand-up collar has superseded the turn-down shape. Fringe is in great request for trimming, and is made in very beautiful patterns, and of course in color to suit toilettes. An effort is being made to revive the “ ugly club ” founded by the Princess de Metternich, in order to enable plain ladies to make themselves beautiful for ever.