LADIES’ LETTER FROM PARIS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 450, 23 November 1875, Page 4

LADIES’ LETTER FROM PARIS.

(From a correspondent of the Press.') October 2. The re-appearance of chimney sweeps and velvet bonnets announce that summer is over. Politicians, milliners, and dressmakers are still buried in profound meditation ; we are promised new laws and new fashions—if we will only wait a little longer. Fashionable Paris has left its favorite resort on the Norman coast, where, owing to the wet weather during the early part of summer, the season has been very short. Any place more uninviting than Trouville, the Queen — or since we are in Republic, the President—of French watering places this season, can scarcely be imagined. It truly was a small edition of the Great Desert—sand everywhere.' A total absence of amusements as compared with former years : a dirty little casino, where a melancholy band plays wallz after polka without inspiring its hearers with the faintest desire for dancing ; a card room, known among the inhabitants as the “little Toulon,” to which no gentleman paid a second visit; hotels, having nothing to recommend them save the excessively high price asked for tenth-rate accommodation; during the race week the town becomes uninhabitable for any one less than a millionaire. Fashion has declared Trouville—in English a “hole of a town”— all that can be desired, and when fashion has spoken remonstrance is useless. Calais, Dieppe, Boulogne-sur-Mer, which have nothing to recommend them except good bathing, charming walks and drives, hotels where there is a possibility of living a month without spending a small fortune, are given up to English and Americans. Active preparations are being made in all the chMeanx for the hunting season. Hunting breakfasts, dinners, carpet dances, private theatricals, are announced on every side. Cook’s tourist tickets have led to an English invasion—a reply perhaps to the recent inauguration at Caen of a statue to William the Conqueror. An attempt has been made to induce the French to return the many visits paid them by their English friends, but I do not think that it will prove successful. The French middle class have an insurmountable horror of the sea. A Frenchman will cheerfully support a journey of two hundred miles in a third-class railway carriage, and in the night, but two hours’ misery of the sea—never! If by an' extraordinary effort he reached England, the idea that there was no possibility of returning to France without recrossing that dreadful channel would render life a burden while in per fide Albion. The very important question, •• What will be worn this winter?” is not yet quite decided—a few variations on last summer’s fashions, but nothing really new. We have the usual autumn report, that elegant simplicity will reign supreme, that the Princess robe, or a modification of it, will be worn by all Parisiennes. However, admirers of tunics, flounces, frills, and bo vs, may find consolation in remembering that the same thing has been said during the last seven years. It is rumored, also, that crinoline will be taken into favor again. If this prove true, it will be too cruel of Dame Fashion. The Jeanne d’Arc chain, in silver, steel, or gilt, worn around the waist, falling on the left side with a fan, small mirror, handkerchief or smelling bottle attached, has proved a complete failure. It has only been worn by a certain class, of which in the 18th century a golden girdle was the distinguishing sign, giving rise to the proverb, A good reputation is better than a golden girdle.” Dark green, blue, and black cloth dresses, trimmed with innumerable rows of or silver galoon, will be much worn

this winter. Galoon of every kind will v>o much employed in the trimming of bonnets and hats. The shape of the new bonnet differs greatly from those actually worn. It is a mixture of the style worn during the Directory and the old coal scuttle bonnet of the beginning of Louis Phillipe’s reign. The crown is very high, slightly sloping in front, the brim is quite Straight, it has a harolct at the back, and strings fastening under the chin. I particularly noticed a black velvet bonnet, of which the brim and hamlet were trimmed with a galoon of gold network ; a pretty velvet bow with loops of gold net work and an aigrette of black fe ithers were placed on one side and fastened by a gold buckle. This style of trimming will render the winter toilettes very gorgeous, and (fathers and husbands are requested not to listen) more expensive than ever. To-morrow will be the last day of the Autumn races at Longchamps; the racecourse is about an hour’s drive from Paris, and for hundreds, the drive there and back is all; except perhaps in the cases of the Grand Prims , when the desire, to see the French horses defeat the English, creates a certain excitement throughout Paris. The old dislike for the English is rapidly dying out, but it is scotched, not killed, as the good people of Falaise, in Normandy, proved last week, by their inauguration of a statue to the memory of William, Conqueror of England ; forgetting that if he was conqueror of England, he was also the pest of France, and that his last act was to set fire to the French town of Mantes. The Empress of Austria has derived much benefit from her residence at Saint Valery. Sportsmen will regret to learn that her hunting days were nearly numbered, by a fall when out riding. She remained in Paris five days when “homeward bound,” and enjoyed herself like a schoolgirl, visiting the lions of Paris and shopping like an ordinary tourist. Paris, as the Prince of Wales observed, is the only place where Royalty can enjoy a holiday. Another distinguished lady is the brideelect of Prince Milan of Servia. She is occupied purchasing her trousseau , and is assisted by her future mother-in-law, a lady of honor, and it is necessary to add, two detectives, as the latter have orders never to lose sight of her, whenever she takes her walks abroad. The Prince sends his fiancee a telegraphic letter daily and a bouquet. She had selected a white velvet robe for her bridal costume, but had to relinquish it on account of the weight. The militia having completed their four weeks’ drill, are delighted to be restored to their homes ; this can bn understood, as the majority of the reservistes are married. The only subject of complaint, and for that Marshal Mac Mahon’s praise of their soldierly bearing cannot compensate, is the compulsory loss of their beards and whiskers at the hands of the military barber ; more than their own children could scarcely recognise several bare faced papas. And speaking of “capillary artists,” the assistant of one of the chief hairdressers in the Rue de la Paix, who boasts of being coiffeur to the Queen of England, has been convicted of theft ; he bad a salary of oOOOf a year—how many a poor curate must groan in spirit at this —and managed to keep seven horses, five livery servants, and four carriages. A few weeks ago in the west of France a farmer’s daughter carried off the first prize for superior ploughing. Near Dieppe an elegante has a country woman for coachman; the future of the woman question thus looks bright. But then men housemaids are a glut in the French market. One swallow does not make a summer, nor perhaps one felt hat autumn; but the first chapeau de feutre has appeared in the Bois ; it is only suited for young ladies ; it is a a charming tojue and very coquettish; it is in blue felt, ornamented with partridge feathers, with velvet strings forming a large knot, less “ ends,” under the chin. At the theatres many new pieces are promised, and in the meantime old ones are being performed. One of the great events of the winter will be a comedy by Alexandre Dumas at the Theatre Francais. Wea>e also promised comedies by Emile Augier. Sardou, and Barnere, two operas bouffe by Offenbach, and operas by Masse, and to say nothing of a . grand fairy piece, “Un Voyage dans la Lune,” the scenery of which is said to surpass the celebrated “ Tour du Monde,” still played after fifteen months at the Porte St Martin. At the Opera, “Faust” has been brought out with magnificent scenery and costumes, but of the artistes the less said the better. However, “Faust” is an agreeable change after six months of “ La Juive,” “ Les Huguenots,” and “ Hamlet.” The director. Halanzier, knows that the greater part of the audience come to look, and not to listen, and only take the opera as an accompaniment to the famous staircase, green-room, &c, hence he has given himself little trouble about novelties. The Opera being turned into a show may account for the eccentric costumes worn by strangers in general, and by the English in particular. A travelling coat which has braved the summer’s sun, not to mention the storms, felt hat much the worse for wear, and no gloves, compose a gentleman’s costume that may be very useful, but which is evidently not comme il faut ; as for the ladies, well, a waterproof is not a graceful garment. Mr Halanzier has not yet ventured to enforce the regulation respecting evening dress upon the English, but the few orders given to the Press bear the mention that the holder will not be admitted unless ip evening dress. It has been decidea not to rebuild the Tuileries. the Conservatives highly approve of this decision, as they declare the Tuileries “too small for a King and too large for a President,” The Assembly reopens in the month of November. If it only meets to allow the deputes to bid farewell to Versailles, general elections will make Paris much more lively than it is even in the dead season.

At the discussion of the Budget, it was discovered that we were paying for five Marshals of France, whereas we possessed only four. An inquisitive member inquired if the Government intended investing the surplus money for the benefit of ex-Marshal Bazaine.

It appears that it is quite orthodox to address Marshal MacMahon in four or five dilferent fashions, one may finish by finding as many appellatives for him as the French have of ways for cooking eggs. The Hotel Dieu promises after all to be finished before the Cathedral of Cologne, and it will have this advantage over other hospitals, that access to the upper wards will be accomplished by means of “lifts.” Not a few distinguished doctors hold that large hospitals qrp syn.Qpymo.us with large cemetries,. Hospitals are best, when in point of construction, they resemble angel’s visits, few and far between.

The dreadful infant mortality has amgeUed the establishment of joint stock mu series ; two of these are now in working order, they arc situated in healthy parts, fitted up regardless of expense, and provided with more than the comforts of a home. The baby boarders are kept for two years ; their little bill is 400 f per annum.