LADIES' LETTER FROM PARIS.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 689, 4 September 1876, Page 3

LADIES' LETTER FROM PARIS.

{From a corespondent of the Press.) Paris, July 8. Like their elders, the children are deeply interested in the " Eastern Question," and which consists of a piece of iron wire, twisted so as to resemble three eagles, single aoddoubleheaded, so as to represent the three Emperors, a crescent—" Turkey " is buspended on the wire, and the problem is, to extricate it from the claws and beaks of these peculiar birds of freedom. The trick is far more interesting than despatches from the seat of war, where all belligerents are at once victors and vanquished; indeed the fate of tho Turks, or the fortune of the Servians gives France but little concern —as yet; she is interested only in Germany, and would like to contract a manage dc raisen with Kussia, but safety is felt cot to lie in that direction, and there is a little t T epidsv tion that England may effect a similar kind of marriage with all Germany. This wed r lock view of foreign politics interests ladies very much, and they are quite active in

match making, and Bfcrange to say, they are shrewder in their previsions than the gentlemen, who are all for the Great Bear, out of pique for England's not fighting by their Bide in 1870, but the ladies do not feel the union with the Russian would be happy, and would turn out lamentable. Then as dash and daring captivate woman's heart, such hr.ving been displayed lately by England, the latter has the majority of the fair sex on her side. The accounts of fashionable life at the sea side this year are not enthusiastic ; everyone confesses the iate spring has spoiled the eeiinon ; rents have been increased propor tionally to compensate for the time lost. This extortion has simply caused mortals, for whom a constant moving to and fro is essential to their health, to change their programme. Many will go to England for greater cheapness, and not a few English will come to French bathing places for greater dearness. Holland is coming in for much patronage from the birds of passage. If the truth must be confessed, ladies find this roving kind of life involves " much weariness of the flesh," a quiet bathing place is dullness itself, save on fete days, Sundays, and when husbands, brothers, and lovers can run down from Saturday till Monday; on the contrary, the notorious sea-portß resemble by their crowds the city one has left, less its comforts, facilities, and attractions. But those who have girls must bring their girls out, give them a chance, in fact, and the girls are mostly occupied in the monotonous work of toilettes, of chiffons, A French mother, always the vigilant (guardian of her daughter, is more than ever so when away from home, and feels the want of occupation for both. Then the casino balls are never select, so are mostly left to the cosmopolitans. In Paris a lady ordinarily gets up between seven and eight, visits the " nursery," for such she ever regards the bedrooms of her children, be they infants or adults. After the orthodox cup of chocolate she drives to the central markets ; here she bargains and purchases with the air of a connoisseur. She presents and recommends her friends to her purveyors, smiles at the latters' compliments, and exchanges a repartee with an old trader, for nothing smoothens your way so much in France as a piece of wit or a capital joke, and social relations in France are free without being familiar, independent without being disrespectful, and obedience stopß at servility. Materfamilias has her phaeton full of little baskets of strawberries, cherries, and little pots of fresh cream; to say nothing of the large bunches of flowers she has bid for at the public sales ; perhaps on driving home she may do a little shopping, it is the most agreeable portion of the day for such business ; arrived at home by eleven she superintends baby in its bath, sets wooden ducks to float and cork-red carp to swim in order to calm the cries of the little rebel, whom she dredges all over with perfumed starch after being dried, and then rolls the ball of living fat in a flannel robe. After dejeuner, ever a light meal, Madame converses with the servant respecting household reforms; then she indulges in one of those thousand boudoir occupations always awaiting execution ; she paints a fan for a lottery, some glass for the windows of a village church, executes a thank offering work, for her baby has passed successfully through the measles; from four in the afternoon Madame pays or receives visits ; after dinner, to the opera, or theatre, or ball, or perhaps she muffles herself in a cashmere, and sets out with her husband for a promenade in the Bois de Boulonge, looking as much as po3sible like a newly married couple. M. Gambetta, though he indulges in very strong language against the Bonapartists, pays them home, as it is said, in their own coin, is gallantry itself for our sex ; he is a bachelor, but recommends everyone who can to marry ; may he himself soon find his Beatrice. As President of the Commission of the Budget, he has carried a resolution, recommending that for the future young women be employed as telegraph clerks ; his recommendation is a law; he is in favour of extending to woman all the rights she demands, save to her becoming a Senator, deputy, town councillor, or barrister; he might restore to her some of her old rights by lecommending that his countrymen should cease to perform the duties of housemaids and laundresses. Efforts aie being made to seconcUe M. Gambetta and Marshal Macmahon j they haue never met in their lives, and only Messrs Thiers and Grevy, both patriarchs, stand up to the present, between Gambetta and the succession to the Presidentship. Gambetta has commenced the overture by securing a special credit of 300,0 Of as official pocket money for the Marshal, but the latter swears by all the gods, big and little, that he will never invite the heir apparent to the Presidency to dinner, till he first executes the hotou ceremony of attending one of the Marshal's official receptions as a preliminary. The few able, but not great, men that France posseHses, are dying off rapidly ; after M. Kicard, Oaaimir-Perier, both excellent " republicans by necessity." The latter contributed more than any other person to found the present republican constitution of France, the Hobson's choice between anarchy and Imperialism, and when dying he might well borrow the words an illustrious French general at Marengo pronounced as he expired, " I regret I could do no more for France." What is peculiarly sad about M. Casimir-Perier's death is, that he was on the high road to recovery, after having five weeks ago received the last rites of the church, so desperate had been big attack of gout. A few day 3 ago he drove to the Bois de Boulogne, and drank a bowl of fresh milk at the fancy Swiss dairy there and which is dedicated to children, invalid?, and those desirous of longevity. The cold milk brought on a reaction, and it may be said his death was sudden. A few hours after his dissolution M. Thiers called, and for an hour sat crying beside the remains of his personal and political friend. One disadvantage in remaining in Paris during the epoch of the dog days is, that the streets are rendered uncomfortable by the compulsory whitewashing of houses, or what is still more trying, washing the facades with boiling water ; this is perhaps the only scouring business done in the city, the laundry work being effected in the suburbs Such is the moment when a citizeness covets the complete bathing costume on show at the outfitter's, and longs to join some quadrille party among the waves. These; hygienic operations compel one to patronise' the pretty suburbs and the various beautiful forests ; on returning to town one can agreeably finish the day by an open air dinner in the Champs Elyeees, to be followed by a a concert. Kinking is impossible when the thermometer is at broiling point, though one

establishment is open all night to suit passionate lovers of the rollers, and who can either commence late, or early in the morning. The best ventilated theatres are now adopting the plan of keeping open during the warm months ; actors find a provincial tour does not pay ; they go to perform before country cousins, and the latter arrive in Paris to witness the stars on their native heath. The Grand Opera, which is a delightfully cool bouse, attracts more by its splendid ballets than its operas ; at the same time it is positively warm work to witness ballerines living for half an hour like Mahomed's coffin, between heaven and earth, by methodical hops, steps, and jumps.

Ir, is remarked that the Americans did not keep their Centennial in Paris'as they could and ought to have done. There was positively leas external display than is common to an ordinary fourth of July in Paris. There was no public solemnity ; dinners at a few boarding houses, the stars and stripes visible here and there. The Washington Olub has become so economical, that it could not afford the expense, as in times gone by, of a border of gas jets round its balcony. If the American Minister did not give a dinner, he accepted one ; indeed, a Ministerial reception would not have been misplaced. The only approach to a public ceremony was attempted by some A merican teachers, and which the papers fairly reported. The Paris journals displayed more interest in the matter than did the American residents themselves, and the comparison was very freely made, that under the Empire the Americans celebrated Independence Day with greater eolat than they do under the Republic.

Lonrdes has had a new kind of couronnement, that of the dedication of the new cathedral, which covers the miraculous grotto where the Virgin is reputed to have appeared a few years ago to a shepherdess, the event has been long looked forward to by a certain party m the Church, who unite the restoration of the Temporal power and the advent of Henri V to the throne of France. Tne gathering comprised at one moment over 100,000 persons, many of whom were attracted by curiosity; but it was observed, there was nothing either popular or national in the movement; the pilgrims feel the political side of their aspirations is complicated ; the canticles executed were upon the old theme, that France in particular, and society in general, are in a crisis and only the "Virgin can extricate both ; the fete was truly magnificent, there were thirty-two bishops and their attendant clergy, all in gorgeous canonicals ; for there was a principal and fifteen minor altars to be consecrated. The Radicals maintain that France is a Messiah people in point of humanity ; the Ultramontanes, that she is such in point of religion, so extremes meet. It is not so much God, Divine Order, and Christian Eevelation that the Jesuit fathers preached on the occasion ; it was something more tangible and concrete; it was before and above Jail, [the church, then its two modern dogmas, then the apparition of the Virgin and her revelations. The crowd was calm and respectful, orderly and attentive, but it would be difficult to say what notions they brought away with them. The fact of an old woman, aged sixty-one, and a cripple of forty-four years standing, throwing away her crutches, and commencing to skip like a lamb, created a great sensation. If these cures could only be more numerous—but then the pool of Bethesda was limited in efficacy. Gossip is busy about a legal notice inserted in the papers by Maurice Sand, reminding all holders of his mamma's (late George Sand) letters that they cannot publish such without first obtaining his permission ; this proceeding is causing many to halt in the revised judgment they were in course of making on the eminent novelist. Cashmere, blue or cream, with faille to match, might be said to embody all that cau be said about toilettes, bearing in mind that the pattern is guided by the wearer's figure and taste. The simpler the costume is, the better, and the more natural flowers are employed, the more fashion will be acknowledged. A graceful morning business costume for out-door wear is composed of plain sea blue cashmere, long behind and short before, so as to be easily raised ; a fichu of white linon knotting behind, garnished with a pretty plait; the hat in paillassan, a garland of buttercups. Among the general costumes observable are, rose faille, with scarves and fringe of the same colour, placed very low on the jupon; grey pearl faille and rose make a charming mixture, the fichu and hat to match ; embroidered white muslin scarves trimmed with Valenciennes, look very elegant over a pale blue faille. There are also toilettes to be met with, entirely white or cream colored, a mixture of faille and wool, and all but concealed by the Indian burnous and dolmans; email shawls however are the latest mode, and are made of Cashmere or China crape, trimmed with fringe or lace The Marie-Amelie hat is coming into favor, and is so named after that of the year 1830; next winter it will be general, but for the moment the Gainsborough hat is in vogue, and is exclusively adapted for young and pretty faces. Riding habits are made in light cloth, and, Jwhat is more important, the gentleman's silk hat is essential for Paris, but in country districts the round felt hat, may be worn; Tyrol gloves must not be forgotten, nor the boot strap for the pantaloons. A housekeeper informs me that pouring a little brandy in the gills of fish and over the body tends to keep it a long time fresh. Good perhaps where ice is absent.