LADIES’ EXPRESS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 292, 24 July 1875, Page 3

LADIES’ EXPRESS.

The Editor will be glad to give insertion te any local coniribations from his lady friends that mag be considered interesting in the family circle, or to the seje generally.]

PARIS,—LADIES’ LETTER

(from oue own correspondent.) Touching operette, Strauss II of Vienna has createdquite an enthusiasm here with his Heine Indigo, a composition in three acts, which is a collection of new waltzes, polkas, and quadrilles, as Strauss only can write them, with the most charming, of songs to amuse the ear after occupying the feet, for, during, the execution of the melodious, mysterious dauce airs, the feet of the spectators keep up a sustained Kentish fire. The man that invents a new waltz or a quadrille is as great a benefactor of his race as he who discovers a new sauce; few ladies but will bless the name of Strauss, and he would be no gentleman who would not wish him all the delights of a Mahometan paradise when age and honors, whist and piano thumping, have no more attractions for him in this vale of tears. Parisians can be serious when the occasion demands it and this was seen at the burial of the martyr-balloonists Spinelli

and three, who soared too high, but their memory will not be the less respected and perpetuated A beautiful monument will he erected to them in Pere La Chaise, where as in death, they are not divided ; a prize will be offered for the best design for the monument, On the other hand the Municipal Council which so gracefully takes this matter in hand, dashes all our romantic ideas by declining to expend 130,000 francs on the restoration of the tomb of Abelard and Heloise in the same cemetery, alleging there is no evidence that it contains the remains of the lovers ; it is sufficient to make one wish that girls had the right to vote in order to return fit and proper town councillors; as was apprehended, the new Municipality being nearly all Republicans, something disgraceful was expected from them. Their only redeeming feature is voting the 100,000 francs for the grand prix to be run next month and open to all comers, even if they be dwellers beyond Mesopotamia; but Parisians eould no more do without their excitement of the race course, than they could dispense with their morning cup of chocolate and all the delicacies of the season throughout the day ; Pause and Mme. Carvalho might break down in their singing ; Bassier and Sivandin fail to provision the world with bon bans, but to knock the races on the head, even martial law would be helpless, for the army would join the ladies, and no soldiers ever take up arms iu France against the fair sex, where women have also this advantage over bad “ he critters,” that of never being guillotined; the race course also serves as the glass of fashion and the mould of form ; it is the rendezvous for sets and coteries, an alfresco drawing room, and out of door reception on a large scale ; the last subjects that any person would think of speaking about are horses, births, deaths, and marriages, chiffons, balls, concerts, country parties, church going, and these constitute the affairs of state discussed, for ladies never at any period of French history took less interest iu polities. Let us look at the fashions from the Grand Stand point of view, where toilettes suggest so many parterries of flowers, and ladies like Solomon are arrayed in all their glory; it is a tournament of costumes, a congress de la mode, where toilettes are as charming, as innovations are numerous. The best display is ever in that sanctum sanctorum the weighing paddock ; though in Republic we are not the less living under a regime of good manners, so we commence with Queen Isabella, as stout as Alboni, very plain in features, a drawback forgotten iu her ready smile and frank manner; she likes the wi'itaires beyond doubt, and so approaches her sister, Latins, the French; she would certainly feel more at home in a mess-room than a talon; she is accompanied by her three daughters, aged 14, 12, and 11 respectively, more French in appearance than Andalusian ; her ex-majesty w ore a delicious toilette of lilac faille,

with tunic garnished with Persian designs on Algerian silk ; the ombrelie was in harmony with the robe, and was trimmed like it also; her daughters were dressed in silver grey mohair. Now for the elegantes par excellence; the- Princess de Metternich, thinner and even'plainer than the Queen of Spain, wore an exquisitely fitting Louis XVI robe of bronze green stripe on a maize ground; hat in straw, trimmed with a crown of grass cut by a cockade knot in velvet of same color as the stripes of the robe; the Comtesse de Pourtales had a charming Directoire toilette ; jupon and vest iu faille of the thousand striped black and white pattern ; redingote tunic of faille, trimmed with a band of pearls of two shades as the jupon ; the hat in front, was straw, and the back the same stuff as the jupon ; white tulle strings, forming a large bow, ear-rings, two large pearls: the Duchesse de Mouehy had a toilette of Edinburgh cloth, grey coffee color; sleeves mahogany colored faille; hat in Belgian straw, and very small, trimmed with twisted fringe, mahogany ribbon, garlands of roses and carnations ; the Baroness de Rothschild wore a cream colored woollen toilette, ornamented with qalons, the round straw hat was trimmed with a single branch of royal rose and its leaves ; the Comtesse de Moltke, wife of the Danish Ambassador, had a toilette of blue china cashmere, with jupon to match; redingote trimmed with feathers ; as a general remark, the cut of the robes lean still to the style Directoire; hats are worn very much on the back of the head, and flowers predominate over ribboiis ; the Bulgare plait is in stronger esteem than ever, and there is a decided tendency to return to wasp-waists. Madame Ratazzi only suffers from the trouble of how to expend her immeqse wealth ; she is a great favorite in the newspaper world, and though with Bonapart’s blood in her veins, keeps aloof from the Napoleons; shegivessplendid banquets on the anniversaries of her children’s birthdays, and is initiating French and Italian ladies into the delights of Aunt Sally and the mysteries of bowling pins. The Zoological Gardens possess a rat that absorbs more interest than the lions and the hippopotamus; it was given to a serpent to breakfast upon, an honor the rat declined, and springing at the reptile’s throat cut it across; the struggle for life has been much applauded. A word about poor Levy the publisher, the real friend of literary men, and though an ’Ebrew Jew, not the less respected. He started in life without a sous, and has left millions ; he studied for the stage, but failed; Rachel was his fellow student, and encouraged him ; when he had a few sous, he bought fried potatoes, and shared them with Rachel during the interludes of declamation. Lips though rosy, must be fed.

THOUGHTS OF HOME.

Oh ! why should Sorrow find a way To hearts that shoukl vibrate with gladness ? Why Melancholy hold her sway O’er dreary Sadness ? Tho’ far away are those we prize— The friends, the dear ones that we cherish— We live in their fond loving eyes Till life shall perish. Yes, still tho’ far away, Our love’s as fresh as May ; For distance cannot sever Hearts that will love for ever. Their names are music to our ear, And fall in'sweet melodious numbers, In days of doubt, or toil, or fear, Or dreary slumbers. They find an echo in our hearts, An echo ever, ever, sounding, Till every pulse more quickly starts With joy rebounding. Yes, still their well-known names Fan our fond love to flames; For distance cannot sever Hearts that will love for ever. Their forms, their smiles, are never seen, Still memory, like a magnet veering Points far, tho’ oceans roll between, Our homes endearing. Yes, “ Home, and those we love,” are words Deep written in each tender feeling ; Their souud is sweet us songs of birds, Or bridal pealing. Yes, home, and those we Jove, Are blessings from above ; And distance cannot sever Hearts that w ill love for ever. P.S. Gisborne, July 1875.