The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-18 00:00:00

make other parations suitable to receive its
danaieg_visitet_iihere is certainly no city in the
world that can appear to better advantage ; its
_bright and smiling aspect will give a cheerful wel-
come to all who visit it, and its lovely drivee,
proinenadeo, gardens, operas, theatres, and gay life
will cause many to linger here for many mouths.
Spring violets, sermons, concerts, and a stray ray
of sun now and thea, have led lls to hope for some-
thing more edifying than we have done, since ball',
masquerades, and flirting have had their own way
in the upper circles.
Ash-Wednesday, in its grave, sober snit, has im-
pressed many with a conviction, that to be less ex-
travagantly attired, and to enjoy social meetings
more quietly, would be but becoming for a season ;
and could such Lenten thoughts arise in the minds
of a few more than the many I allude to, we should
not despair of the youth of our age. Their follies,
alas ! are rather to be laid to the account
of their elders for the very indifferent education
given by them in sowing time. Parents
have an idea that a large amount of money
spent on accomplishments must be " the making"
of their offspring. Schools are now sought after
where there is to be no schooling, no hardships,
plenty of liberty, and private masters for every-
thing. Mothers, whose grandmothers (dear good
old souls) rose at six to visit their dairies, and never
sat down to a meal that did not boast of at least
one dish of their own cookery (and what a deli-
cious relish it had !), have nowadays girls who can-
not bear early hours, who must take steel to give
them an appetite, and who could not live without
the most expensive food. They would positively
die if they had not their yearly mineral waters, and
sea-side bathing, and, what is almost as bad, they
cannot walk above five minutes at a time. They
fortunately can dance, the raise a deux temps, re-
dowas, new polkas, mazurkas, &c., without which
they would certainly droop; poor young crea-
tures ! Their great-grandmothers, too, I repeat,
i knitted all the warm woollen under-clothing which
their great grandfathers drew ou so nimbly before
setting lout betimes on their farming avocations,
whereas now their female descendants can do
nothing with their fingers but a little crochet or
fancy work, and that only at tea parties, for the
sake of having something to toy with. The idea of
darning one's brother's socks would appear as pre-
posterous to them as their own small ideas do to
you, readers, and myself. Others only condescend
to take lessons, providing they are taught by the
very best masters (not the best in every sense)—
those are meant whe ask the highest terms, and
who, having nothing to do with beginners, of course
gave themselves the least trouble. Singing masters,
whose names do not end with an Italian " i" cannot
be worth much, while American and English tal:nt
are as little believed iu, as native refinement. All
our talents and good manners (?) must come from
the continent, and yet mothers are daily heard who
complain that le Jenne France has lost its chivalric
spirit of polite attention to ladies.
It is but fair to say a word to exonerate all this
jeunesse from such a dire accusation, and to suggest
that the fault is not entirely on the strong side.
1 have observed that gentlemen's manners depend
very munch on those of the ladies with whom they
associate. It is evident we have no right to expect
attentions or any conveniences at the disposal of
gentlemen if we, who ought to be models of feminine
modesty, will indulge in open benoiting. La. jeune
France has not lost its proverbial old spirit, for it
revives when in its natural element ; but la ferule
France has taken a few hard lessons of late. It
has been frowned at for small offences, it has been
laughed at for its faith in the fair sex, it has been
rudely pushed by on staircases, twittered at behind
fans, stared at through firmly-levelled opera-glasses,
loudly accosted and nodded at in public streets,
which operations have not been undergone without
twinges of inward annoyance. Where is the wonder
if, after this, pride and pique should have estranged
young men from the belles of our drawing-rooms ?
When ladies cease sailing down the Rue de la Pais,
leaving their husbands but just room enough for
one foot on the kerbstone, while the other is left to
explore the gutter, it is probable that la jeune
France will look sorry when they knock one down
or tear one's train off instead of contenting them-
selves with a "Pardon, madame," which in their
heart of hearts they would rather do without. If
well-bred sisters and daughters dispose of their
evenings without making one effort to entertain
their fathers and brothers at home, it is likely these
honourable supports of society will carry the strength
of their admiration and muscle to the Eldorado,
where they will vociferate bravoes and diminish
their energies in loud clapping, without even giving
an impetus thereby to the glove-trade, for people
are not expected to wear kid gloves at the cafe-
concerts, and Theresa herself is not particular.
This reminds me that Theresa is resting, and that
Mdlle. Cornelie is drawing crowds to the divas
temple such large audiences—in fact, that the Go-
vernment " causeurs" have given it as their opinion
that Mdlle. Cornelie is a dangerous person ; not
because her style is two florid, but because she has
taken to tragic outpourings, which it appears are
more exciting than the "femme a barbe." Mdlle.
Cornelie, in one word, is a great tragedian, and had
she been fortunateenough to remain at the Theatre
Francais, her name would be coupled with those of
our best actresses ; only managers do sometimes
make mistakes, and are often hard of conviction
until the public voice rise iu one " Tolle ! toile !"
Corneille and Racine positively look treasonable
when given out from behind the fumes of tobacco
proceeding from the pipes of the Eldorado habitue's.
The numerous Parisian administrateurs who ever
must administer something for the sums paid them,
look upon Mdlle. Cornelie very suspiciously when
she is attired in the antique chlamyde ; without the
said chlamyde she is free to be Phedre, Iphygenie,
le Cid, or Theramene. She happens to entertain an
idea h
thatte roles h
appropriatese rs in.
aeopspteuames The
tho to
censors beado pted
for do
n'h e
s though
when
nnootthiandgmwitasofsaidthis simple
about
could be arrested on
his way, I would ask
nr.
If an efficient administrateur
she sang " rienTherreesoasau'ois.nicn,liogn sapet,
the belle Helene
y sacreso:e
ofp
sehi vs
qhueithse,ravßaialcceitr,:s
1 dramas
would are
;lido notin .
peplums at the Bouffes excited their benevolent
preferable to
a,n‘clß/7
sympathies,
quire if it would not be as well to give the nation
strong food instead of exciting draughts ? I never
shall have a chance of being thus impressive, how-
ever, for censors are always very busy, feeling mys-
sterious-looking wigs here, and complaining of the
seditious appearance of knocked in hats there, div-
ing into false calves, shooting off unloaded pistols,
striking out Alexandrine metre, and thus gaining
their lives at the very sweat of their brows. Mr.
Ponsard's new piece, " Galilee," knows all about
censorship. Verdi's " Don Carlos" and Mr. de
Girardin's opinions have also come under notice ;
and if I keep not to my fashions, even I may be
cut out of the Franco, which to me is the land of
the living.

PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN IN ENAMEL.—MeSSTS.
Dickenson, of 114, New Bond-street, have recently com-
pleted the enamel portrait of her Majesty, intended as a
present to Mr. George Peabody ; a memento of her Majesty's
appreciation of that gentleman's generosity to the poor of
London. The enamel is the largest which has been pro-
duced in this country; the plate is of solid gold, and no
pains have been spared to produce as perfect a work of the
kind as possible. Her Majesty afforded special sittings to the
painter, Mr. F. A. Tilt, and throughout showed great interest
in the undertaking ; and some idea may be formed of the
labour and critical nature of the process when we state that
twelve months have been spent on a surface of 10 inches
by 14. The results are very satisfactory, inasmuch as a
most faithful portrait of the Queen has been secured in
materials which are considered almost imperishable. It
is not commonly expected of the enameller that he shall
approach the truth of nature with the same nicety as
painters in oil or water-colours do, yet we have seen few
miniatures truer in tint and texture than the present one
by Mr. Tilt. Her Majesty appears in simple black, re-
lieved by a light veil falling from a diadem of pearls.
These and the broad blue ribbon serve to impart force to
the features, which are tinted with unusual delicacy,
and modelled with a fidelity that has seldom been sur-
passed. In the course of a few days the portrait (which is
admirably set) will be forwarded to the British Minister at
Washington to be presented to Mr. Peabody, who, we hear,
has been to much expense iu preparing a room specially
for the Royal gift.
THE RISING GENERATION.—The Fenians.—
Punch.