The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-11-25
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 25 1852

mellow-it was molten beauty, and glory, and
JOY. 1t did not seem to pour down upon YOU,
but to float around you, and flow over YOU on
the sottly-undulating waves of air Then there
were fountains in play, innumerable flowers in
bloom, and trees in all the gorgeousness of their
autumnal foliage. The promenades were
many, forming gay, varied, picturesque, and
peculiarly Partisan groups. There we're ladies
surprisingly tasteful in dress and graceful in
carriage elegant gentlemen with the blacklist
of moustaches; beautiful children with their
bo,lsseS students, with a characteristic iaunti-
ness in the pose of their hats, with a dash Of
recklessness in the tie of their cravats, and a
general disregard of cOnventionalisms in the
color of their walstcOats and the plaid of their
pantaoons grisettes, with ncely-itting polka
Jackets snowy-white collars, and the most CO.
quetish little caps imaginable
There can be few finer views in the world
than the one from the front of the palace, down
the central avenue, to the Place de Ia Coneorde,
and LIRE de Triomph
AS | stood there gazing thought what a
sharp pang of anguish must have shot through
the heart of poor Marie Antoinette, as from
the ignominious cart of the condemned, or the
scaffold of execution, she looked over the vile
crowd of her murderers to the scene of her
former pleasures and splendors.
We found the musical part of the service at
La Madeleine most enjoyable but the preach
ing, by fat gross old priest edited us little,
chiefly, it may be, from the fact that most of
us understood but about one word in four /,
for one, must confess to having ventured among
the French, in bold disregard of the excellent
advice contained in the song
.
For whoever supposes that he or she can learn
the common language of common life here out
of books and in America, is wofully mistaken.
Yet, as some of our party speak French well,
and most of the servants at the hotel, shop
keepers and railway officers speak English, |
have had very little trouble.
As my stay this time was to be so brief and
the sights which one must see are SO many, |
have not delivered my letters of introduction,
and so have seen nothing of Partisan society.
We attended one of the theatres a night or
two since, and witnessed fairy spectacte-a
magnificent mass of absurdities. Rachel, un-
fortunately, we have not seen, and fear We shall
not see during this visit.
October Ely sterday we spent in the pal
ace and gardens of Versailles feel it as re-
lief that am on the last page of my letter and
near the last hour of my last day in Paris; and
thus may be excused from any attempt at de-
scribng the matchless beauties of architecture,
gories of art, and unapproachable splendors, of
that royal wonder of the world found that
history, romance and poetry had given me but
faint and partial idea of the vast extent, the
dazzling gorgeousness and magnifcence Of this
place. The picture galleries are storehouses
of the treasures of centuries, where every glo-
rious scene in the history of France or the lives
of her monarchs and heroes is before you, and
every face famous or Infamous in her annals
looks down upon you. | had intense pleasure
in thus reading the splendid military and i'm
perial career Of Napoleon. But by far the
grandest historical pictures are those of a later
era, by Horace Vernet who with his wondrous
genius has thrown splendor around even the
war in Algiers and the taking of Rome.
A relief and rest after the bewilderng
richness of the palace and the magni6cence of
the gardens, was a visit to La Petit Iridnon,
the favorite retreat of Marie Antoinette. There
is mOurnfuI loneliness, a touching quietude,
about this little palace and its grounds es-
pecially at this season Of the year strangely in
consonance with memories Of its beautiful and
fated mistress. There liz, near the borders of a
beautiful lake. weeping willow, planted by
her own hand-most fitting and faithful me-
morial-and in retired and lovely spot, you
come upon the exquisite little hamlet, charm
ing fancy of the young Queen, where the roya
family often amused themselves by playing vii
layers. Marie AntOnette was mlk-maid
and nothing could be more beautiful than hel
ld,terie.
Tomorrow, we start for Rome, which W.
hope to reach in something less than a fort
night from this time.
AS ever, yours, truly,
GRACE GREENWOOD