Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-09-13
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ROMANCE OF CRINOLINE.


While we are upon the subject Of crinolrr.
il may he as well to tell you the adventure
which is forming the chief amusement of the
court at this moment and which happened n
day or two ago at st. Cloud. The Duchess
de p, one of the most crinolined of all the
ladies about the Empress, being in the fullest
feather for the dinner to which she had been
invited by her imperial mistress, was led into
the sale q mangcr by the little Count de NJ =,
man of great renown but Of very small sta
ture. The duchess is of tall commanding
figure, and is besides, particularly liberal of
crinoline, which she is accused of exaggera-
ting to most inconvenient proportions. The
doors ct St. Cloud are not Of the same nigh.
ty dimensions as those at the Tuileries and
although the battans were thrown wide open,
il was with some diSmay the little count be-
held the work before him, when he compared
the width of the door with that Of the crino-
line Of the lady on his arm! just at the aw-
ful moment of the passage, however, the lady
unconsciously dropped her fan,--the count,
iorgetiul OF his perilous positian, confined be-
tween the doorway, having no other fear be-
fore his eyes but tina. of seeming to be def
cient in gailantry and good manners. mpru-
IDENTIFY stopped to pick it up. At that mo-
meat the duchess was actually passing through
the door-in order to accomplish this difficult
feat, she was just in the act Of giving that Pc
culiar swing to the left which the dspropor-
ton Of the dress Of the present day with our
domestic economy renders necessary. when to
the utter dismay and CONSERVATION of the
whole assembly, the little count WAS missed,
and the duchess remained struggling with
some unseen obstacle which prevented her ad-
yancing.
The ogre crnoline had swallowed up the
knight even more effectually than in the fairy
days of old, for no trace of his former exs-
tence was visible. The company following
in pairs were stopped as matter Of course
those who had gone on before had already
reached their seats at the table, and turned
in wonder to behold the strange scene which
was enacting at the door, where the tall ma
jestic, and unusually dignifed Duchess de +.
was capering and caracoing with a sacred
and terrified countenance, and the rest OF the
company pressing forward to behold what wai
the matter. The confusion and dismay were
at their height when the little man crept out
on his hands and knees from beneath the
mountain of crinoline and fiounces in which
he had been enveloped. all flushed and dis
comfted, but little disposed smile, although
tho tittering of the company soon broke into
hearty laugh when the Empress, unable 10
restrain her mirth, gave the signal Of Il genu-
inc outburt OF merriment, which enlivened
the whole repast, and rendered it one Of the
gayest which had taken place since the de-
parture Of the Emperor OF course, this ad-
venture has given rise to epigrams and quol-
bets without end, and the poor little count
has become better known within the last week
in the annals of the court than by the three
years good and honest service which be has
passed at the Tuileries. The duchess mean
while, towers more majestically than ever
over her fellows the incident has not whit
diminished the ihsolence OF her crinoline,
which, growing more prodigious every day.
completely extiDguishes all the ridicple which
the adventure of the little Count de NJ: would
otherwise have heaped upon her.-Pdris cor
reYondsacc of ne london Court Jas~lraL D..