Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-04-23
COM M u NICATI0 N S.
FOR THE ADVERTISER.
EXTRACTS FROM SEVERAL LETTERS OF AN
OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.
PARIS, Jan. %, 1856

Friday night, after two hours lesson in GerQan,
which az nv teacher speaks French alone, may be
esteemed two hours in French also, found myself at
the IMPERIAL theatre de Odeon, uis MS with the
Emperor and Empress, of whom, except that they
were dressed in plain citizens dress, and that his
face was marked with many wrinkle expressing
care and thought, and at the same time Of that slight
ly ,aow hue or rather bronzed tint, which give The
appearance of great endurance; that she was pretty
but constantly in motion that they both seemed per.
f.ctly at their ease-paid attention TO The play, and
laughed like every body else at the good things,
have nothing to remark. The next day called on X
and got permission 10 attend The session oil the bo'
logical Society. then paid visit to NJ to ask Tor
ticket to the seance annuee Of the Academy OF Sci.
euccs, which took place to day. This felt had
right TO ask of him. had spent three days in trans.
laiing the English article OH fslb.eeding, which
heard read at Gascon and Of which have spoken to
YOU before, into French for him. at his request
spent an hour and half in The afternoon at lecture
of Milne Edwards on the development OF the ovum.
After dining went to the theatre Francais. and at
twelve o'clock found myself at the opera Comique,
where the great annual bail of the dramatic artists
took place. was advised to go there as the most
brilliant ball of the season. and rs infinitely more re-
spectaJe and on this account more interesting, than
the masque balls that take place every Saturday night
Mt r. at the Grand Opera. But these bas 'nasq"es
what specacles No description can do them JUSTICE
and The deineators Of French manners as tar as can
zee ;anarni e1ceped) have not d,red TO attempt H.
Although am attempting to give yon some idea Of
how pass my time by furnishing connected diary
at he ODrra
Comioue, can't refrain from trying to give You, by
way of episode, faint description Of what saw at
III. Grand Opera a week ago.
For Z, so franks, you are admitted each Saturday
night, at II o'clock for the Two months preceding
the Carnival, 10 the largest theatre in France On
entering you pass through galleries, saloons and re-
fssbnpnt rooms, crowded with Cavaliers in full dress
and immense numbers of handsomely dressed females
in dominos and masques. This privilege OF The masque
is only accorded to the ladies, the gentlemen
never appearing thus atlired The chandeliers, the
carpets, the statues, the gliding, and all would seem
enough to confuse une, but instantly on the contrary,
you feel at home, you promenade, you lounge, you
speak to any body, say what you please, and take
every thing in return.
But the immense parerre The seats removed the floor
pankedluver and lighted by thirty immense chandeliers
presents The most striking scene. Here are congre'
gated between 1000 and 5000 pc rsons, in every ina
ginabe costume The voice Of the Trouadour mingles
with thewar.houpo The American savage Harlequin
leans familiarly on the shoulder of the Grand SeIg-
neur, while Madame Pompadour more than " half EN-
braced," nor half retiring from the glowing ARM"
whirls round in gddy polka with Miller. At the
far end of this immense chamber an elevated stage,
stands Strauss, himself composer, and son of the
authur of the celebrated waltzes of that name baton
in hand conducting his band composed of 100 Per-
formers.
To give them music was his charge
He screwed the pipes any made Them skIrl,
Till roof and rafters a did dlrl.
Thuse dashing, dealening, peaLs Of harmony seem.
to do more for the dancers than to
"Put life and metlIe in their heels"
In their odd ntastiqus dresses you no To- ger recog
missed them rs class of beings called dancers They
seemed to be the incarnation Of Strauss notes, or
rather like demons, imps, and Peris long time impr
soned by some powerful snchantsr in iddles, flutes
and horns now suddenly liberated in wild tumulluous
ecsacy by the magic Of Strauss black wand Also
coodly number of people Of all nations and ages,
walked by this noisy oge from their repose, seemed to
have come there 10 looh oH out o"ePs away W
the excitement had joined in the saurnalia, despite
their former dignity while much smaller number
OF white. .glored, pantaooned fellows like myself,
stood by as spectators. And while We
"gazed, amazed and curious,
The mirth and fun grew fast and furious;
The pipers loud and louder blew,
The ancers quick and quicker flew;
They reeleJ, they set, the cfossd they dreekit,
Till ilka Gallant sweat and reekt
Men in petlicoats, women IN breeches-no" mixed
in iutsrminable conf usun-now recalled by Strauss
struins-,he hundreds threading these macy abyrnts
finding their places again, jumping over each others
heads and Ainging another up with twisting mo-
,ion; and so high they eapt and fang 1t" they SEEM
ed dancing in tile air, rather than on the foor II
YOU ever recoIlect to have seen boy with piece OF
pipe stem in his mouth, with green 7sa pierced
by pin, suspended at the other end, which he keeps
whiring in mid air, and you will just imagine thou
sand Of such peas, thus whirlng, transformed into
human beings in fancy costume, you will see before
YOU the Par,erre of the masque ball at the Grand
Opera. H.
sEcoNtSLETTER.
PARIS, Jan. %, 1856.
Il was while smoking cigar in the Buffet at the