The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-08-28
A Romance of Crinoline.

While we are upon the subject Of crino-
line, it may be as we'll to tell you the ad
venture which is forming the chief amuse.
ment OF the Court at this moment, and
which happened 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
manger by the little c. unit de NJ, man
of great renown, but of very small stature.
The duchess is Of a tall commanding figure,
anc is besides particularly liberal Of crino.
line, which she is accused Of exaggerating
to most inconvenent proportions. The
doors at St. Cloud are not of the same
might, dimensions rs those at the Tuileries:
and although the two battans were thrown
wide Open. it was with some ditnay the
little count beheld the work before him.
when he compared the width Of the door
with that OF the crinoline Of the lady on his
arm! Just at the awful moment of the pas.
sage. however, the lady unconsciously
dropped her f.n-the count, { rgetful OF
his perilous position confined between the
doorway, having no other fear before his
eyes but that of seeming to be deficient in
gai'antry and good manners, imprudently
stopped TO pick it up. At that moment
the duchess was actually passing through
The door-in or,er to accomplish this diff
cult feat she was just in the act of giving
that peculiar swing TO the left which the
disproportion Of the dress of the present day
with our domestic economy renders necessa
ry, when, to the utter dismay and cons,er.
nation of the whole assembly, the little
count was missed. ana the duchess remain
ed struggling with some unseen obstacle
which prevented her advancing. The ogre
crinoline had swallowed up the knight even
more etfec:ua!ly than in the fairy days of
Old, for no trace of his former existence was
visible. The company following in pairs
was stopped as matter Of course-those
who had gone on before had already reach.
ed their seats at the table, and turned in
wonder to behold the strange scene which
was enacting at the door, where the tall.
majestic. and unusually dignified Duchess
de L. was capering and caracoling with a
scared and terrified countenance, and the
rest o! the company pressing forward to be.
hold what was 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
tiouaces in which he had been enveloped,
all flushed ahd discomi,ed, but little dispos
ed TO smile, although the tittering Of the
company soon broke into hearty laugh,
when the Empress, unable to restrain her
mirth, gave the signal Of genuine out
burst 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. or course, this
adventure has given rise to epigrams and
quolibets 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 he has passed at the Tuileiies. The
duchess, meanwhile, towers mure majesli
ca!ly than ever over her fellows; the Incl
dent mas not whit diminished the inso
lence of her crinoline. which, growing ru ore
proiigous every day, completely extin-
guiShes all the ridicule which the aaven.
ture of the little Count de NJ would other
wise have heaped upon her-Paris Cor.
respondent Of the Court journal.