The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-31

WINDOWS opening like snuf.box. An apar
ment, all on one floor, consists of dininp
room, saloon, one, two, or more bed. rooms, an
kitchen. The number of bedrooms regulate
the rent, and It is generally calculated that a.
additionai bedroom increases the rent one O
Two thousand francs, according to the situation
for instance, a small, unfurnished apartment
WIN TWO or three bedrooms, in the neiphbor
MOOD OF the Clamps Elysees, rents for from
Sooo 70 $500, according to the story, which il
bring from $500 to a ST. 900, and in the tradas
menquarter $3.50. Furnished apartments If N,
same size and situation, vary from 81 O0O !,
$2,O0O year. Whole houses, called hotels. ar,
rare, and rent for from $4,000 to 81, 900. accord
ing to their position, magnitude, and decora
tions. Single rooms, furnished, in hotels. cos
from one to two dollars day, with attendance
but with board.
servants are plenty; but faithful aud good
COOKS are nearly as scarce as elsewhere, though
much is said about the aptitude of the French
in the culinary art.
regular Gordon bleu, gentleman of the
pot, Is matter of luxury, and their salaries
vary from 1900 to 5000 francs a wear. and the
wealthy only can enjoy the luxury Of such a
rare artist.
A good woman cook gets fifty francs a
month, and attends only to her kitchen. A
toieraoie cook, who does all the house work.
gets from thirty-6ve to forty francs a month.
chambernaid, from thirty to forty francs a
month. men servants. from fifty to sixty francs
month, board included. The servants neither
fetch water, fuel, nor do they scrub. Washing
Is universally done out of the house. The wa.
ter-carrier receives from one to two dollars nor
month. The frotteur, or foor-waxer, gets from
ten to tlftoaU ooptu mar
the pound; two hundred pounds of oak wood cost
one dollar and quarter. One hundred pounds
OF charcoal costs one dollar and sixty cents.
Cooking is generally done with the latter and
the Kitchen ranges are properly constructed for
Its use Crates are almost unknown, and stoves
are but little used; the fre-places being of the
most primitive construction, they throw out
but little heat.
Meats are exceedingly dear; they average
twenty cents pound. A pair of inc chickens.
from two to two and half dollars. Eges.
two and three cents apiece. Butter varies
from thirty to fifty cents a pound. A dish
Of vegetables for four persons costs about
fifteen cents. Lard, twenty four cents a pound,
and but little used in the culinary department.
Lamp oil, eighteen cents pound. Sperm
candles, thirsy-two cents pound; sugar about
twenty cents pound; coffee, forty cents a
pound tea, one dollar and sixty cents pound;
bread, hive and six cents a pound, according to
quality. Washing is estimated by the piece.
according to the size and style of ornaments.
averaging somewhat less than in the United
States.
a common seamstress gets thirty or fortv
cents, with three meals, day. A carriage and
horses costs about twelve hundred dollars a
year; arrangements can be made with livery
stables, to furnish a fine carriage with horses
always at command for the same amount.
Schooling for boys or girls averages, board
included, from two to three hundred dollars a
year. A good day school, about 500 francs a
year. Music teachers, from seventy.fve cents
to two dollars lesson. A good plain upright
piano costs from $3.50 to $3.50.
1t costs about 81 900 to furnish small apart
Of four persons, with modest habits, can live on
$4,000; ont of which sum, however, little can
be extracted for amusements. Theatres are
expensive-one seat at the grand opera costs
nearly two dollars in the smaller theatres,
from 81 to $3.50. The expenses for dress are
great; modest style alone requires consid-
cradle outlay. Leaders of fashion spend from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year for their toilets
few hundred dollars outlay a year for that
item does not admit of any great pretensions
to elegance in dress. 1t requires q very large
ioAtuhC w hNC III DO uuCu Stylt as some Oh the
old nobility, rich bankers, and spectators; and
it is ridiculous for our republicans with small
means to attempt to vie with those colossal
fortunes, the incomes of which are larger than
their capitals. The foregoing items will enable
your readers to make fair estimate of the cost
of living simply in Paris, without pretending to
enjoy the gayeties of Paris season.
The Parisians, like other townspeople, fly
from the city in the early part of May, to visit
the country and watering places, to return late
in the fall. Such excursions are very costly,
and double the expense of living. Bot for
those who desire to spend some months in the
country, every facility ia afforded in the neigh
borhood of Paris, where country houses are
to be rented for few months, comfortably and
even elegantly furnished.
The following is an account of a trousseau
exhibited at one of the first lingeres of the
Place Vendome, and ordered by the young
Countess de Castellane, who was lately married
to Prince Frederic de Ridziuill, Prussian
officer, and is striking example of the many
follies of extravaganza committed by ladies Of
the present day. The young Princess is a
daughter of the late Marquis de Castellane, who
died Peer of France in l847 her mother was
cess was married at Sagan, in Siesia, at the
de Sagan, born Princess de Courlande.
Among the remarkable things to be seen in
that profuson of elegant lingerie, linen, richly
embroidered and inlaid with the finest Valen.
ciennes laces there were five dozen pocket
handkerchief, (if we may still denominate
those elegant little squares, with plain centre
of batiste, scarce large enough to cover the tip
end of the nose, by SO vulgar name,) attracted
general attention and admiration. They were
mostly of the finest linen cambria, deliberately
embroidered with every variety of lace stitch,
and trimmed with laces that must have fallen
from the hands of some unknown fairy. The
twelve first cost two hundred dollars apiece
another dozen, one hundred dollars; and 80 on,
down to twenty dollars apiece. The marking
of the arms alone cost sixty dollars apiece.
The coat of arms of the house Of Castellane, in
terwoven with those of the house of Ridziwill,
surmounted by Princes crown, was embroi.
dered with q flexible gold thread, not to be in
jured by washing.
The magnificent Cashmere shawl, one of the
seven in the trousseau, representing all the col.
ors, is of Turkish fabric, embroidered with gold
and turquoise.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION AND
SECURING PEACE
In the debate on the 22d, in the Senate, which
followed the feeble effort of Dr. Fitch to bolster
up the Lecompton usurpation, Mr.. Douglas,
in strong language, showed the operation of the
Presidents policy, in localizing the Slavery
Question and securing peace:
"But we are told we must force the Lecomp-
ton Constitution down the throats of the people |
for the sake of peace for the sake of localizng
the quarrel. How is that to be done? By pass |
ing an act of Congress forcing Constitution |
on the people of Kansas, against the will of that