New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-05-11
The Learned Ounce.

went sometime since, in company with an init
mate friend, to soiree, held some distance from
Paris at the house Of mutual friend lately married
When we entered, three ladies were in the act of ex
ecutng a Trio. Inc husband introduced us to his
wife, pretty-looking parsonage, to whom express
ed my regrets that had not been able to pay my
respects earlier.
II must scold your husband for keeping you so So
Guided from the world Madam" said [.
1t is true, Monsieur, that we lead yery retired
life; but love solitude; for, indeed, the gay world
hath but few charms for me.' -
looked at my friend, who said in low tone, "this
is a woman of genius"
"If mistake not. we have missed some very fine
music"
You have, indeed, gentlemen you have missed
an excellent trio Of Bethovens. oh, what genius
was Beethoven! What soul! How mystical is his
harmony! How his modulations seem to embody
themselves with each other, and to plunge the soul
into strange reveries.'
My friend looked at me with establishment.
This woman is indeed genius" said I, in low
tone
"No; Germany has not produced Bethoven's
equal" said the lady.
Madame forgets Mozart and Weber,
Were they German composers 2"
I was Supplied. How she knows Beethoven
A very animated discussion carried on between two
amateur painters at this moment attracted the atten
ton of the lady to another subject They speak
ing of arabesques
Arabesques moresques,'' said the lady, "I ad
mire those ornaments of sculpture, painting, and of
architecture formed of foliage leaves of figures Of
lmals, plants, or imaginary beings. Have you re-
Marked gentlemen, that in the houses of the Mahom
etans, the moresques never contain the figures of ami
mails?
"But-
at is true, gentlemen for the law of Mahomet
expressly forbids the employment of images, beasts,
or OF animated beings in arabesques."
My surprise was extreme. My friend stared with
wonder and we could hardly disguise our thoughts ;
but some one asked just at this moment her opinion
of frescoes.
Frescoes! What are they? Are they an
cients?n
I was dumb with surprise. How could this me-
lange OF education and Ignorance be accounted for
Did she do it wilfully? Was it from some feminine
malice to serve some private purpose of her own?
The conversation then took historical turn. They
spoke of the ancient Greeks and Arthenians. Some
one named Aspasia.
-" Few women she said, could boast of exercs-
ing such influence people. Courtezan and phi
| losopher she numbered among her pupils and lovers
Socrates and Alcibiades. Such was the power she
had the heart of Percles that he repudated his
wife to espouse the fair Milanese."
Myself and friend again looked at each other with
| establishment
EYES," replied I, /" she was woman with talents
| of the first order. Then her popularty-her eo-
quence All the youth Of Athens came the classes
of Aspasia, when she delivered the harangues of De-
mosthenes."
|
Music now broke up the conversation, my friend
and not knowing what to think of the accomplish
ments and ridiculous mistakes of our fair hostess.
What was the meaning of this familiarity with GER
tain names, and her entire ignorance of certain 9th
| ers The enigma had something piquante about it,
and | reflected upon it during the remainder of the
evening.
The next day my friend entered my apartment, and
cried =" The problem is solved have just returned
from our friends house; he has bought pocket Cy-
copeda, which his wife is committing to memory,
and it is extremely natural for her to commence at
the commencement; she has studied A, as Arabesque
Aspasia, and the others but of course as yet she
knows nothing OF Demosthenes nor Frescoes, nor
Mozart, Weber for the wife of our friend is re-
ceivng her education in alphabetical ORDER
This was the truth
Some days after again visited the female scholar
the discourse turned upon politics. She harangued
with much energy upon the talents Of Danton, the
revolutionst. 1t appeared she had arrived at the
letter D.
Note--We think from what we have seen of the
above named Dictionary, that in about fifteen years
from this time the fair scholar will be able to dis
course upon the merits of Zoology and Of the talents
nj