New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-26

loose sketches Of it's striking features" ohand and
" autoscbedastic."
In the last week Of March was great yendue, con-
tnuing through all s six days, of numerous and
magnificent moteriel,' catalogue Of which was
cent me by it, late proprietors. They f6te fur
uishers retiring from business. They dealt in the ex-
ternals of Joy and SORROW they took in the crude
emotions and turned them out chase, ford gorgeous,
atapted TO private families or the use Of schools or to
the general public, ar per order Funerals, balls, &C.
clesiastca fetes, political demonsratons-the most
eoemnly scenic mourning, the most brilliantly tinted
ayety religious devotion however profound and orna-
mental. Napoleonic enthusiasm however spontaneous
and irrepressble-for all these the Messrs. a. con-
tracted IA Messrs. Peto Brasey contract Tor rail-
roads long or short embarked or tunneled, steep or
easy grades. Here few chance quotations from
their voluminous catalogue: Statues Of saints art
"fcal flowers, egoutcheons, Indictments, balloons,
"altars and altar cloths chandeliers episcopal chairs,
all the matcrte for opera balls all the mater'ef Tor
"the Aos de Mare IS 900 metres Of rich silk velvet
"and wooden stuiis for draery, praying chairs mir
rors colored lamps, crosses, 100 Banners Dusts OF
" their Imperial Maestes,' &c. All going, going.
Ouack! Quack! chuck cuck! cock-a-doodle-doo!
a
shangbaes and dininutive Bantams and other rare
birds of the Base COur is about to commence III SAFE
No. 49, There may be sprinklng Of goats rabbits,
end dogs among them.
The human population of the Hotel Drouot may be
roughly classed into fixed habiual and transient At
the top Of the fixed class are the masters of the house.
patented members of tire guild Of Comm'Ssores Prs
eurs Ii is one of these licensed, privileged mortas,
and none other, who presdes over the yendue. lie
has rapidly roatory prehense eyes, catching and In
tervrctng the slightest motion Of yours, and OF the
mans under his nose and Of the mans out in the crowd
by the door. They have also-his eyes-a provocative
magnetic faculty which, their glance meets yours
sets you Il winking afrmatiyey with sort OF invol-
untary sympathy. And he is eloquent OF tongue ana
largely dispenses "nOds and becks and wreathed
smiles" right TO you these French are so conrteous
that you feel almost as though he were friend OF
yours in disguise having your interest at heart so
that what with sentiment Of complaisance and OF
mutual regard and the exhilarating crescendo move
ment Of bids you offer 80 francs for the Corrego, as
though by interchange of avors-and whack goes the
little ivory hammer on the patient desk. Next day
mayhap YOU encounter the commissaire in the public
way He does not seem to know you; and your
knowledge is increased, among other additions, by
clearing away of good deal of dirt from your Cor
regio and of all doubts as to it's authenticity.
BY Lis side, at tie desk, sits clerk, sometimes
there are two keeping record Of the SALE making ont
bills and filing cut double bulletins one Of which Is
pasted 10 the knocked-down thing, and the other
handed to the purchaser, who unless an utter stranger
is not expected 10 pay at the moment. space before
the desk and behind the tables that separate him from
the public il the stage Of action Of the cear, who fills
tie cief talking role in tie performances. His eyes,
too, comprehensive and infections to the last de-
gree. The voubilty of his tongue is miraculous his
lungs are brazen for his mouth-if he be good cIier
he is "a true Chrysostom. He catches your ambgu-
glance, and lifts it up were, by slight evo
luton of his own that peculiarly combines tentatory
questioning with auxiliary confirmation of high re-
solve; that you keep looking at him aud he
keeps looking at youand at anybody else in the COM
rany worth lis looking at-there ensues htchet-a-
hatchety series of calculations, and up you 90 to 80
francs-wth triumphant feel. You have got the
Core ggio and the ocr fellow has not got it. think
they make good deal of account upon this sentiment
of rtagonism and triumph the opposing bidder
these auctoneers. Before the crer in order of intel
lectua rank, is the expert He is man, if being Of
such endowment ard requirement can be so called,
who sees below the surface of artistic things to heror
igins authors intrinsic Qualities and market values Ii
il he who decides the order of their going and upon
them their supposed proper price they presented
the public for the lower orders of goods there is no
expert. shall have more to say Of him, probably, by
and by Humber in the ranks Of the fixed population is
tie commissionaire in short jacketed uniform,
wloIeccyes the object from the hands ofthe expert and
holds il mp tie inspection of the assembly There is
a fellow of his who receives it, directly it is knocked
down, sticks upon it the numbered bulletin and takes
to tie adjoining magazine room; whence, if it be a
thing within the compass of hand carriage, you reclaim
at the close Of the performances, give the commits
sonaire two sous for his trouble in the case, and,
hugging it under your arm, go home rejoicing. All
what sensation is that you enjoy when, hugging your
first CorreggiO under your ARM you push homeward
through tie stupid street-thrOng who have no Cor
reggo! 1t is mixed sensation of self-chucklement
intensified just in proportion it, exuberance is
pressed by needful observance of the outward street.
prophecies and Of ndugent pity for the less fortunate
public ignorant and indifferent your superiority
II is ndescribable sugererical. To those who have
not felt il properly il only be demonstrated trop
caly. Consider a proud, happy mother and a sue
cossul trou-sher combined with that little boy who
when his poor mother, one cold night spread sncce
daneous shutter over his unblanketed bed exclaimed
What must those poor little boys do that have not
any good shutters to lay them ?" But no. this
sweetest, deepest purest sunaimcd, 'light-winged
grace sent heaven-ward, shall not be desecrated
by comparisons. Though carrying home your own
C0rrcggio, bought cheap, il wonderful sensation all
the same.
Then, there are the policemen sergents de cWe III
eviable settlers in all Partisan places of public resort.
Lastly there the, if possible, still more inevitable
ennlnvecs the of he