The Placer herald., 1860-06-30
A Conversation Between Two Ladies.
FROM THE FRENCH OF ALPHONsE KARR

and translated or initiated from the French
Of Alphonse Karr. Of course, says late
cotemporary, the French writer is descrb
ing French women alone. It would be ab-
surd to imagine that the weakness attributed
to them by their witty compatriot, are in
any way shared by the women of America.
We feel ii necessary to state our opinion on
this point beforehand in order to avert the
wrath of our female subscribers. The scene
is laid at the seaside-say Dieppo.
sit is very warm madam"
Very warm, indeed.
mot so warm as yesterday, however"
Yesterday | did not 90 out. | had to
write to my husband and he is never salts
fed unless l cover at least eight pages Of
letter paper"
When two women meet and converse for
the first time, the first thing each endeavors
to establish is, that somewhere or other there
exists man who has rendered sufficient
justice to her attractions to commit the
folly of marrying her; then, that this man
is some one very Important and very rich;
next to that, that he is very much struck
with his wife, who is comparatively inditfer
ent about him; and finally, that be is COM
peey ruled by her.
The first lady having stated that her hus
band requires her to send him letters eight
pages long; the second feels very much in
cned to say that her husband would blow
his brains out unless he received, every day,
letters sixteen pages long, but she thinks of
something more ingenious.
81 do not write at all Just now," she ans
| N'D g.. -, I..f, .,,bo
noyed with M. de Cairval he did not wish
me to come to the sea side, but WAS deter
mined | w"ul.!. What can possibly make
you want to shut yourself Up in some IN Sc
rable place by the sea- he said to me, in
stead of passing the summer months at your
chateau where YOU could receive your friends9'
1t is true that he had spent enormous sums
on his estate in order to make it agreeable
for me, but had made up my mind to 90 to
the sea side. and off started with no one
but my maid. M. de Clairval will be annoy
ed for a few days, and then all at once he
will follow me-"
Gas for me- brought no one with me-
My husband is obliged to receive during my
absence; he cannot do SO without his coach
man. his cook. bis butler and ""l
maid maid 'i; Keeps ls'' Inc e house for him. She is a
very clever girl, and, as she has been a long
while in the family she can be trusted with
anything"
'For my part never go anywhere " ilh
out mine. She is very much attached to me.
She has been very little in service Before
living with me she was with the Duchess of
-, so that she thoroughly understands
what a woman of certain position requires
spoil her little M. de Clairva was say
ing, only last week. that she seemed to
change her dress every day, whereas often
wear the same dress three days running"
"For my part am not sorry to have left
Paris. passed most dreary winter
Every day people came to dinner; a party,
at least once week, composed of persons
who are, no doubt, very useful to the State,
and very celebrated but who talk nothing
but politics. Then there WAS my husband,
always at the Chamber during the day, and,
when he did come home, overwhelmed with
business"
"Your husband is member of Deputies?'
"Yes," replied the other, as if she attach
ed no sort of Importance to the fact after
taking such pains to mention it.
"'m more fortunate than you in that re-
spect. M. de Clarval will not hear word
about politics in the present state of affairs;
the aristocracy keeps aloof; at the proper
moment it will come forward, etc"
TO hear these two ladies, you might ina
gine they were bird catchers, showing what
beautiful birds they had taken.
"See how clever am," one of them says;
''what beautiful feathers my bird has"
"Mine is quite as handsome" replies the
other, "and how well he sings"
Then, when there is nothing more to be
said about the husband, their merits, their
affection, and SO on, they come to positive
proofs.
THAT is a very pretty dress of yours"
For the affection of a husband is moi de
monstrated by his attention and care; al! that
is deceptive and means nothing whatever.-
The precise, mathematical, visible proof of
his love, is to be found in the victims he
sacrifices to his divinity. You say your hus
band adores you. | am not to be taken in
by mere phrases. Let us see what dresses
he gives you.
"Womaen only adorn themselves IN order
to excite one another's envy." (Goethe.)
The first lady has said, "That is very
pretty dress of yours"
Merely morning Dress" is of course
the answer.
"Yes, it is very nice for early in the day"
The proprietress Of the dress, who had only
expressed disparaging opinion of it, in the
hope of eliciting protest, is annoyed at tue
other agreeing with her so readily. She
loses no time in adding-"lt has certainly
this merit that it is impossible to find one
like it, Only one piece was made at Lyons,
and have bought the whole of it."
| In woman's life, everything leads to