, 1865-12-24
THE ERA OF LOREITES IN PARIS.
Translated from the Magazine OF Foreign Litera-
tute, for The Commercial Adyettfset.l

tufe, for The Commercial Adrertser.l
IT am not the grave-dfgger who buries, I
mn the sentinel who warns-n With these
words, Anedce de Cessna closes his last
Mr.. de Ccsena Is Bonapartist, he nevertheless
pereeiTes the signs Of decay, and beholds
society driving toward an abyss. He calls
the present ezra, such as 1t is exhibited In
Paris, the "Era of Lorettes," aud excfaims,
with Indignation "What Is to be expected
from an epoch and society where the names
Of Rfgolboche md Theresa 60 from mouth to
mouth? Rigplboche and Theresa have be-
; come types. Are not these signs Of decny?"
During the periods Of the first empire and
the restoration, Paris was considered as I'M
moral as modern Babel. But then there
were elevated points and low grounds, and
eyeEswhere there conla be ''1 i1ppd pure spots
The most fearful symptom Of the moral
decay which the nctual Paris presents, Is the
disappearance Of a1l boundaries be-
tween that which Is base and that ,
and 1sstlvnls Of the fashionable world,
reputation, who by dint Of money
found husbands, leaning Oh whose arms they
walk with proud gait. In the most nsisto-
cratic and hanghty salons ,l1 II The most honor
| der the sweeping influence Of the ever grow
Ing necessities Of luxury, which every year be-
comes more extravagant, have formed dis
honorable liAsons with rich men of their So
ciety. How many bills Of jewellers, manhandes
lie mode md dressmakers are paid without the
knowledge Of the husband, and at the cost Of
his honor! Under the monarchy Of Tn1y the
causes Of decay-an exclusively material de-
| velopment, an eager pursuit Of gain, the ad-
miratiou Of success, no matter by what means
4 obtalned-began already 10 SOW the seed of
corruption, which, undcr the present Govern
l mont hna rrnpSD mn with sTrb fnrioNl rnYif7.
lty. Women have lost in charms what they
/ have gafned in influence. What Is stall
! healthy Il tImidly drawing back; taahion, the
power Of the day, has fallen to the share Of
Ifyou attend one of the Paris1an theatres
| Of the first or second clnss On the occasion Of
first representation OF piece which, On ac-
count Of the name of the author, or Of its
character, enjoys some reputation, during the
first scenes you arc continually disturbed by
some Of the boxes, The whole house, from
the orchestra seats up to the amphitheatre,
directs attention to those boxes, and this
goes on 1ntn an the boxes Of the first tier are
occupied. II you are stranger you Will find
1t singular that each Of these boxes which are
cnpied by only two ladies, either unaccompa-
MED By gentlemen, or only by young men
who, by their appearance, betray their un-
easiness.
Soon you will make q second observation
| These women nre dressed In IN elegant but
rather snowy style they wear Tish jeWelEy
jewels and 1aces were IN the wrong place. The
women are handsome, but their beauty is Of &
| peculiar kind. Their faces, although young,
are treated Us II they were old the eyebrows,
even the eye-lashes, arc painted and give their
| languid eyes . sing1lar. expression; the
cheeks are glaring with white and red paint
Some Of them arc bguncttes, Others fair; the
one have blue, the others black eyes; some
l are small, others large, but oil OF them have
| family likeness Their department. their
dress. everything bears stamp which tells
| you TINT they are all Of one cllss OF women,
and belong to the sa1ne society:
Who are these women who strive to attract
attention, md who succeed so we'll Ia these
| mancuyres, that they nre spectacle within
the spectacle, not only to gentlemen, but
also to the mcst cultivated, richest and
noblcst ladies? Are they the queens of
art and poetry, brilliant with beauty and
glasses are directed toward them, people
point them cut to each other, and make them
the subject OF their conversation Ladies'
AID gentleman who did not know these wo-
men, inquire their names and arc not satisfied
until they know them. How Is II that they
| looks aud that intention Is Withdrawn from
the new piece to be directed to them! Is this
IN homage to their virtue, their spirit or their
influence! Certainly not; for when they en-.
tered their boxes malicious smile received
them. accompanied by an Impairment curl.
osity.
These women orc met everywhere; on the
prominadcs md at the Boulevard des 1tal1eus
and in the Bois de Boulogne; at the hippo.
drome at Longchnmps at Vincennes and
Chantil1y. Some of them ride IN splendid
carriages a ID Danmonte, OF in post-chaises
1 rk1 xrtf1 tJv-rS Nf.r
which they drive themselves and every herr
yon observe that they are the centre OF ~ eyes
oud the theme OF all conversations. The la-
dies seem to envy and the gentlemen to ad,
mire them but they are never accompanied
BY any one; as If It were too great an honor,
their carriages. Who ore these women, 80
elegant and 50 1u3nrfous, so young and SC
| painted, who are always alone They ARE
Loftftes- 500.
The Lorette Is a novelty Of q peculiar kind
which has no model in the past, md we hops
COZ copy H Il he @ future. she would approach the
Astaira Of Athens, if she combined with tht
beauty Of Phyrne, the Intelligent mind o
an Aspasia. But the Lorrette IS MOI
always handsome, and neTer intelt
gent: She Knows nothing, her inteilee
is poor; her wilticIsms are borrowed
like the paint Of her cheek. Where does 81
come from? From everywhere; from Italy
Spain, England, Germany, Poland and Hun
gnry, much more than from Frnnce, and ol
tencf from the provinces than from Paris
But from the moment she sets her foot /
those namelcsa regions which formerly wer
not known in any country or IN any age, sh
Is no longer Partisan, a French or Englis
woman-she is Lorette.
From which class of society does sh
come? From the lowest ones II she Il
: Paristan, she is the daughter Of porter. or
: working nun II she comes from the country
she Is mcnder Of old clothes, q cook or
chamber.maid. At times, abe immeslatel
steps forth, daring and ready made for hs
part IN this case without delay she rises to th
nppermost rink. More frequently she b.
been sent to Paris By plain country people
order to gnin her bread honestly there @ on
T 1aziness and coquetry led her astray. -
Lorctte lives In q world of hes Own soe
, ! peculiar production Of the Paris OF f. taa{ X
and therein lies the distinguishing tfaas, ~
/ peculiar character OF the morals Oh ~ i'''>
society. :. +. ,,.sd mn
| ucnc Of her nrts arc any longer aya'MH., ~
Then the Loretto suddenly disappta1s. AZ az
; In ali cases, however, does she perish IN ~ M
and misery. DIT. de Cesena relates OF
1 .AN Avruh1nQ Hh3rh fO