Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-01-19
Sale of an Imperial Wardrobe.

The Paris correspondent of the London
Court Journal, under the date of Deem
Der %, mentions singular "sale" that
had Just taken place at the palace of the
Tuileries The custom is singular one,
established by the Royal ladies of the
Tuilories long before the great Revolu,
ton, acceded to by the Empress Joseph
inc, continued under the Restoration,
maintained by the Prinoesses of the
House Of Orleans, and kept up with
great spirit under the present reign
The writer says:
\ long gallery which runs along the
basement story of the Palace, looking
into the garden just opposite the Prince
lmperlaPs Winter walk, is itted up from
one end to the other with oak wardrObes.
This is called the detr0que of the Palace.
1t is here that the refuse dresses and
cast-oH wearing apparel of the Royal
and Imperial ladies who have succeeded
each other for the last hundred years in
their occupation of the Tuilcries are in-
varIablg borne when rejected from the
floor above. These neutrality-suspicious.,
numerous and extensive rs they are, get
generally well filled duringthe year, and
when the four seasons are considered
thoroughly over sale is made Of the whole
where every article is priced beforehand,
and visitors are admitted to view and pur-
chase without the observance of further
ceremony than the presentation of an in
vltutIon card from her Majesty's attend
ants, TO whom the privilege of granting
them belongs.
Tho sale is called in the present day
the 'Retour de Comqiegne, but has
been known under other appellations
during former reigns-" Sacrifice de FOn-
tainebleau," "Caprices de St Cloud"
"JoIes dc In MalmaisOn'-accordin to
the place whence the Court returned
to spend the Winter in Paris, and which
has varied with every Sovereign. That ter
riblc old lady, Charlottede Bairere. mem
tons; 10 one of her letters, that thosame
sort OF ceremony once took place Mt YER
Baillcs, when tho Duchess of Burgundy
having lost more money at plav than she
burst own, imagined n kind of lottery of
all her old dresses, which were bid far
among the ladies of the Court. lint os
the Duchess had, in her distress. commits
ed the imprudence of placing some of her
Jewels among the prizes, LA Vieille. /"
AS the old termagant always denomina-
ted Madame de Maintenon, having dis
covered tho secret transaction, waxed
exceeding wroth, threatening to disclose
al! TO the King, unless the Jewels were
instantly returned. Out of friendship
Tor the Duchess, some of the ladies con,
scented 10 the loss, but others declared
that they would much rather incur the
dlspleasure OF both King and mistress
than lose both prize and money.
ne sale OF the regal wardrobe of the
IullerleS Is conducted on the stricrest
principle of equity. The shutters of the
long gallery are closed, and it is lighted
up from ono end to the other by lRmns
aud candelabra, so that the light is
stronger than it would be were daylight
admitted, as the ceiling is low and the
windows sunk deep in the wall. Every
article is t,cketcd, and of course no devi-
alton from the original decision can
possibly be allowed. A long line Of
stretchers are placed all down the mid
die OF the gallery, the doors of the war,
probes on either side are flung open, and
the visitor, walking slowly down one
side and returning by the other, makes
eholce OF what may suit her taste. and
ihscriolng the number it bears upon a
card, hands the latter to the attendant
III waiting ut the door and departs. The
sFetchers are occupied by the sbawls
and nantes, the wardrohes by the
dresses, the shelves by the under linen,
while sort Of counter at the farther
end of the gallery is filled with the
champig''oHS, on which are exhibited
the bonnets and head-dresses.
It's curious sight, and would satisfy
both the laughing and CRYING philos6.
phcr with equal food for reflection. The
history OF the whole year may be followed
by the costumes thus discarded bv her
Majesty. The visits of Prince and
Princes, the occasions of ceremony. the
domestIc uudreSs, the fresh and ni5pant
attire for the woods, the splendid rail-
ment TOR the receptions of State, are all
drawn IN array before the greedy eyes OF
the ravenous bargainers, who turn them
over indifferent TO all but the price de,
manded. This, US usual, is not always
determined by the real value of the