The Portland daily press., 1867-04-12
Pleasing Miscellany.


The fancy ball at the hotel of the Ministry
OF Foreign Affairs has been the most sPieH-
ded OF the official tetes Of the deiunct earn
val; the fair daughters OF America rs usui'i'
carrying Off the pam of beauty, anu rNsliiS
the most splendid IN the richhess anu ere
rance of their costumes Mrs. Lambert as
. marou;s. of tbe time OF Louis Nv; Mrs. Bar
clay as follv hing from head 10 loot with lit
tie mirrors in gided iran es; Mrs. Thompson
DC an irish Gipsy, and her sister, Miss Farnel.
as a star, in blue and gold; Mrs. Spencer in
wonderful dress OF gold gauze, and her love
" daughter in a fanciful Italian costume and
Miss Beckwith as a Greek slave in chains
were among the most admired of the brilliant
assemblage. There were costumes represen-
ting golden RAIN" the Huntress Diana,
Shower OF ice,' Arabs. Algerian Jewesses; a
group representing Might" exquisitlygot up,
with dusky wings, whose under side was con
stellated with diamonds; another group. rep
reSenting a shower OF ice" was equally efiec-
tive. The costumes oil the gentlemen were
equally rich, and all were well adapted Tor
dancing. The ornamentation and lighting Of
the rooms were unusually splendid even for
Paris; and the Emperor and Empress were
present, in masks and dominos enjoying the
scene. sf b fN(sAtf
Prince Napoleon, who wore no mask, W as
the object OF no end OF witty attacks on the
part of the masked merry makers abont him;
but bore with good humor the chatting to
which he was subjected, generally (tor he is
one of the wittiest OF the witty paying back
the Charters in their own coin. The last OF
the state balls at the Tuiierles was the most
brilliant of the four; the Empress in dress
of white satin trimmed with roses, and a dia-
mond sparkling in each leaf OF the trimming,
stalking the shine out of all the other ladies'
by the splendor OF her jewels Her maesty's
private Monday evening parties, admlttance
TO which is so eagerly sought fer and so haid
to obtain, are to be resumed next week. Sey-
eral ladies Of the American colony have sue
coded, to the amazement and envy OF less IA
vored aspirants OF the other colonies, in max
ing good their footing at these charming sol
rees. 1t is said that one oil these, immensely
rich and particularly enterprising, having got
herself presented at court, took an opportuni
ty OF setting forth to the Due de Bassano, the
Grand Chamberlain, her great desire TO be in
vited to the Empress's 'Alondays," and ear
nestly entreated the Duke to intercede with
the Empress in her favor.
"But, my dear lady," objected the duke, ''on
what possible ground, on what Imaginable
pretext, could | ask her Majesty to place your
name on her list?" .H
"Oh, Monsieur lie DUE returned the lady,
'if your eXcellencv would but say to the EN-
press that have the most ma sniiicent d:a-
monds, and that her Majesty cannot see them
to any advantage in the areat cram and
crush OF The state balls, whereas her Majesty
would certainly see them with pleasure at the
Monday evening parties, where they would
produce most splendid eifectp -..t.5
So earnestly did the lady plead her own
cause and that OF her diamonds that the
Due de Bassano, moved by her entreaties and
the oddly OF the idea, at last consented TO
lay her request before the Empress; and the
latter, greatly amused by the communication.
actually sent the invitation SO greatly desired
ihe lady who delights in rigging herself out
IN diamonds from top to toe, and who covers
her yellow hair with the same until her head
looks like a thatehed hay-rick on frosty
morning, came out Tor the occasion in all her
spiendor And whether it be that the EN-
press really considers the diamonds in ques-
ton as forming desirable addition to the at
fractions OF her drawing room, or whatever
else may be the motive of the preference, Ger
tain it Is that the lady alluded to has so lar
made good the position so curiously gained
that she has been, with her husband, ever
since regularly invited to the Empress's Mon
days, and isreceived by her Majesty with the
utmost kindness and attention. q a Afl
The American Jlonygave, on Washington's
birthday. a magnificent .fete at the Grand
Hotel. The rooms were filled with flowers
and flags and splendidly lighted. A fine por-
trait OF the founder OF the great republic oc-
cupied the place OF honor; and the beauX and
bellies who had met to celebrate the day
danced with great animation, and did full JUS
tIce to an excellent supper.
An avalanche of parties, balls, concerts,
pubic and private, dinners, theatres, and
operas is rolling over Paris; and people are
beginning to ask, with some anxiety, if the
tide OF dissipation is already so overwhelming,
what will it be during the siz months OF the
Exhibition ?-C0rrespondence Of the Nation.