The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-02
FOR LADIES' ONLY
BY THE AUTHOR OF "1ADY FLAv1A.

wonder you BnOuld not 60 TO see this Paris
Exhibition that all the world is talking of -
that at last l made my mind up to take their
advice. / am not, in general way, fond OF
travelling, or accustomed to it; but for this
once thought might venture, and, besides.
my medical man was of opinion that change
of air would do me good. "You want stimu-
latinp. Miss Prym,n the doctor remarked.
''puise low, system languid, and a month
spent in the crush and hustle Of Paris will be
the best tonic can prescribe. Go and get a
little wholesome excitement" This decided
me- and went.
Nv name, as may be inferred from the
words quoted above, is Prym-Miss Prunella
Prym, of Rhododendron villa, the Slopes,
Cheltenham. I am comfortably well-tO-do in
the world, and did not grudge the expense of
taking two servants with me-my trusty maid
Gnbbins. and Thomas Coaohman, a very
steady, elderly man, long in the service of my
late papa, the Rev. DR.. Prym, d. D., preben-
Diary Of Chichester, and rector of Great Tith-
ington, of whose savings was sole heress.
Although Thomas, from old habit, is, still
called "Coachman,' do not keep carriage
preferring to hire one when required, and the
man takes care of the garden, besides offici-
atiDg in domestic capacity as a kind of
butler. Maid and man are old and faithful
attendants, and l felt their presence sort of
protection.
was to travel to Paris by easy stages,
Y,
arriving there, intended to drive straight to
the house of a married friend, an old school
fellow Gf the term "fellow" can be applied to
lady without disrespect), now, Mrs. Trim
niles, of the Avenue de l'Imperatrice, Champs
Elysees. ] meant, of course, to take apart
ments for myself, but l dreaded the enormous
prices and distracting noise of an hotel
crowded with eager eXcursionists. / was very
glad therefore, to accept the hospitable invi-
tation of Marion Trimmles-how odd it seemed
to call her anything but Marion Freeman, as
when we learned French and wore the back
board in the same class Ito make her house
my headquarters while looking out for
something suitable. Mr.. Trimmles, who is a
good sort of person, but not very well-bred,
though considered as a catch for Marion, hav-
ing a large fortune, made somehow out of
Government contracts, and who is older than
his wife, and lives in Paris to please her,
seconded her invitation in what l admit was
very hearty manner. And So with conside-
rable quantity of baggage-since it would not
do to appear in such place as Paris without
an ample wardrobe-and with the good wishes
and hopeful predictions of my friends, l
started for the continent.
During the first portion of the journey there
was nothing to record. The degrading mise
ries of the sea passage, the two hours con-
sumed in which seemed to me to be elastic,
and to be equal to two of the longest of
long days that 1 had ever spent;
the prying of the French custom
house officers into trunks and boxes-these
topics are too trite to be worth dilating upon.
only know that shuddered when first saw
a horrid foreigner - a male person, with a
glazed hat and moustachios--plunge his pre-
Stunning paws into the midst of my wearing ap-
parel, and could hardly suppress shrek as l
saw my all-sorts- of-things-of which a man is
supposed to know, and ought to know, nothing
q bal
for inspection in the most brazen style. But
will say that these whiskered officials were
vastly polite to me, in their impertinent,
smirking, foreign way, and did not seize any
thing, although poor Gubbins was unjustly
suspected of being female smuggler, and
narrowly escaped the indignity of search, but
at my intercession was permitted to pass on.
Then Thomas, as l am told is the case
with most English men-servants abroad,
grumbled a good deal, and was per-
petually losing himself here, and getting left
behind there, so that grew quite weary of
hunting after him and interpreting for him,
and began to wish had left him and Gubbins
(who was fearful and resigned, and gave her
self the most provoking airs of being a
martyr at home. l was wrong, though.
Before my feet were on the Paris pavement,
had cause to be thankful that those two true
and trusty creatures had accompanied me.
The dusk of evening was fast closing in
already when we arrived at AnllenS, ana there,
of course, we, the passengers by the tidal ex-
press from Boulogne, had to alight and change
trains. The notice, "For Ladies Only,''
though, of course, it was in French, affixed
to the door of a first-class compartment,
caught my eye. "Ouvrez, Monsieur, sill
vous plait," / said to a slim young guard,
who held key in his hand He pulled open
the door with jerk. 'Madame will be
alone,'' he said, ''alone all the way. She will
have the carriage to herself up to Paris"
got in accordingly, and Gubbins and Thomas
proceeded to make me comfortable, and to
hand me in my portable property-bag dress
ing-case, cloaks shawls, packet of sand
Wiches, guide-books, and all.
travel with good deal of light luggage,
because, although it makes the getting in and
out of the carriage a work of time, and
although one is always wretched for fear OF
forgetting something, one never knows what
one may want-fancy work, or a book, or a
smelling -bOttle-and it is best to be prepared.
Then my man and maid went to take their
own seats in the second class, at some little
distance, and presently the train started.
ssWell, this is nice," said l. as | settled my
self snugly in a well padded corner and drew
a shawl around my knees-''this is NICE We
unprotected females, as they call us, have the
best of it," / said this in a kind of self-satis-
fed sOliloquy, as the train ratified on through
the thickening darkness. We were clear OF
Amiens by this time, station, city, ramparts
and biflrcation, and were rushing very fast
through lonely country, where great rushy
nools. sullen sheets of water that looked lead
colored in the dim light, were the most con