The New Orleans crescent., 1868-03-29

ornamental ponds In the Bos de Bouiogne, by the
emperor, however. an opportunity has been
ally indulge In IL.
About FIVE years ago. as was taking nv accus-
toned daily drive to the beautiful " Bois,- was
accosted BY some American gentlemen, who. in
spite OF the frosty weather, still persisted ia a
DAILY horseback ride, with Are you going to the
skating pond?r Is.'g - .sS'f
~ had not heard Of one. Where is it, at the
lake?-
No, not at the lake. At least the " fine lower''
was not skating on the lake. The lake-indeed
the two lakes at the entrance of the Bois-hsd
been invaded by a crowd. The aristocracy of
the skating world was assembled at a small body
Of wster-a lake without name, aud whose
LEGALITY il was difficult to indicate by the mere
telling, but which nestles amid heavy foliage ia
SIMMER time, and is generally avoided in the win
.sr. Thither we wended our way.
As we drew near the trysting- place. we found
- proximity invaded BY elegant carriages FORE
most among which was the dasbing turnout of
the emprsss-the usual thing of three or four
imperial carriages, (of the shape called the Orsav
IN common pariance,) with positions, and out
riders. and footmen, 10 the imperial tnts of green
and gold. The emperor had driven out 10 a high
park phaeton, behind two smal-sized bat fleet
footed American trotters, which had come over
only a few weeks before from Baltimore The
prince imperial was there accompanied by his
English nurse, Miss Shaw, and lady, the widow
of an army officer, who bears the title, I" Gov
erness Of the Children Of France" those children
being. of course, OILY the children of the throne
His little highnass had desired to see les par
tineurs, end had had bis wish gratifed by his
horses heads being directed toward the place
where the pdYfineurs were disportng. His car.
riage and those Of his imperial parents, were
only three, in as many hundred elegant equi.
pages.
! find II difficult to describe the scene on the
lake itself. All thar Paris contained of beauty.
wealth and noble blood seemed assembled on
that spot. not larger than one of our Fifth ave-
nue. private ponds. The skating fever was at its
height. Everybody was attacked by il. But the
most uncomfortable thing about il was that every
b0dy wanted to skate. and only few knew how.
OF these few, but three were ladies', and it is
easy 70 imagine how greatly they we're objects
OF interest. The first of these three-frst by
her grace and fearlessness as skater, and also
her great personal beauty-was Mrs. Loriliard
Ronalds, q lady well known Ia New York. though
girlhood yss passed in the place where she
learned TO skate so well Boston. This lady was
the object of geneHl admiration. Both the en-
peror and empress remarked her ease and beauty
The second was the Princess Penia towska
(these curious Polish names which indicate gen.
der by the change of the fnsl sylable) The
third was lady from Holland whose name did
not learn. These three were positively the only
lady skaters; all the rest of the ladies stood
around the banks of the frozen pond, or were
pushed around on sled chairs. The most beautiful
OF these was used by the empress, and merits
rather the name OF hand-pushed sleigh than
chair IL Was made of stout wire, and mounted
on fine runners. each terminating in the semblaDce
of the graceful neck and head Of the swan The
seat and back were lined with rich green silk vel.
vet, and trimmed with gold fringe and tassels In
the chair the empress seated herself to be pushed
about by Polish count, who had received from
imperial hands the extraordinary title of First
Aid deCsmp on the lce." he was a very swift
and good skater, butin the numerous rami6catons
OF skating proper--the outer roll, the spread
esgle, and the rest-he could not at all compare
with the American gentlemen present.
Among these were the twin brothers Van wart.
OF New York, who were especial objects of atten.
zion, from the fact of their being grand-neDhews
OF the greaty.reverenced Washington Irving
Another good skater was Mr. Van der Camp Of
Philadelphia. gentleman, who had beenensbied.
by a residence In Holland. to keep up his skating
practice. But the most brilliant skater on the ice
was Mr.. Comack lalso of Phlsielphia), who per
formed series OF astonishing feats such as have
never seen equaied, even by professional skaters.
The emperor, what with being evidently very
weak skater IN the first place, and afflicted with
BAD leg IN the second, was not creating any
marked enthusiasm by his exploits on the ice. He
stopped repeatedly to sppland the performances
q Mr.. Comack. was standing behind her
majesty the empress. who was reposing in her
plded chair. While the poor aide-de-camp, who
had been pushing her. was secretly painting for
breath. and shielding himself behind me to wipe
me perspirstion OIL his forehead, when the en-
peror ekated up.
Louis. (" said the empress leaning toward him
who is that fine skaterW
HIS majesty made reply which did not hear.
md gave shrug Of the shoulders, which implied |
ack Of knowedge. just then the Count de
iorby Che was "Duke" then) came skating mn. |
.'Do you see that gros American down there % |
'sked the count pointing to Mr.. Comack
but be does miraculous thiDgsii said the EN-. |
lress. raising her eyebrows.
"Dto6fe ~ said the emperc-, with another |
~ mn ho lu
hey have very well the time to learn 70 skate
'ith their didble Of climate, down there in |
AMERICA"
'ls it colder there than in Russia ~ asked de |
sofny, who had been ambassador at st. Peters
urg, and carried of beautiful Russian princess
or = bride.
About the same thing,v replied the emperor
statement which thought was rather sweeping |
"Oh how should ike 10 learn to skate %
xclained The empress, in bnrst of enthusiasm
hcited by some new exploit Of Mr. Comack's.
I'd also by seeing Mrs Rooalds glide grace
llly past, holding hand each Of the brothers
an Wart.
Then: after spsuse, she added, II have mind
Try ~
.'Ihou woulds't fan.n exclaimed the emosro-
5 If that settled the matter after which he skated
way coolly.
But the empress is perseverng. She held some
rivate conversation with the icy AIDE de-camo. |
now somewhat cooled off after his violent exer. |
ise.) and the result wa, that the next dav her
'ajesiy appeared on the pond in skating COS
lBle.
Without disrespect be It said, the fair Eurenie
ore that day the shortest skirts it has ever been
y iot 10 see on any woman, save and except the
ioles OF the ballet. The court was tben in mourn
lg Tor some foreign prince, about whom the
ourt Gid not care rush. though 1. was obhred
~ etiquette's sake, TO put oa eymoathetlc
'eefs 'S~'-Ss'o
And the empress. dressed all in black with
lack silk ssockngs-exoOsed almost ~ the
short black dress nost wofnrv
'mmed with Grape, was positively the most
musing specimen of feminine inconzruitv I aver
i'd eyes upon. II required all ones good bread.
e not 10 laurh az her appearance; aud the EN-.
eror. who had evidently heard nothing Of ali
rs, looked seriously displeased when his aston.
he'd eyes fell On his consort. Eugenie was de-
'Imned 10 brave 1t out. no xeyer, aud hal egi- !
emily resolved on learning to skate. u
The first alde-de-camp fastened on her m iestv's
Rates, IN beautiful little par.) and then giving
i'm her hand, E0geuie made the first steD.
II is the first step that costs!
Down tumbled the empress her imperial black
ik stockings spravlieg ont in frsnt of her.
nile she sat down with thump on the dis
Here was q dilemma
Ine emperor turned away to conceal his aunov-
nee, and some OF the ladies' of honor put their
loved fingers over their hps TO cover a smile =
There is an old French adare which saws that |
oblesss obiige. it should oblire an emnres. =,
AXE her first skating lessons in nr;vate