The New York herald., 1868-03-01

ming wax mask. This Is not so much fiction 90
it would appear at first sight for the real disguise
Is, after all, on young mems faces du ndtureI,
where 1t Is pretty difficult to read truth nowadays.
Their fathers, who are far less bLds6, manage
meanwhile to squeeze into Mephistopheles suit
or turn out Polichineles thus keeping up the
wicked old times with all sorts OF cideuans graces
and Tepa,tie. The contrast is hideous, but it is
called merry making, and the almanac ordains
that people are to be merry anyhow at stated
periods This fanciful eruption the outer sur.
face preserves Paris from many serious maady:
1t throws out its ancs and the arteries of the big
capital cease throbbing Tor some weeks after this
stage OF lelirium.
The first official masked ball will take place to.
morrow, the 18th inst. at the Foreign Minister'S;
but | have been favored with few details and
with view of some of the preparations.
The Emperor and Empress will attend in dom.
inoes, which will be changed more than on &C in the
course Of the evening.
The prettest of the animated flowers will Ger.
tainly be the Daisy, with petal basques of silver
cloth and skirt of green satin china aster leaves.
The Fan, with pointed satin folds, mother of pearl
belt fanIike bodice, pe,le de cog ornaments and
fan comb on high chignon, while the wearer
is an adept at fan play, with Andalusan eyes,
coral lips and jet black hair. Black lace drapery,
falling from the comb, is to be coquettishly drawn
round the perfect oval of the lady's features.
The Grecan, Wattsau and Louis XIV. styles are
to be adopted by the proverbially indolent, whose
imaginative faculties are averse to fatigue, and
whose wardrobes are full Of last seasons inery
for making up.
The spring is poetical but WOO to the belle who
settles mild season and is not beauty.
The skirt of promise is azure blue gauze, sprinhled
over with buds and bursting woodland aowerets.
Dewdrops are the headdress, figured by da.
monds and crystal powder.
The "pack of cards. is made Of tarlatan on
which hands will be shI1l.d about rather too pro-
mscuously, fear, as the wearer is an inveterate
waitzcr. The cards are made of stamped satin.
The bodice Is game Of Whist, all standing out
over lace chemisette. The dadem of three cards
is lasquenet, the ornaments are golden counters
for the ears and necklace.
The Derby will run with a smack of racy game.
ness about it; it is q thoroughbred, of course,
rather fond OF going best" and "cutting down"
on all occasions.
The partcolored jacket is to be of vermon
and light blue satin; silver reins, silver spurs,
high boots TO match the jacket, and jockey cap
vita silver ornaments will complete the attire.
The Hongroise and Cracovienne are too well
known TO require description. The former ought
to hold out collection plate for the Hungarian
loan
The aquarium is to be worn by comtesse in
transparent gauze, under which swim about all
the fanny tribe on shiny texture which looks ex-
actly Ike sheet of water The sprat and lobster
not forgotten. The head,iress is coral. The
bodice is covered with moss and shells.
The newest costume is the black swan. The
skirt IS long, and made OF lake blue gauze, over
which are flakes Of marabout to represent ripping
waves. Over this again fall long black feathers
sparkling with water. The necklace is also made
OF black feathers. The wearef's headdress will be
the head of swan with ruby eyes. This and the
Muse are the only train costumes; the others are
short, indeed rather very
These are the only details have OF what IS to
be, with the exception of the tree-trunk, which s
to be all Bismarck, with nest in n chgnon OF
architectural entanglement out OF which few
young owls will peep. Are they young Bis
marck's?
AT the last official Wednesday, held by Nine. de
Mouster, the prettiest toilet was Nine. de Met
ternichs, white gauze, with an enormous blue
bunchy sash behiud, over which was another gauze
skirt.
While am mentioning the Princess may add
that she drives about in neat black little
Brougham instead Of the gaudy yellow vehicles
| which she favored last season. This dsconcerts
| her imtators.
| Black remiuds me of mourning. The Faubourg
st. Germain has lost its four dukes this year, and
very few balls will be given in that stately quar-
| tier. The mourned are the Dukes OF Feyensac,
| de Blacas, dc Luynes, dc Cars. pilgrimage to
the East has been undertaken bv some of the
members OF ihese bereaved families (by way Of
bereavement supposel.
The only three balls that will be tolerated in tho
absence of the pilgrims are two at the Duchess dc
Doudeauve's and one at the Duchess dc Bisa-
MAS. A new fashion, initiated from hospitable cap-
tals and which has had to battle way into Paris
ian drawing rooms, is the introduction of tea and
refreshneIt between the hours of three and six to
stray visitors. The inevitable sweets do certainly
go against the faculty of medicine and take off ap-
petite Tor dinner but cup of coffee tea on
bleak afternoon is IA charity to people who 60
their rounds every day with continued smile on
their lips and cold in their hearts.
On the 10Th Of March the Prince Imperial will
enter on his thirteenth year, and many are tho
charities in contemplation the occasion
Of his partakng of the holy communion
in May. His religious director is NJ. De-
guerry; his J0ucepante Madame Bruat; his
medical attendant, DR.. Barthey; his preceptor, NJ.
Fion; his equerry, NJ. BachoD, aud, first in i'm
portance though last in this enumeration, tho
highly respected General Of Division, FIaseard his
governor. The apartments Of the Prince are at
present the Pavilion de Flore, opposite the Seine.
The Emperor and Empress honored with their
presence the fifth performance Of Emile Anglers
paul Forester" which, fear, will not much
impress spectators with horror Of vice as give
attire.
The last item of this correspondence is tho
dawning return OF panniers, as yet only initiated
by court tailors with Puffngs of long breadths
gathered in shorter ones; but more description OF
this in my next. This style is to complete the
Marie Antouctte mania, of which edfces Of false
hair are the crowning feature.