The New York herald., 1868-03-01

wouiu appear at hr5t sight, Tor the real disguise
is, after all, on young mems faces au natre',
where 1t is pretty difficult to read truth nowadays.
Their fathers, who far less bLas6, manage
meanwhile to squeeze into Mephistopheles suit
or turn out Polichineles, thus keeping up the
wicked old times with all sorts OF i-decant graces
and Tepa,fie. The contrast is hideous, but 1t IL
called merry making, aud the almanac ordans
that people are to be merry anyhow at stated
periods This fanciful eruption the outer sur.
face preserves Paris from many serious malady;
it throws out its antics and the arteries of the big
capital cease throbbing Tor some weeks after this
stage Of delirun.
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 ce in the
course of the evening
The prettiest 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 Fam with pointed satin folds, mother of pearl
belt fanlike bodice, pe,le de cog ornaments and
fan comb on high chignon, while the wearer
is an adept at fan play, with Andalusian eyes,
coral lips and jet black hair Black lace drapery,
from COlnD, ID 10 DC cOqucllisuy uIaWu
round the perfect oval Of the ladys features.
The Grecan, Wattsau and Louis XIV. styles are
to be adopted by the proverbially ndolent, whose
imaginative faculties are averse to fatigue, and
whose wardrobes are full of last seasons fnery
for making up"
The spring is poetical, but woe to the belle who
settles on mild season and is not beauty.
The skirt of promise is azure blue gauze, sprnlled
aya viii I'm nd hprati tip0
Dewdrops are the headdress, figured by dia.
monds and crystal powder.
The "pack of cards. is made Of tarlatan on
which hands will be shutl.d about rather too pro-
miscuously, fear, as the is an inveterate
waitzcr The cards made of stamped satin.
The bodice is game Of whist. all standing out
over a lace chemisette. The diadem of three cards
is asquenet the ornaments are golden counters
for the ears and necklace.
The Derby will run with q smack of racy game.
ness about it, it is a thoroughbred, Of course,
rather fond of "going best' and "cutting down"
on all occasions.
The particolored jacket is to be of vermon
and light blue satin; silver reins, silver spurs,
high boots to match the jacket, and jockey cap
wtn silver ornaments will complete the attire.
The Hongroise and Cracoyienne are too well
known to require description. The former ought
to hold out q collection plate for the hungarian
loan!
The aquarium is to be worn by comtesse in
transparent gauze, under which swim about all
u
actly Ike sheet of water. The sprat and lobster
are not forgotten The head,lress 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 lakes OF marabout to represent ripping
waves. Over this again fall long black feathers
sparkling with water: The necklace ls also made
OF black feathers. The wearef's headdress will be
the head of a swan with ruby eyes, This and the
Muse are the only train costumes; the others are
short, indeed rather very So
~ ,I., l.fo To- hay arf1 hat 10 70
be- with the exception of the tree-trunk, which is
to be all Bismarck, with nest in n chignon OF
architectural entanglement out OF which few
young. owls will peep. Are they young Bis
marck's?
Al the last official Wednesday, held by Nine. de
Moustier, the prettiest toilet was Nine. de Met
tcrnich's, white gauze, with an enormous blue
buncliy sash behiud, over which was another gauze
skirt.
While am mentioning the Princess may add
that she drives about in neat black little
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. Tie mourned are the Dukes OF Feyensac,
| de Bacas. dc Luynes, de Cars. pilgrimage to
| the East has been undertaken by some OF the
members OF lhese 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 de
Doudeauvilles and one at the Duchess de Bisa-
MAS. A new fashion, initiated from hospitable capi
tals and which has had to battle way into Paris
ian drawing rooms, is the introduction of tea and
refreshmeIt between the hours of three and six to
stray visitors. The inevitable do certainly
60 against the faculty Of medicine and take of ap.
petite Tor dinner. but cup Of coffee or tea on .
bleak afternoon is a charity To people who 60
their round. every day with a continued smile on
their lips and cold in their hearts.
On the l6th Of March the Prince Imperial will
enter on his thirteenth year, and many are tho
| charities in contemplation the occasion
| OF his partaking OF the holy communion
| in May. HE religious director is NJ. De-
| query; ks gourensnte, Madame Bruat; his
medical attendant, Dr.. Barthey; his preceptor, M.
| Filon; his equerry, NJ. Bachon, aud. first in i'm
portance though last in this enumeration, tho
highly respected General Of Division. Fraseard his
| governor. Tie apartments Of the Prince at
present the Pavilion de Flore, opposite the Seine.
The Emperor and Empress honored with their
presence the fifth performance Of Emile Anglers
| paul Forestier.n which, fear, will not 80 much
impress spectators with horror Of vice give
| them high relish for it dressed in very fine
attire.
The last item Of this correspondence is the
dawning return OF panners, as yet only initiated
by court tailors with Puiiings of long breadths
gathered in shorter ones; but more description Of
this in my next. This style Ii to complete the
Marie Aniolnctte mania, Of which cdifces 0f false
har ara tha