The Portland daily press., 1869-04-28


GUESTS.
The Paris correspondent of the London
News writes in high praise of the BAH given
In Paris on the 9Th instant by Mr.. Burlin.
game, as chief of the Chinese Embassy. He
says:
A presiding mind made itself felt eyery-
where. Mr.. Burlingame, through comnetent
aides-de-camp, multiplied himself throunbont
the evening. On the stairs, in the yestibules,
in the dancing and refreshment rooms. there
were gentlemen stationed to direct. and IN
set to rights any accidental impediment to en-.
joyment or to freedom of ingress and egress
Servants, carefully drilled to announce the
guests, called out every name with the true
pronunciation, whether Greek, Russian, Ger
man, French or English. The Ambassador,
who stood at the entrance of the reception
rooms, which were on the first floor, had a
pleasant word for each person who presented
himself. To this lady it was "What a pity
the agreeable people will always come SO
late" To another, "We desired to shine by
assembling everything beautiful and grace
full" To third, as the doors were becoming
choked up, II have resolved not to monopo-
lie all the pleasant elements, so / hope Won
and your daughters will make a tour of tbe
rooms" Mrs. Burlingame, who is a woman
of remarkably fine presence and pleasing and
unaffected manners. like her husband, showed
exquisite tact in setting those who for the first
time found themselves under her roof at their
ease.
Old tories rail at republican selfassertion.
but the American representative of the En-
peror OF China, who was brought up in the
entrenched camp of republicansm, is my
beau ideal of host. The political EQUALITY
in which he is believer displayed itself in
his being, not respecter of persons, but
the humble servant of every individual guest,
whether great or small, who was hidden to
his magnificent entertainment A French
lady remarked to me, son uoit qu'il q
pegaIH deUant le maitre de la mdison The
tone given in the reception rooms ascended
to the two upper floors. Nobody seemed to
poser. Each element fused with the other,
and convers alton, dancing and flirting went
ON with an entrdin which have never previ-
ously witnessed at any great ball. Nobody
must take in bad part my saying that dance
on village green could not have been more
enjoyable.
"Mr. Burlingame's colleagues, the Manda-
rims, assisted by M. M. Leacy, Brown and
about ten young Chinese, all speaking En-
glish perfectly, did the honors Of the second
floor, where the buffet was laid out and sup
per served towards one o'clock. The simple
ity and grace of those representatives of the
Emperor of China were delicious. They
chatted most gaily, and with extraordinary
intelligence, through interpreters, with the
different persons introduced TO them. Chi,
the First Minister, and Sun, the second, were
so pleased with the conversation of literary
lady who proved herself learned in the writ
ings OF Confucius, the translation of Chinese
poetry by Judith Mendez, and the different
phases ceramic art has passed through in
their country, that they ran off to fetch for
her and some young ladies under her charge
their photographs, on the backs of which they
wrote some very neatly turned compliments
They paid particular attention to every one
who they had heard was distinguished as a
writer, but treated grand crosses, senators
and the courtly wearers of Darimon tights az
If they were of small account.
Chi, in simple way, said when he was
told that French nobleman, who aided the
Emperor on the second day of December to
asce1d the throne, wished to speak TO him,
"Tell bis Excellency that presently shall be
delighted to have the honor of shaking his
hand but, as l am now speaking to a sage,
cannot yet attend to him." An authoress,
because she was an authoress, was treated
with greater distinction by the two ambassa-
dors than any other lady, the first handing
her to the buffet, and the second with an in
terpreter attending on her to know what she
would like.
A. rarity of the evening was some tea
made in the Chinese way with cold water.
In American fashion, champagne was served
at half-past nine. Flowers were profusely
used in the decorations of the stairs and first
and second floors. The third floor was sa-
cred to Irritation, and doubt not that Mr..
Burlingame's ball will be a marked epoch in
many family history. The exquisitely
thoughtful arrangements for comfort at the
supper table were only thwarted, and then
but for a short time, by certain French guests,
who took the refreshments by assault in a
style which, though habitual in Paris, no
American host, not long resident here, could
be prepared for. M. Henri de Pene nearly
lost his life some years ago for truly describing
the conduct of officers at ball suppers. But
the fact remains that multitude of French
men, fortuitously brought together in crowd
ed rooms, cannot, without being marshalled,
approach buffet, and make way for ladies in
the orderly and "live and let live" way which
Americans always do. There can be no Of
fence in saying this, because French hosts
themselves admit the fact by the "police'
they organize in their own houses. Every
Frenchman who gives supper to more guests
than his table can accommodate at one time
habltually places sentries-general.y some
resolute halfpay officers-inside and outside
the refreshment room. These friends of the
master of the house let in the hungry guests
two or three at time, fro wn at the impatient
who struggle in queue to get in, and exhort
those they let pass to eat what they want as
quickly as they can, because others are wait
ing for their places. When such precautions,
which reduce social banquet to the level of
charity feed, not to mention the familiar
comparison OF pigs at trough, are not taken
land they are never taken in American soci-
ety), it is an undeniable fact that most
Frenchmen are apt to act upon the principle
oil Every one for himsel, and - take the
hindmosl-" However, the disorder on this
occasion did not last long. Some Americans
took the liberty of reminding richly decorated
gentlemen that they were not at the Tuileries.
There was no cotillion, Mr.. and Mrs. Bur-
lingame being of opinion that short dances
which admit of conversation and( why not
say it) the Irritation which young people like
between whiles, are far better than the COM
plicated drill exercise which keeps the people
engaged in it prisoners for two hours at a
stretch, while unhappy mammas forced 10
look on are yawning, till sunrise puts an end
to their misery.
This, beyond all question the most memo
rable fSte which Paris has seen this season,
was over at the reasonable hour of halfpast
three.