Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-01-30
PARTISAN "LIFE.N


The territorial paradise oc the medical students
is the celebrated ballroom called by the polite
world the Closerie des Lilas, but known to its
ha6itues as the Buller Prado, according to
the season of the year. 1t is called Bullier
(which is the name of the proprietor) in the
summer, and in the winter the Prado, which is,
believe, Spanish word, signfying such places
of entertainment. The ballroom is the most
elaborated in the city, and is perhaps one of the
greatest curiosities 1t is here that the peculiar
dance called the ean-can is performed in all its
extravaganza and wildness. The establishment
is situated in the left of the Boulevard Saint
Michel, and just beyond the garden of the Lux
embourg. These balls given each week,
with sometimes, par Grtraordinaire, a fourth.
On ball nights the entire Boulevard is encum-
bered with the stream of men and women on
their way to indulge in wild revelry and amuse-
ment. The gaily-painted facade of the building
is Illuminated in gorgeous style, and an immense
crowd of les miserables gather in front to admire
the toilets of the gay women as they enter and
feast themselves upon the strains of lively music.
In all their poverty and wretchedness their
hearts doubtless filled with envious longings
at the sight of the gay and laughing women who
futter in and out like bright-coored butterflies.
Little do they dream that beneath all the splen-
did exterior which dazzles their eyes there lies
more misery than beneath their own rags and
poFtTty EHtrauce IO Lne Saloon is gained Dy
flight of steps, some ten or fifteen feet in Depth
conducting to large and brilliantly illuminated
ballroom, half subterranean, and capable of
containing several thousand people. The saloon
is entirely rooted over in the winter, but during
the summer one-half is left uncovered, forming
quite handsome garden, ornamented with
fountains, statues, and charming little alcoyes,
where the enamored swain may enjoy some de-
gree of seclus0n with his charming fair partner.
Upon first entrance, especially during the winter,
the smoke is so dense that the eye can distin-
guish nothing but confused mass of human be-
ings heaving to and fro like an ocean, and the
ears are assailed by din of humon voices which
confuse the sense and beggars description.
doubt if such noise as goes up from a crowded
Buller ever went up from any other assemblage
in the world. The crowd at the Buller is not
like any other, except that it is composed of hu-
man beings indeed it can hardly be said to
bear that resemblance, since it is question
whether medical students and cocottes are human
beings or not. If they are they certainly form
distinct species peculiar to Paris, and to the
Latin quarter particularly. This horrible noise,
if noise is not too musical word to give to the
terrific dlscord which bursts through the smoke
like thunder through the clouds, is a compound
of all the sounds which the organs of man, by
distortion or other means, are capable of pro-
ducng. Terrific yells of the men-French yells,
which are not like any other yells, and what is
more, students yels-mingle with the screams
of women, and rise musically up to the gay and
lively accompaniment of the clnking of glasses
and the shuffing of feet. This magnificent and
harmonious flow of sustained music has for
TONGUE, or fundamental note, the continuous
droning buzz of more moderate talk and laugh
ter, from which musical basis the more terrible
effect swell from time to time in magnificent
crescendos. Wagner might introduce the Prado,
one of its nights, to add to the effect of some of
his forte movements; and thereby economiSe the
wind of his trOmbones and the muscle of his
crosse caisee. 1t is here, in the midst of this
storm of revelry and excitement, that the French
student may be seen in all his glory; here he
lays aside all restraint and gives his whole soul
up to enjoyment. 1t is here, too that the
women, sharing by force of association the utter
abandon of the students, lay aside all the mag
nitclent and stately airs which they wear else
where, and throw themselves wildly into the
vortex of dissipation. AS a general thing the
women who frequent this ball are women of the
quarter-their name is legion-and who, by con-
slant association with the students, have ac-
quired character almost identical with theirs.
There are, however, many of the upper ten of
the dSmi-monde who are frequent visitors to the
students paradise; and the same coeotte who
steps tonight in stately dignity and queenlike
robes through the fairy walks of Mabille. NAV
be seen Tomorrow at Bullier, in her short skirt.
finging her heels wildly in the air, and taking
e1crnciating positions, worthy of the finest con-
torsonist in the Cirque de rImperatrice. The
peculiar Partisan dance, baptized BY the name
OF ean-edn, is perhaps the most exciting of all
such species of amusement, both for the spec-
tator and the dancer. 1t has but little regular
ty about it, and to the spectator who sees it for
the hrst time, it has apparently none. 1t has
however, its small amount of system, but the
principal merits of the dancer is within two
given points, the beginning and the end of a
strain to commit as many extravagancies as
possible, and to throw his body into as many
unnatural and bizarre positions as the structure
OF the human frame will permit Of A very fine
accomplishment, for instance, is to be able to
throw back somersault in the face of your
fair partner, while she elevates her leg in the
air until the tip of her toe and the crown of her
head are upon the same horizontal line. Is
not al inartistc to be able to double yourself up
into knot and roll upon the floor, while the
beautiful daughters of Terpsichore dance around
in circle after the manner of the Sandwich
Islanders. 1t Is good thing, also, to be able to !