Wilmington journal., 1870-01-07

cheers of tho spectators started on what
seemed an awful, perillous journey. He
had not gone far when it became apparent
from the decline in the rope that it had
slackened very much, and people who un-
derstood the nature of bicycles and
the impossibility of propelling them Up
hill began to calculate the probabilities of
| his getting up the incline he must ineri-
tably meet at the other end OF the rope;
but Blondin looked extremely cool and
confident and 40 fears for his safety
seemed to be entertained till, after stop
ping cleverly about midway, he began to
traverse the incline. 1t then became ap-
parent, from the gradual Stacking of his
speed, that he was doing some hard work,
and murmrrs began to rise from the au-
dience. When about twenty yards from
the landing stage he came to dead stop
and appeared to rest, balancing himself
cautiously with great pole he carried.
He then made another effort and got q few
yards further, when he stopped again. 1t
then became apparent that he could not
get further, as, although to the danger of
disturbing his equilibrium, he tried to
| jerk the machine forward, it refused to
move. The scene that then eUsued was
most exciting. People left their seats; Ia
dies, with frightened faces, made for the
doors, and the general mass OF the people
at the east end of the building made a
|
into the arena When the rush aud noise
had subsided, marvellous stiffness sue
| ceeded. The crowds on the floor beneath
| the rope, and in the galleries nearest the
| spot, seemed to be hushed in eager expec-
tatlOn OF something unpleasant, gazing
with horror stricken faces on the perform
er, who sat mOtiOnless as a statue on the
rope, about six yards from the landing
place, while his assistant leaned over the
stage, and appeared to be spea king to him,
| but looked helpless in the emergency. Al
ter delay of two or three minutes, which
seemed an age, the assistant, evidently by
BlOndin's directions procured q rope, and
this ho threw out cautiously. It fell on
the performers shoulders. and he, with
some difficulty. sustained the pole with one
hand. while with the other, he tied the
rope around his waist. The assistant then
gently pulled him in. Every move OF the
wheels was watched by the audience in
silent horror till the machine ran on the
landing stage, when the suppressed excite
ment eliminated in one great shout Of JOY,
succeeded by the widest demonstrations.
EugsnIe's old Clothes-Annual sale Of the
Cast-ofT Wardrobe the French En-
press.
Empress Eugene who sets the fashion
Of the civilized world, has a sale Of cast-off
dresses every year, and size rarely
wears dress twice, the number sold is
always very great Paris letter writer
gives a graphic account of a sale just ter
minated.
He says that the custom was established
by the royal families of the Tuileries long
before the great revolution, acceded to by
the Empress Josephine, continued under
the restoration, maintained by the Princess
OF the House OF Orleans, and kept up~9ith
great spirit under the present reign. A
long gallery, which runs along the base
ment story of the palace, looking into the
garden just opposite the Prince Imperial's
winter walk, is fitted up from one end to
the other with oak wardrobes This is
called the De Froque of the palace. It is
here that the refuse dresses and the cast
off apparel of the royal and imperial ladies,
who have succeeded each other for the last
hundred years in their occupation of the
TuiJeries, are invariably borne when re-
liected from the floor above.
These wardrobe cupboards, numerous
and extensive as they are, get generally
well filled during the year, aud when the
four seasons are considered thoroughly
over n sale is made of the whole, where
every article is priced beforehand, and
visitors arc admitted to view and purchase
without the observance of further cere-
mony than the presentation of an invita-
tion of one of her Maiesty's attendants, to
longs. The sale of the regal wardrobe of
the Tuileries is conducted on the strictest
principles Of equity. The shutters of the
long gallery are closed and it is lighted
from one end to the other with lamps and
candelabra, SO that the light is stronger
) than it would be were dayl ght admitted,
as the ceiling is low, and the windows sunk
deep into the wall. Every article is
} ticlzeted, and Of course no deviation from
, the original decision can possibly be al
lowed.
, A long line of stretchers are placed all
, down the middle of the gallery, the doors
of the wardrobes on either side are flung
| open, and the visitor, walking slowly
down on one side, and returning on the
other, makes choice of what may suit her
taste, and inscribing the number it bears
upon card, hands the latter to the at
tendant in waiting at the door and departs.
The stretchers are occupied by shaWls,
and the wardrobes by the dresses, the
shelves by the underllnen, while q sort Of
} counter at the further end of the gallery
is filled with the champlgnOns, on which
are exhibited the bonnets and head dresses.
The white satin dress, most splendidly en-
broidered in silver, with the tunic of bull
lonce gauze and silver mouches. confined
by bands of poncean velvet, in which her
Majesty went to the opera with the King
| Consort Of Spain, was not quoted higher
than the nankeen- -colOred dress and jacket,
braided with green, which was recognized
as the uniform invented by Tie ErnpEess
for the drive at Fontainebleau. L. ssess i
To be sure, the buttons were of mssia-
chite and set il gold, bnt the materiaisof
the dress could scarcely be considered as
bearing any value whatever. The shawls
were principally OF French manufacture
and mostly of summer wear, the cloaks
and mantles, deprived Of their lace fur,
unattractive. The utmost exaggeration
seems to exist in the prices but upon the
itself is out of fashion almost as soon as
seen; in the next, it possesses no resour-
ces whatever, and above all it IS liable to a
greater deterioration than the dress. The
habit of leaning back in the carriage.
which has become so general, destroys the
bonnet Immediately and renders it shah
by, even while still bright and fresh in