The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-29
understood amusement Of the ballet to PICK him

unoerstoou amusement 0 tne pauet 70 PICK MIN
up again.
was announced to commence at eight O'Clock, but
long before that hour the streets the neighbor-
hood OF the Opera House were thronged with
people who had patiently taken up their places to
await the coming Of the cortege. That portion Of
the Boulevard des Italiens. out of which the Rue
lie Penetier debouches, was ringed on either side
by a troop OF Gardes Municipaux, the only legiti-
mate successors to the famous Cent Gardes
OF the Second Empire-splendid men, handsomely
dressed and admirably mounted on weight-carrying
horses which they own themselves The Rue dc
Peletier had been carefully gravened, the line Of
Its sidewalks was kept by infantry, and the win
dows OF the houses were hung with nags and filed
with sight-seers. The outside OF the Opera House
was brilliantly Illuminated but It was, perhaps, in
the decorations of the vesiibule and stair cases
that the excellence OF French taste in such mat
ters was best displayed Flowers, evergreens and
growing palms, gas, looking glass, twining ivy
and laurel wreaths, rich crimson carpets under
foot and graceful hangngs on the walls, made an
ensemble which, In its way. was perfect. The
GGrdes Auntctpaur, in their gittering helmets and
enormous jacK-bOOts lined the stair case from the
street TO the royal bex, and evoked the admiration
Of the Shah. who asked Marshal MacMahon If they
were 'Gardes NationauX," a question to which the
Marshal, who, since the days OF the Commune has
held that body in special horror, responded with
great energy in the negative.
had dined at the Cafe Richie, which Is at the
corner Of the Rue LIE Pelletier, and, leisurely
smoking my cigar, had walked up the street ana
taken my station in front Of the opera House.
was watching tie arrival and thinking OF another
scene which mad taken place ON that very spot,
when the wretched Felice Orsini made his das-
tardly attempt at killing, not merely the Emperor,
but the Empress, who could not possibly have
offended him-by throwing bombs into their car
riage-when polite policeman inquired whether
had ticket, aud being answered in the afirma-
tive, wished to know why l did not use 1t. The
idea seemed good one, and adopted 1t, entering
the house and taking up my position In the sale,
which was already beginning to I'LL The Parisians
have ever since been raving Of the brlancy Of this
sale; but, truth to tel, 1t was nothing very much
to boast Of The house Is small-nOt to be COM
pared in size either to Fisk's Opera House in New
York or to Covent Garden, and the decorations are
dingy in the extreme. When the new Opera
House, the exterior OF which is already finished, Is
internally complete, the Parisians will have
building which in all points can hold its own
against any in the world; but their present sale s
POOR AND MEAN.
Eight OF the centre boxes had been converted into
large open balcony, canopied with velvet, with
three huge gilt chairs in the centre With the ex-
ception OF two or three men in uniform, who were
lounging about awaiting the Shah's arrival, this
balcony was still empty; but the other portions of
the house were filling FAST and filing with well
known people. In the proscenium box to the lett
sat Nine. La Aarechale de MacMahen, . comely,
midde-aged dame, having with her the
Duchesse De Castres and the Princess
1pslantL In the box above them were
also certain notabities-the Princess Trauhitzkai,
the Due de Praslin tson Of that Due who murdered
his wife, and who was ordered by Louis Philippe
to poison himself in prison, In order that the family
might escape the indignity OF having one Of its
members perish on the scarod) and Colonel
Kodolisch, jolly looking vtoear, military
attache to the Austrian Embassy here. There is
a general rustic and murmur OF appreciation
through the audience as the usher deposits on the
sill Of one OF the premiere lo0e enormous bunch
OF roses, as much as 1t would take your two arms
to span. These are the property Of the lovely Mar
quise De Pourtales, who follows Immediately after
them, and whose head dress ia also entirely CON-
posed OF roses. Noticeable also are the diamonds
Of Mesdames De JaucOurt and De Rothschild, and
the beauty Of Mesdames De Gallifet, De Rauneville
and the Duchesse d'Harcourt.
THE ORLEANS FAMILY,
who are making themselves very prominent In
Dukes Of Montpensier, De Chartres and d'Aleneon
while nOtabilities such as Emile de Glraudin, Baron
Haussmann, Menhac and Halevy were scattered
throughout the audience. Let me note, as an In
stance Of how the much Wanted politeSse Fran
cdtse has falien into disuse that many OF the men
In the stalls deliberately wore their hats until the
three taps Of the prompter warned them that the
performance was about to commence.
1t was past nine O'Clock when the visitors ar
rived. The Shah took his place on the centre
chair, with Marshal MacMahon on his left and NJ
Buffet on his right. They were dull triol / have
already described to you the Shah's personal ap-
pearance, save when he rouses himself, which is
very seldom-he has q farouche and lowering air.
Marshal MacMahon has white hair and red face
with thoroughly Irish expression. You are sur.
prsed when you hear him speak French, his
mouth looks so fitted for the brogue. good man
and an excellent soldier, he cares nothing for the
amusements of social life, while M. Buffet, with a
face like fiddle and the manner Of family apothe-
cary Ia as much out OF place at o theatre as he
looks. which ia saying a good deal. The perform
ances commenced with an act OF the opera "La
Juve," and the curtain the Shah settled his
gold spectacles on his nose and regarded the scene
but he got bored very soon, pushed the spectacles
on to his Astrachan cap, and took his opera glass to
look at the ladies among the audience. The mis-
fortunes OF the wretched Jewess did not seem to in
terest any of the royal party though doubtless the
Rothshilds, the Bischofsheims, and numberless
other Hebrac bourse spectators who were among
the audien e,felt more than they cared to show
Marshal Mcmahon leaned his chin on his chest
the Due de Broglie, who has the air Of ct-depant
jeune honpnae, went to Sleep and M. BUFFET, who
cannot see an inch before his nose, looked at the
end Of it. ! don't imagine that the lorgnon
inspection was satisfactory. All the pretty
persons I have named were some distance
Oh, and the royal box was surrounded by q
number Of stout, elderly ladies, the wives Of Depu.
ties and. doubtless excellent mothers Of children
but scarcely nice to look ct. At oil events no
sooner did the curtain fall than the Shah rose and
rushed out for refreshments, and am given to
understand that, with the remembrance OF the
Princess Of Wales and the beauties Of Queen VIC
toria's Court full upon him, he has drawn q COM
parison between the English and French ladiea