New-York tribune., 1873-04-12
PARIS GOSSIP.
,Es FROM THE FRENCH CAPITAL.

rPRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsE.l
| PARIS March 26.-I push chair and table
awaY from the open wiislow, through which the sun
comes welcome. but warm. "Tho fresh leaves are
showing their creasedup wealth OF greeDery from out
their opening soahs; tho Tueries gardens are all
aboom with rosy children PINK babies and whitecapped
bonnes The avenue late de lmperarice and the lake
drive IN the Bois de Boulogne thronged and gay
with eGnipares and fresh toettes Of the Grand Demi
and lesser fractions OF this and the better American
world A lady OF this latter told me she counted 10
bridal parties promenadng about the Cascade there last
Saturday afternoon The flower market by the Made
Iene this morning stretches to nearly its full Summer
length-two long galleries OF the Masters pieces" all
aRlow with color The fish at breakfast this morning
was questionable had begun to suffer that land change
into something not rich, nor at all strange alas In
Paris restaurants where, for irony the ruling con-
stellation Is Pisces.
But the most notable signs OF the yernal Equinox in
Paris are those Of the dry goods shops Magazines they
are STYLED here-Kaoasins de 6Ouveaui(s. For weeks
before their keepers sleep all night with open eyes to
the main chance and each crows beyond the melody OF
small fowls the gorgeousness OF his magazine ana
its exceptional and peculiarly attractive articles OF
novelty Americans sometimes boast OF, are sometimes
accused passed mastery in the art OF advertising In
the Aamboyant style and for forid ornament, French
dry goods genius may dispute the palm, though still
for medicines, mnes and mobiliers we beat Them The
large modern establishments each claiming to be larger
than the Others and Of them this year asserting IL
self TO be by yardstck measure supercay the largest
I'm the world larger by many square yards than
Stewards insert in turn In the daily prints In March,
a very grand proclamation announcing the solemn
inauguration Of their aggrandzed premises and formal
exposition their goods. This inaugural covers haif
often the whole page not sliced and cramped In narrow
columns but broadly spread from margin to margin.
With its black capitals and free white spaces atop
its catalogues Of stu giving their quality and prices
it,,hta harp nd explanatory
tory notes interspersed with statements OF peculiar
and hitherto unheard OF chances enjoyed by
and presented for the enjoyment OF propretors ana GUS
toners respectively, the whole offers the attrac-
tiyeness Of plastic art 10 the eye, with dbits fu OF
relish to the literary sense, while holding out the most
winning promises TO the hyeller senses OF vanity or
fashion and of "great bargains" most deceptive
sense that lasfeedng tho that the great
est magazine in the world has grown TO It's present great
ness by selling articles at less than they are worth
But some of these make their customers
pay for presents gratis which pretly French The
Ron MarcLS spreads lunch table for lady purchasers.
/ don't mind advertising this house myself which, for
the rest is already known to all Americans knowledge
OF evil of the husbands and fathers deem i ana
fairly mobbed by countrywomen IN the season. It's
managerpropretor is sample good as well as mere dry
goods man. never heard that he sets himself up for
phianthropist social reformer lies awake nights
and stops his acquaintance from amusing themselves
daymes because of his the great needs Of
the world and of his not being able to make up his mnd
how they TO be helped He sets up for shopkeeper
Is successful one and sleeps ought 10, the sleep OF
the lust He undertakes TO do what lies next him IN the
way Of philanthropy and reform, and does 1t rs
sensiby thoroughly and apparently successfully as If 1t
were part OF his business. He makes 1t
part Of his business He directly employs some
hundreds OF men, women, stripping lads and young
girls. He pays them matter of course, and
feeds of them on his premises, which Is nearly
equally matter of in Paris, and exacts digent
hard work for the material pay and board But further
more he is in human partnership with them does not
merely severely insist their morality OF conduct but
strives for his part temptations from the right
path, and smooth and broaden that narrow way This
he especially furnishing them with teachers and
other means OF instruction and with healthy amuse-
ments. Music ia. one of these was not fortunate
enough to the concert given two weeks ago at the
Bon MarchL the performers in which were for large
part the male and female clerks OF that house, but one
who was there tells me that 1t most creditable
considered the connoisseur's point OF hearing
The "greatest IN the world" establishment pushes
sefpung spherical perfection. by giving to each pur
chaser with the bill on which its trfiDg cost not in
diydually mentioned, OF those small balloons-a
delight TO the children at homeon the white ranspa-
rent surface which capay inscribed in red letters
the sign the house rival shop has borrowed the idea
but the primary deysers are indignant not at the imia
tion they say but the bungling OF IT, Any
wayfaer in the neghborhoOd Of the upper part OF Rue
de la Paix the Louvre, will meet with these full
blown advertisements of the emulous shops floating
from string held by purchasing madame or her bonHe
or accompanying child. The red names on these airy
nothings showing the habitatons they come FROM at
tract the eye and are despite the protest Of the org
nal magazine" the only difference dstinguishaDle TO an
ordinary mans eye More gracious aper TO the season.
with less flavor OF the shop Is the frcsh pretty nosegay
Of Parmese volets which, If your wife buys but francs
worth at the Irnemps Is presented to her along with
the bill by young gentleman from whom Mr.. Turyey-
drop ght take lessons in department
was saying that the weather ia delightfully."- has
been these FIVE days. And yet, yesterday there
eight suicides and attempts suicide in this gay capt.
ta-two by girls under 49, from disappointed love,
but most of the eight for not stated SO great
number in day is altogether exceptional even for this
year. which has been snguarly abundant of suicides
At one time in past Winter sefdestruction seemed
almost an epidemic, and growing by conagion OF
sympathy that some newspapers omitted notice Of them
for sanitary reasons This extra carelessness Of life is
perhaps Of the many not yet settled inhertances
from the war and the Commune. The last chapters
the Insane LES Alene Of Maxine du Camps last vol
ume gmpSes OF lud light showing the way to such
inference
ough by the way to have spoken OF this still recent
volume sooner and OF three predecessors oftener
Few books 80 well justify their title this Pdris ses
Oroanes ses Functions Vie. 1t Is the physiology,
biology and biography OF Paris the second half OF the
nineteenth century Very few authors have undertaken
so large a subject, devised on so clear and sensible
welproporoned plan and ably conducted the enter
prise so far toward completion. This fourth volume is
fair though painful sample OF the authors work on the
Paris It's manners and customs-not OF the great
gay capital Of the worlds pleasures and seekers
for it leads the way the doleul city, in to the
eternal pain among the people lost" introducing us to
that under world OF beggary maady, and inrmity. OF
whose life the half Of the world knows so little
As the preceding volume treated OF vice and crime,
and OF the public institutions for their suppression and