Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-08-07

the removal from the KIN tne mOlu ID
buried in dry earth below the floor Of the
foundry, only the aperture for receiving
the metal and the vent-hole for the es-
cape Of air remainingvisible.
The Empress Eugenie and her Cor
set Maker.
Olive Logan in Harper's Bazar.l
During the period of the Emperor's
reign of France it pleased his beautiful
spouse to touch with her fairy wand the
house of Gringoire, and Gringoire be-
came at once the corset maker OF Paris;
and not at Paris alone, for does not her
sign to this day read, Patented. Fur
nished to 81. R. II. the Princess Of
Wales2 No one could pretend to be
well corseted who did not patronize
Gringoire. Her prices rose like the
mercury in its tube on a hot day. She
made no corsets for less than twenty
dollars. "We always charged the EN-
pressed forty dollars for hers. said the
corset maker, scientifically bending my
bones-my whalebones-to make them
flexible.
Madame Gringoire was a pleasant
hammered lady. Summoned to London
about six months ago to attend :" II. r.
H" the Princess of Wales, Grlngoire
found that her own body was more in
need of attendance than that OF her
noble customer, and in foggy London,
Gringoire bade adieu to world OF " false
vain show in feminine outlines as well
as all other things. Her former forewo-
man continues the business, and Grin
goire still glares its gold letters at you
from black marble sign. 1t stands to
reason that all the workers employed by
Gringoire were good corset makers.
/ never should have left madame if
madame hadn't died" said one of these
young women, as she took the number
of my waist inches, and wrote them in
her book Madame liked me to wait
on the English customers, as | am En-
glish. Oh, such fine ladies as did used
to come to us And such lovely figures
Did you ever see the Marchioness Of
Hastings, madame2"
Never"
"Oh, how beautiful her figure is only
eighteen inches around the waist; such
a bust, and such sloping shoulders
Indeed, then" exclaimed the book
keeper, fne.looking French woman
with a positive manner, she must be
very different from the most of English
women. The generality of them have
waists so long that they reach to the
knees, and busts hatter than their
backs.
"The Empress was a beautiful figure,
was she not2 asked of the corsetiere.
Magnificent. Very stout, you know"
Stout / have seen her often, but
never thought her stout"
She is so beautifully proportioned.
She measures twenty-seven inches
around the waist, but her bust is so very
large that her waist looks very small.
"What sort of corsets did you make
for the Empress2"
Always coutil madsme-never silk
nor satin, as many ladies ordered" I"
/ suppose she scarcely chose coutil
for eeonsmy's sake2" | asked.
No madame; but she liked coutil
best. Then we made night corsets for
her"
might corsetsI That is something l |
never heard of.
"They were rather funny looking.
All little tiny bones not thicker than a
pin, and with straps and buckles in front
instead of busks.
What was the object of wearing |
night corsets2'
ITO keep her figure always right, |
Her bust was so large that she was con-
stantly in fear Of losing her shape.
"Who had the next prettiest figure
among Griugoire's customers2
The Duchess de Mouchy, the Empe-
ror's cousin. She was the Princess
Amanda Murat, you know"
Did you ever wash the Empress cor
sets2'
"Oh, yes, madame, frequently"
"Please tell me how it was done"
1--WE removed all the steel busks in
the corsets, then ripped out what we
called the fans those little clusters of
silk threads which are at the top and
bottom Of all the bones; all lace en-
broidery was taken off, Of course, and
the whole carefully washed by special
laundresses. We put in the fans again
IN new silk, rearranged the lace and
embroidery, and then the corsets locked
exactly like new. We charged her four
dollars for each pair OF stays washed.
"Does her majesty still order her
stays from Gringoirs ISL"
:" She has never had new pair since
she left the throne. Madame GriHgeire
went and called on her once at Chisel-
hurst. She found her dressed in a plain
merino dress with liuen collar and cuffs
She told Madame G. that she was very
poor"
"She is good deal richer now than
she was when she was Mademoiselle De
Montiio. think, interpolated the black.
eyed, rosy checked French book keeper.
She is good deal richer than most Of
US poor French are, whom her husband
ruined by this foolish war.
Grace Dariing's tomb is in a ruined
There are some living even