New-York tribune., 1875-03-08
LIFE IN PARIS.
LETTER FROM ARsENE HoUssAYE.


PARIS. Feb. IL write this more or less Carnival
esme letter from the grand fete of the Opera
Hitherto we have found this palace of music and OF
dance excessively tiresome in default of singers ana
dancers To-day it is amusing because 1t y q fes-
tiyal Of surprises and the unforeseen do you IKE
masked balls, Madamei adore them; that's why
give themD The philosopher says that we shouid
live with uncovered faces; the women say that
masks are indispensable. When they have no masks
they use their fans because they feel that their only
strength is in their 1t Is useless 10 say thae
one must know Hebrew to read womans neaft.
You learn after while to read them in French ana
English, and Spanish and Russian. Even the der-
man women do not hide their hearts; far from IL.
Byron said it was because there was nothing IN
them.
Therefore if women would preserve their power,
they must not reveal the answer OF their enigma
They must not show the faces Of their cards Inc
great art is to hold curiosity in check. what Is
more charming than the unknown One who knew
his path IN life would scarcely have the courage 70
20 forward Therefore has Heaven wisely concealed
from us the of life in this world ana the next
The ball is very pretty and very noisy mere Is
no amusement but in the tumult We VIII ieaVe
the slang of the floor to the "strong-muzzed
champions of Moliere We will go into the boxes to
D
hear the we'll known blague THE academic style.
In the boxes we find the tantalizing wit OF women
of the world of actresses and the hautes cocottes"
You must pardon my putting so many words in quo
tation marks We are not at the French Academy,
but at the National Academy Of Music. 1t IL not
NJ lie Due de Broglie who presides; 1t is Strauss,
with all the majesty of a man who. knows now 10
swing bis baton: Strauss had retired from ahalrs-I
mean from iddles-but be grew homeslck, Ike all
dethroned kings and was greatly applauded at MS
return to his kingdom. He took the floor to say that
il was his intention to conduct his people through
the thckest of the quadrilles. They appiauded him
unanimously; the painted and sculptured Tyres
trembed; all the Apollos of Panl Baudry ana tne
Others cast their rays of gold the silver hairs OF
the old musician who contributed tear to the tor
rent of laughter.
Ienter one of the prettiest boxes; there are four
women there. | do not count the men, am as
sailed by four well-armed tongues, each trying to
be wittest The words jingle like arrows. 1t is the
beginning of the battle.
The most impertlnent of the four asks me to
simmer "Yesn say, ON one condition "WhatV
That you write your follies on the tablecloth."
"No, will write them tomorrow" Tomorrow
il will be too late. | have not come here for idle
amusement have come to draw up the romantic
swear that will tell you things that 1t will take
the rest of your life to write; the most amusing
things in the world" "You frighten me- am
afraid Won are hundred years old" "A hundred
yearsp Just Iookw And the domino shows me her
admirable teeth. which have only just begun to
nibbe the forbidden apples The three other
dominoes not wishing to be taken for toothless
women showed their mouths Also as yet unprotaned
bv the dentist "Thirty-two teeth" sad one,
"thuse are my quarterings of nobility" Thirty
three said another, including one for sugar."
The third and the fourth had not counted No
body" said the red domino, " but the Countess -
knows how to count her pearls; her necklace now
has five rows; her husband gave her the first two,
and she makes him believe that the other three are
false and he is the only person in Paris who pItes
his wife-the triple IDIOT He is the only one who
does not know that the Countess adds row at
every Irritation"
A beI egprit comes into the box. He is not IN the
fashion for be still makes phrases Thus has grown
nroyincial. Compliments to my beauty" SAID the
hame-colored domino, is exactly as if you should
hight a candle TO see the sun rise" All recog-
nize you,r said the man of the fine speeches; you
are like the Sphinx of the fable you devour all who
do not guess your riddles" If that were so, yOu
would have been eaten long ago-but like fresh
meat "Sience yOu are nothing but an OgreSs'
said the steel-gray domino. IL is Madame Blue
heard. said the man of the fine speeches.
The red domino let off volley OF musketry to
pulverize the new conner. " What are yon here tor
You have not enough left TO make hlrd-clasS
funeralD :" 1t is natural should come. The most
effective undertakers are women man Is not
mouthful for one OF them. You, my fair domino,
who are playing the volcano, have buried me III a
he'd of lava, You will perhaps go and say that
have loved you for yourself" "One Is always loved
for ones self 1t is not another mans fortune whch
YOU loved in mine. If one loves the millions OF NJ
Rothschild, u is not because they belong TO his
neighbor. II one is in love with the genius OF a
poet or the heroism of soldier it is not because
one ia fond of a fool OF a coward. You see you DO
not know what you are talking about" nave
been to your school, Yes l paid your tuition
You were not so frank in those days. Inc frank
ness of our sweethearts grows as our fortune dimh
ishes. Good evening" :" Go to bed, If you love me
DO more. Without love man only lives asleep
When he loves he lives awake"
When the bel esprit was gone the red dOulho
cried. ITO think that that fellow has been a minis
fer, Yet such people as this govern the world"
..There is one thing told her. more powerful
than Wit and that Is stupidity. Wit Is the company
of pioneers stupidity is the innumerable army"
Yes" said the steel gray domino =" hate stupid
ty. but we must not speak i'll of folly, the mother
of us all: that sacred folly which is born OF nature
and dies in nature" lyon right; let US crown
folly as Rosi6re, but let us hate stupidity which
aims at wit; stupidity in its Sunday clothes; the
learned stupidity which makes speeches out OF
speeches, books out of books, pictures out OF PIC
lures, tawdry fnery out of old rags You see below
there those girls who dancing; they have hired
costumes which everybody has worn before them.
That is the history of stupidity Voltaire said that
the first poet who compared woman to rose was
man of wit, while the second was only an imbeeiie'
Voltaire never spoke so WELL"