Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-07-21

YORK Tribune,
The summer season is in full blast.
Those who are not running their horses
at the Bois de Boulogne are running
themselves to the country and the sea-
side. The celebrities Of the hour are
horses and rosieres, but the horses lead
those ladies by head. You may think
that Daughter of Heaven is rosiere; it
is mare. You may think that Dicta-
ture is political slang word, like Conf
denee and Locomotive; they are mares
who are running for the Cider Cup, the
Champs Elysees, or Satory Stakes.
They have to contend against Rabagas,
Tonnerre, Sans-Merci, and other fash.
ionable horses.
Those who have chateaus are already
gone, those who have none hire villas in
the neighborhood Of Paris. They i'm
agine that they are in the country, but
as they have carried with them all the
Partisan paraphernalia, they are sur
rounded by scenery no more rural than
that Of the opera. Yesterday a well.
known fashionable woman invited her
fair friends to bathe in her lake, lake
the size of ones hand. See the force Of
habit! The lady had poured into her
lake 500 francs worth Of Lubin's s
essences, orange flower water aud rose
water, saying that natural water required
seasoning | was not at this lovely
spectacle Of naiads, as all the men had
] been shut up ut an early game of bac'
/ carat.
There are Parisians who have their
summer retreat in Paris. For instance,
Madame Rattazzi (who does not resem-
Die tnat provincial academy which could
never get itself talked about gave to-
night Venetian fete in the Avenue de
pImperatrice. The women we're masked,
the men wore the Venetian cloak. 1t
was very pretty and amusing. cannot
detail the Quadrilles of mystifcations
which filled the ballroom. The French
women have succeeded the Italians in
the art Of playing imbroglios,
Here is one worth reporting; A repre-.
sentative Of the people and former pre-
feet Of the empire wanted to 60 to the
ball without their wives, but the two la
dies, who were cousins, arranged to 90
there without advertising the fact too
loudly. Naturally they came principally
to be revenged upon their husbands, and
you may easily imagine that they went
at it with will. They began by teasing
these gentlemen as to the consequences
of their absence. How" said one OF
them, could you leave those poor wo-
men at homer Are you quite sure they
will stay there without yon? How do
you know they are not gone to drive in
the Bois, to talk sentiment in the moon
lightY" Nonsense, said one OF the
husbands; I'VE know our wives; they are
doves who go to bed early. Our wives
are the old-fashioned kind who stay at
home and spin" Take carel Penelope
also staid at home and spun; but Ulys-
ses did well to return"
The husbands recognized their wives,
but this was only the first scene of the
comedy. The lively invention Of the
ladies did not cease there. A quarter of
an hour afterward they had succeeded in
exchanging their red and blue dominoes
so as completely to deceive their two
husbands, when they returned and took
their arms. Each thought he was talk
ing to his friends wife. The two women
had never been so tender and so engag.
ing, and the two friends were soon start
led with their good fortune. "Whet,"
said one, the projects wife l thought
her so discreet. | never heard her name
mentioned. 1t must be that | am ire
sistible. | am sorry for the Prefect" F"
"What" said the other. Il am sorry
for my friend, but am not sorry to play
this trick on the republic. These oppo-
sition deputies imagine that the republic
has reformed morals; they had better be
reforming their wives" Both Prefeot
and Deputy exerted themselves in the
utmost to invent pretty speeches. Both
ladies we're so carried away that they
easily consented to leave the ball and
improve the beautiful summer night by
making a promenade in the Bois. But
the two husbands were little frightened
by their success. Yes" said one. "it
would be delightful to take turn in the
Bois; but If your husband should per-
ceive that you were not here" my
husband Is it your place to recall my
husband to me when wish to forget his
existence2"
Alter this charming speech there was
nothing to do but to 90 out the garden
gate, enter carriage and drive to the
Bols. 1t was true idyl of the night, set
to music by the whistling of the black
bird, that derisive bird who only came to
Paris to make game of Parisians. The
Deputy never mounted the tribune with
such emotion as he felt in kissing the
hand Of his wife. "Who could have told
me, murmured the Prefeet, that the
fairest day of my life would come in a
pink domino2" This sport could not
last always. The husbands at last per-
ceived that they were flirting with their
wives, One boxed her husbands ears,
because of his excessive amiability. The
other says she never will pardon hers
What does all this prove as a study of
the human hearth There is material
there for whole chapter for Montaigne
and Erasmus. Perhaps / will write it
myself some day, but at present l will
merely deduce the moral that masked
balls are a good thing to bring husbands
and wives together,
Our married people come back gayly
to supper after their sentimental prom
enade; They narrated the adventure to
me. | never saw married men so de-
lighted with their wives.
The stars were fading from the sky
and still the dancing went on, for the