The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-10-19
Centennial Notes,
Correspondence Of the Journal.


one apartment 1t was somewhat difficult to
realize that we were i'll Philadelphia, that city
of such quiet fashions and exclusive habits that
the rest of the world had had hitherto no deli
mite knowledge of his extent or ability. At the
very next table sat the President Of the 1Austri
an Commission, whose name | might muster
courage to pronounce, but as for attempting to
spell it,-eXcuse me. The Count is pleasant
faced notwithstanding gentleman, not yet
fifty years old. He comes in modcstly enough,
takes his place and dispatches his orders. then
Chances round at his neighbors with such Il kind
ly look that meeting his mild blue eye you feel
half inclined to nod friendly recognition. Per
haps some acquaintance of his enters. Then it
is good to see the hearty greeting. the perfect
courtesy Of manner and the marvellous good
fellowship of their pleasant chat While l
watched them there was Il bit of stir near the
| door, and everybody looked up to see the rich
est mandarin Of China entering with two Amer
lean gentlemen. We have all grown familiar
with this notable Celestial, for he is to be seen
every day at the Main building, but last night
he was gorgeous beyond any previous rcyela-
ton He wears the queerly shaped Chinese
shoe, cut almost as low as a slipper. and pr-
yalcIy wonder how he keeps his stockings so
| clean. His petticoats-they are nothing else
are Of heavy purple brocade; when he walks
| they flap about his ankles in most awkward
style, seeming to resent masculine adoption. as
any pettcoat ought which bad the slightest del
icacy of feeling. His loose sacque or tunic was
Il light blue. The silk was stiff with the rich
embroidery of dragons and flowers and darling
insects that covered it, and the great hanging
sleeves irri>,tabiy reminded YOU of those
twenty -four packs which Bret Harte's hc;i-
thea Chincc utlrotly concealed. On his head
he had the inevitable dark blue skull cap. fin
i>ticd with the red button of his class and his
fair girsh face, without any symptom of beard
or moustache, made it difficult for one to fancy
him Il man of authority His long queue, deity
braided, hung far below his waist, and his re-
| markedly delicate hands added still further to
his feminine appearance. He took the uniyer-
sal staring with The utmost nonehalance, read
the bill Of fare As if lie perfectly understood its
| queer mixture of English and French, and then
| applied himself to the discussion of lis dinner
with great zest. Round table in the centre of
the room sat six South Americans, young men
"
since they do both at Il high rate of speed, YOU
can imagine the CHATTER. The next group are
| Englishmon; true Britons with an amazing air
| Of general swelldon, from their immense scarfs
! to the tips OF their toes. They call tie waiter
| ''garcon' is often as possible they say they
! had It ''Deastly" time of it getting iii from the
grounds and carrying on their conversation in
| extremely audible tones, we are edited by the
utterincc, of more slang than an American
party, pretending TO any culture whatever,
could think Of using. Just then in 'vAked
a tall man with an extremely striking face,
| but such head rs one rarely sees. 1t was
cut almost at right angles on all sides. Large
at the base it narrowed as it rose; the back
| was perfectly flat and phrenoogist would
| say there was not ii generous impulse in
| his nature. II don't think there is observed
my friend, who knew him. "IIe is one of the
most noted lottery men in the Union, and no.
torious few years ago for killing Col. Duryea
in front Of the Hoffman House" His wife was
with him, dressed as tie wives of such men do
dress, i'll most elegant style; she had evidently
| been beauty once, and her eyes are still fine,
| but the lines round the mouth are those which
unhappiness and discomfort always curves, and
i the rouge OIL the cheeks only makes the absence
Of natural bloom more apparent. y little boy
| calls her mammal but what heritage will be
| his: Over by the window there is a pretty lit
| tie BRIDE as fresh and sweet as any flower
How she enjoys pouring the young husbands
coffee, and how charmingy she bushes every
five minutes. The door opens and tall hand
| NAV in WIN f.,,a I,,,
swiftly back to the last public reception given
| by poor Mrs. Belknap, FOR there | saw h%n last
| ~ eagerly tuikiA=5 Will. the beautiful hostess
| that his impotence at the interruption of every
new conner was comicay apparent. He is a
| trcnchman, with all 4 Frenchman's galantry,
and he bowed with extreme devotion over the
| hand of a fair lady who gladly made room for
him ut her own table. Now come Il party of
! young Jews. Handsome fellows are these
| israelltcs, and one Of the Young ladies with
| them is roy ally beautiful perfect Sutana
| with flashing eyes and scarlet lips, With the
rich blood flushing the creamy skin and rows of
whitest teeth shining at every smile. She wears
the saucy Gainesborough hat, but it suits her
| admirably, and life is evidently to her IA tleic-
! Gus experience. Meantime, in the corridor
there stands crowd Of people waiting, not
very patiently for their turn. 1t is multiplied
case of 'the little pig who had roast beef and
the other little pig who had none,' very funny
| TO the pig who is eating his beet but not at all
amusing to the hungry walters. Evcrythin" Is
| full now; people submit with laughter to dis
| comfort and Inconvenience, paving absurd
| prices for the slightest accommodation. and
| al
| the Centennial Exhibition must he seen now or
| not at all, and people are Just beginning to
| realize how great is the marvel thereof. In
| June and July the heat was dreadful. to be
| sure, but not half so intoerable Is the bitter
cold which holds high carnival in the great
| buildings during these frosty mornings. We
| laughed at 1.-THE reign of the duster," but Wa
| terproofs and blanket shawls are not bit more
picturesque. The Commissioners are wise in
| adhering to the original date of closing. 1t is
impossible to heat those vast spaces to any
comfortable temperature. and the warmest en-
| thuslaSm would never keep our teeth from
chatterng in late November.
AMONG THE BOOKS.
Away down at the East end Of the Main
which Ruskn so eoquently wrote. or course
looked for familiar names. but there were not
very many. Osyood & Co. of Boston display
only one small case Of standard books, richly
bnt soberly bound, though over in Machinery
Hall their process Of IIeIiotyping has its place,
attracting crowds of visitors.
Orange Judd & Co. have tasteful eases, con-
tai al, nt Ia
in array of Crand4i'S building blocks. which
sends the little folks into ec,tacies Of covetous
excitement.
Lippincott has the most noticeable exhibit
ton. His ease alone cost over two thousand
dollars, while behind its glass doors YOU find
every variety Of splendid binding known to
modern times. Book lovers enjoy the outward
adjoining Of their ttvortes with exquisite pleas
IRE. One magnificent Bible is valued at S250.00
| The decoration OF its cover employed one man