The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-01-09
our Gable DesPatches-The Thought
of Three Cities.

pOlltlca, theatrical, renglouS ana IMAM
cial topics in London yesterday is laid before
our readers in the HERALD to-day, and the
subjects that were deemed of moment in
Paris also are spread in our columns. Our
city brokers and bankers may follow intel
lectually the operations of their fraternity in
the money capital of the world, and literary
men, musicians, painters, poets, dressmakers
and politicians may discuss with the facts
before them the themes that amuse and be-
wilder the worlds Vanity Fair at this very
hour. With the nations of the world brought
so near together that their minds deal with
the same thoughts at the same time some
substantial progress seems to be realized
toward that ideal condition when the whole
human race will act in sympathy on the
great aims and aspirations of common des-
tiny. On the Continent of Europe there are
some twenty languages spoken, and here the
English language is spread over an extent as
great nearly as that covered by the whole
twenty; but the history of languages makes
it certain that within century the people
of the various parts of this country would
be as little able to understand one another as
Engishmen and Germans are but for such
means Of preserving the unity of language
as the newspapers which, printed in one city,
circulate and are read in every other As the
press thus bids fair to preserve unity of Ian
guage over an extent to which one language
was never before spread in the history of the
human race so it has already been greatly
influential with us in keeping up that unity
of civilization and political system which
carried us through our great crisis and still
preserves us one people and it seems to be
the great function for the future of journal
ism to do by means of the cable for the peo-
pie Of the civilized world just what the press
has done in this regard for the people Of the
United States
In our Paris letter is to be seen the dazzling
variety of Paris life. International politics
and millinery move side by side. ''Grave
men with hoary hairs" their thoughts on
consols and furniture of that sort, will
cogitate deeply the hint that war alarms
are undated, and the ladies will vent their
pretty impotence at the solemn and awful
declaration that there is nothing new in
bonnets "yet." But there is as much virtue
in this yet as there was in Touchstones
if" for it clearly includes and implies
promise. Partisan Imagination, therefore,
will not be unfruitful on this tremendously
important point through whole season. 1t
will not leave the pretty faces of the civilized
world to pine in style of bonnet full
month old, nor gentle hearts to experience
the dreadful "sense Of goneness" at the
thought that there will never be another new
bonnet. By and by there will be new bon
net in little WHILE before the violets
bloom, perhaps-and the violets ''come be-
fore the swallow dares, and take the winds
of March with beauty" But if Paris has
not new bonnet to offer, behold
what it gives in silks satins and
velvets For beauty of color, for quality,
for originality in the designs, they are
unparalleled" This does not mean that
they surpass all fabrics made in Italy, Eng
land, Germany, or at Paterson, in New
Jersey for in this particular the world must
say to Paris as the poet said to the states
man, ''None but myself can be thy parallel"
They are unparalleled" even by what has
hitherto been shown at Parasitic products
of the genius of the Partisan ateiierS and Of
the looms of Lyons. Steel, mother of pearl
and foliage are mentioned as the more bril-
liant of the effects produced by these new
styles in dress fabrics. Here, then, the
ladies of superb proportions may find ma
terial that will give to their figures as grand
IN affoct DC ,,iobt the ehaaDv panopIv If the
Maid of Orleans, while the lesser may, i'll
mother of pearl, be as sparkingly uncertain
as even Undine herself and those who would
keep shady may yet in any variety of
foliage dazzle when the sun goes down and
rob the world of rest" There are few direc-
tons that art has taken in modern times so
notable as that in which. by the looms of
France, 50 wonderfully invented, the designs
of her artists, so freshly conceived and taste
fully combined. the manipulations of her
chemists, so microscopically just, so loath-
some creature as the bonbyr mort is
turned into those marvellous fabrics, whose
most conspicuous result is to make women,
at least the majority of them, great deal
handsomer than nature ever intended them
to be. Any ladies who dislike this senti-
ment may regard themselves as part of the
minority
There is always one striking feature in
the news from Paris, which is the remark
able activity of the world of persons who
cater to the amusement of the public. One
establishment--the Theatre Lyrique-re-
Gently opened, has already received from
composers the scores of twenty-six operas
offered for representation. Even this is not
the most astonishing part of the story, for it
is further recorded that six of these scores
have been accepted by the management
They are, therefore, not the same old twenty
six that have been offered TO every new man
agement for half century, for the six which