, 1877-01-21
EUROPEAN GOSSIP.
The Christmas-Holidays in Gay
Paris.
A Most Wonderful Wine'--Duelng BY
Balloon.
The Benopartes at Roule...a Female Piaantier in
Spain.

The BeHlp2Ttey at k0n1e--.a feNal6 FlualeltI III
Spain.
THE HOLIDAYS IN PARIS.
The Paris correspondent OF the New York
World says: ut is impossible to imagine
gayer sight than the boulevards present during
the holiday season. On the 23d Of December
begins the erection OF the little booths that
orm the prominent and distinctive feature OF
the season In this city. Stretching in wcll-nigh
unbroken lines from the Madeleine to the Porte
st. Martin, these small temporary shops set
forth by no means despicable array Of holiday
attractions. The ground which they occupy
the space next the curbstonc and between the
trees-is furnished to them gratis by the city
authorities, which al1ot to each applicant the
SPOT he is to occupy, and also settle vigorously
the size and material of each structure, SO
that due uniformity Of aspect and regular
division Of space shall be insured. The regular
shopkeepers along the boulevards complain
loudly OF the presence Of these temporary
rivals, but the authorities declare that every
one must have 3 chance, and so permit the
poorer class Of small shopkecpers and working
people to come for ten days in ncompetition with
their Weather confrercs. Manya poor family
IL OCEupt0 LAE "AuIC JEd1 4O0uA LII ptCpAl1uE5
for this brief season of petty commerce. BY
many poor workman saves up every sou that
he can econom1ze for months and months,
SO as to set himself up. in booth
at New-Year's. The articles offered
usually toys, cheap stationary, photographs,
pocketbooks, small pieces OF cllinaware,. and
other inexpensive wares. Not that the things
arc very cheap, as they arc usually held at .
price little beyond what they can be purchased
Tor st a9y nfsass store Some @ Of the booths
these there is invariably collected a crowd Of
poor children, all anxfously weighing the merits
Of each separate toy, and eager to lay out the
solitary sou that form their etren'4es to the
things at 10 cents each, while others again arc
gay with an assortment OF really handsome
toys. This year, for the first time, the bric-a-
brac dealers took the field, and several booths
displayed pieces Of antique jewelry, carvings in
ivory, old miniatures, khick-knacks In polished
offer a smoky picture labeled It An original
by Guido " among his other wares. At night
each booth is Illuminated with two large petro-
leum lamps suspended from the roof. The
wonderful brilliancy and gayety. The shops,
ablaze with gaslights, the brightly-lightcd
booths, the merry throng Of pleasure-seekers,
the beautiful goods displayed on al sides, go to
MAKE up Au extremely AHlLlaLEu Auu pltu5lilE
picture, while the JOYOUS outcries Of the chill;
dren, the noise ofWhistles, trumpets, fageolets,
and squeaking toys Of all descriptions and the
announcements OF fresh attractions and wonder
fully low prices made in the 'shrille5t possible
tones By the booth-keepers form very Babel OF
conflicting sounds Yet, amid all this vast holi-
day crowd there is no drunkenness, and no
rudcuess, and no disorder, and everybody seems
absorbed in the innocent mirth and enjoyment
OF the hour.
" "sugar-plums, as is usual IN Paris, form the
fashionable and fayorite New YEARS. gift OF
every class, from the exquisite, who PAYS $50
for boz Of bon-bons at Boissie's, down to the
poor ouVrier, who gives five cents for pound
OF broken chocolate Or crumbs Of glace chest
nuts, the remains, or rather the refuse of the
holiday wares of the great confcctioners. Not
but what he does we'll to buy his sweets in that
form, instead Of purchasing cheap candies for
his little ones, for he gets dainty article Of the
ysry best quality, only perhaps in les tempt
ionable confectioness all vic with each other in
the matter of novel and fantastic bon-bon
boxes, which usually try hard to look
liks ANYTHING Pnt What they ars, a., and y very
volume, labeled ':Les Douceurs dc Ia Vie,''-itis
full OF susar-plums. 4 swans-down muif, lined
with pale-blue satin, Is laid before you; unite
one OF the azure cords that continc the lining,
bon-bons. A hat Of snow-white felt, trimmed
with bands Of pcacock's feathers, is offered for
your inspection; the high Tyrolcan crown is
receptacle for sweets. Piucushion=, foot-stools,
rolls Of music, fans, butterfly nec1lc-books,
dolls, milk-caus, rustic hats filled with flowers,
bundles tied up in silk handkerchief, such
arc a few OF the forms that these
dainty tribes assume, usually in most
deceptive fashion. Fortunately, boxes
covered with costly laccs, set with real
gems, OF laden with gold embroidery, have gone
out OF fashion; they belonged to the inter1niua-
BILE list of the e1trayagant follies Of the Second
Empire. Times arc changed since 9 certain dis
sipatcd Duke set the pearl of his picture-gal-
lcry-a fine Aleissonner-in the lid of one OF
these caskets an offering to one Of the queens
Of the demi-rnonde, who, indignant at receiving
nothing better than 4 box OF candies from her
prodigal and profigate adnlirer, when she had
counted upon a set of diamonds at the very
least, flung the whole affair straight
way out OF tho window. Months after
the box, with its precious painting
still intact upon the cover, was dis t
covered in bric-a-bac shop near the Temple,
was purchased for a mere song. and thH Afcis- |
sonuicr, cleaned and framed, now figures hon
orably in we}l-known private gallery in En- |
gland. The pretticst box OF the Kind this sea-
son represented rustic basket, formed OF strips
Of barks and seemingly filed with natural flow
erf; the flowers, however, were aflroitly arraug-
cd in shallow wire tray, the outlines OF which !
were concealed by g covering Of rioss. When |
this tray was lifted out the inferior OF the bask
ct WAS found to be titled with yiolets. roses, |
in sugar and appropriately colored and |
tlayorcd.s |
a Nf0ET wnN-nEnErrT v~