Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-11

MISS Stevens ana MISS Lincoln ;
and between the hostess at one end
Of the suite and the chief guests at
the other strolled some two or three
hundred of the best people" of
Paris. This, however, is mere
facon de parler; they were merely
trying to stroll when | entered, for
the way was blockaded by a quad
rifle, the dancers moving to the
music of a superb band. l don't
know how to describe that crowd.
Taken in one of its characteristics,
the abundance of its jewels, it may
be said to have reminded one, with
an alteration, of old Blucher's cry
at the sight of London: "Mein
Gott! what a company for to pill
lage!" Taken in another = the
beauty of some of the ladies = it
suggested raptures which, as l am
no poet, / cannot set down. In
another agaln-ln cosmopolitanlsm
it was perhaps the most interest
ing Of all.
had long wished to go over this
house, moved, l will venture to
say, by no vulgar curiosity, but
simply to say how in the capital of
civilization you could have the
best shelter from the elements that
money could buy. The rooms were
nearly all thrown open, SO here was
my opportunity. Given a bound
less wealth, Paris, and carte
blanche to her tasteful workme2,
what would they produce in the
way of a lowly cot suited to the
accommodation of people with au
income of $500, 200 month ?
1t was a highly philosophic form
of inqusitiveness. | hope that vii
be admitted at the outset, or l really
cannot go on. 1t is admitted, anC
| proceed to glance at the grea
drawing-room, its roof supported
by marble pillars, its walls anC
ceiling in white and gold, and it
inlaid floor, almost a greater mar
vel Of art workmanship than eithe
its ceiling or walls. Then | turI
into a boudoir, tapestried in Grim
son silk, but with little of its per
manent decorations to be seen, be
cause tonight well-nigh every avail
able nook Of space is occupied b,
huge fancy baskets OF flowers
some of them veritable parterres-
which send their perfume into th
room beyond. The flowers are no
costly enough, for l dare say the
are not to be reckoned at NOR
than II a bud; SO stuffed tropics
birds-at I don't know how muc
a feather, they would tell you i
the Rue de la Paix-have bee.
brought to nestle amoug the leaves
There is the spoil of q hundre
fancy bonnets in this part of tn
display alone.
There are more drawing-room
to be noticed-four, ] think | hav
only done two, and there are som
five or six in all. But why attemp
it only to defer the hour of failure
for then, as | am told by trust
feminine scouts who have seel
them, there are bedrooms, cabinet
de toilette and bathrooms to forr
successive stages in a well-nigh in
terminable journey in search of tn
picturesque, at one or the other {
which / must break down. VIII
tell me that this sleeping chambe
is in blue satin-walls, curtains
couches, chairs-and that one i
another tint of the same stuff, o
that the bathroom is q gem q
marble work as fine as a Roma
mosaic? | really do not want t
hear it. ] am surfeited with thes
delights of the eye. / feel regret
: fully that all have already write
is no better than an upholster's de
scription of a mansion, and almos
as great fault in art as that famou
"poulterer's description Of a pho
: nix " which the poet found so littl
to his taste in a rivals work. Th
end Of my attempt to describe Mr.
Mackay's house must simply be, q
you will have foreseen, to say tha
it cannot be described.
| The fddlers kept it up valiantl
: all the better part Of the night, an
the dancers were not to be beatel
; When ! left, at about 2:30, the
! were about midway in the cotillor
with chain of servants handin
! forward number of the costilel
emblems for that dance, after th
fashion of Frenchmen helping
put out a fire. / hear there was
supper at 4, but l give it to you {
a mere rumor, which you will t
. pleased to verify from the oflici'
reports.