Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-01-29
The Fascinating DucheSs.

The fnsciuuttuk nucuc~'
On my arrival At Paris ! inquired
what was the best place to spend m
evening, and was told that the most
arlstocralc place Of resort was the
Jardin Mabille. ! took q cab and pro-
cceded thiihcr, ! found myself in a
beautiful garden, brilliantly lighted
There was q crowd OF ladies and gen.
tlemen, q fine band was playing and
quadnlle forming. While | was gaz
ing about a gentleman asked me if
wished TO dance. said that would
like to, but that I was n stranger and
not acquainted with any OF the nobIl''
ty present. lie smiled and said the
French nobility were exceedingly
aflable and obliging, end that be would
b. pleased to introduce me 10 n lady
Of high rank and varied accomplish
ments, who would dance with me it |
wished. Then he presented me TO
the young Duchess d'AssaiGrida chats
as near as I could catch the name.
| had never stood face 20 face with q
duchess before, and therefore felt
ditfident and i'll at ease. This grace.
tul creature understood my case at
once, and within two or three minutes
made me feel perfectly at home more
than at bone, I may say. l never
met a lady so easy to get acquainted
with as she was. 1t must require a
high cultivation, only to be attained in
the upper ranks Of society, to give one
such sell possession as hers. This
duchess smiled on me in the most en-
conragins way, and tapped me on
the shoulder with her fan, then she
lo"ked up into my face and charmed
away all my embarrassment with a
hurs. of CHEEKY laughter that was full
OF happiness and garlic.
Next, she took my arm, beating
lime 10 the music with her fan, and
still uttering that fragrant laughter
And next she put her arm around my
neck. This was somewhat dn'x'
pected. I must say. 1t made me feel
blissfully uncomfortable. enjoyed
it, but, at the same time, was afraid
it might attract attention. / in,imated
as gently as I could that the duke, her
father, might be in the crowd some
where; but she only laughed more
o1orously than ever. l feared the
paternal duke might invite ne to
breakfast on pistols and coffee. l like
coffee. but / do not consider that it
improves it to mix it with hardware
This l limited to the duchess, and she
received it with one of those peculiar
laughs Of hers that was perfectly
smn,hering
Just then the music struck ur tu'
riously, the duchess exclaimed 'come!
and dashed away with me. The
crowd closed up to our set, and walled
it IN on every side. had never be-
fore seen SO much curiosity displayed
in mere quadrille by dlsinterested
p.rties. Dukes and duchesses began
to prapce to and fro in the dance with
wild energy of purpose and extrava
gance Of gesture.
1 began to get interested.
glanced across, my partner was just
turning she miscAlculated the leLgtt
of her limbs and lifted her dress ac'
cordiugly; she came prancing over;
sailed forth 10 meet her, wish l may
never be believed again if she did not
kick the hat right off the top of my
head ! stocpsd to pick it up and
noble arlstocrat fell over me; Others
followed him-both ladies and gentle
men-aud I never saw such chaos o'
struggling limbs aud frantic drapery
since the benches broke down at the
1 circus when was boy. it was pure
good fortune that nobody got hurt
When | got oal I went to my place
Fat the head of the qnadrille and stayed
there. l had lost confidence; this
dance was too high-toned for me. II
had peculiarlties about 1t that were
new sud upexpcted ! bad sseu