The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-20

and the cause Of wit in ethers. Women
who have come within the circle of her
influence are as much attached to her as
men; yet she deliberately foregoes the
homage of this better half of mankind,
fos to tell the plain truth, she is the only
woman in her salon. That sex is exclud-
ed-why, | hardly know. Every man of
eminence is there, but of the many wo-
men in this capital fit to bear them conf
pany not one ever crosses the threshold as
Il guest. The reason is l think, all for
the rigor of the game; and the game being
chiefly politics she sees perhaps that the
presence of women might divert the at
tention of the pltyers.
1t is her own modest sense of the inl-
portance of her favorite pursuit. We
may judge of her power by the fact that
she holds her own in this keen competi-
ton of masculine intelligences. She can
indeed talk to most Of her guests in their
own vein. She has great taste in art,
and her skill in literature is attested by
many charming books. Gradually this
salon has come to be the rendezvous of
all that is most distinguished in modern
Parisian life. Even the people who do
not agree with the hostess are obliged to
accept the invitations for the sake of see
ing those who do. 1t is a place where you
meet everybody. An admirer in the
press has lately drawn up sort of Morn
ing Post list OF the habitues Of this salon.
He signs "a" If Thackeray were alive
| day say he would insist that the initials
should be 81" Still this work of pal
tience has its uses, and after all it is a
good deal more entertaining than the list
of titled nobodies present az court ball.
"What number of resounding name"
cries the scribe, "fow from our pen as
we begin to make this enumeration.
First we have the two Presidents of our
Parliament, Martel and Gambetta. After
Gambetta come the Ministers, nearly all
of them. NM. de Freycinet, Leon Say
and General Gresley. Then the Sena-
tors, NM. Ed de Lafayette and Foucher
de Carcil." (Bear in mind am only
giving you the creme de Ia creme, the
pick of his copious nomenclature.) 'oThen
the councillors in State. Then the chiefs
of the army-( -("moustaches roussies au
feu des combats" he calls them)-Gen-
erals Aymard and de Galiffet. Then
little man (wha has a subdivision all to
himselt) with eyes Of fire, with silvery
hair, NJ. de Lesseps. Then battalion of
journalists, NM. Emile de Girar-
din with his staff; Edmond
About, John Lemoinne, Clement
Camguel, H. Houssaye, Jourde, OF the
Steele; Scholl, of the Evenement. Then
men of letters, MN. Flaubert, Tourgue-
neA, Leconte de Lis'e, Th. de Bauvile
and Claretie. Then the painters, MN.
Bonat, Henner, Jules Breton, Emile Bre-
ton, Jean Paul Laurens, Chabal, Lambert
and Bastien Lepage; and for the musi-
clans Massenet and Membree. Then the
men of science, the great financiers and
kings of the business world. Even the
Jockey Club sends its donation. As for
illustlious Foreigners, we shall count
them? CASTELAR, may be found there
whenever he comes to Paris. General
Cialdini, the italian Ambassador; Gen
eral Turr, who, l suppose, could have
been bracketed with NJ. de Lesseps; but
let that pass-even Nubar Pasha, the
Turk"
Now this long exordium on Nine.
Lamber is only to introduce to your
notice La Nouvefle Revue, which |
mentioned the other day. La Nouvelle
Revue is out, and it had its birth in
the salon. 1t is to be the representative
of the young Republic in the domain of
the higher literature. 1t occupies, or is
to occupy, much the same, position in re-
gard to the Revue des Deux Mondes as
the Fortnightly Review does in regard
to the Edinburgh. The old French re-
view has become like the old Caledonian
one-fossilized. Every number seems to
have been dipped in the fountsin at
Vichy which turns everything to stone.
1t was Orleanist in it's origin, and it is
still far from being frankly Republican
to-day. 1t has the stiffness Of its great
age; its intentions are perhaps good, but
it can not keep up with this young and
nimble generation.
A deep sense. of the insufficiency of
the Revue led TO this new venture. La
Nouvelle is really an extension of the
salon of Nine. Lamber-its written
voice. All the talents and all the in
telligence are to have their turn in it.
think this mast be good thing. In
stitutions, like men, have their term of
days-their active youth, their strong
maturity, their decrepitude of age. They
may put off the evil hour for a time;
they may be what is called wonderful old
men, but they will be old men all the
same. The Revue des Deux Mondes has
lived long enough. 1t will be for our
grandchildren to make the same newt
able discovery in regard to La Nouvelle;
enough for us to sing the promise of it's
birth. RICHARD WHITEING.