Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-09-09
A WEEK IN SOULLESS PARIS
Wandering Through a World Of
Wares.
POVERTY AND PASTRY SHOPS
At the 0pera-A New and Novel
Experience for an American Girl
The Humbug Of Partisan
Fashions.
BACK TO LONDON And ROAST BEEF

| ~ L L
| August 16 "A week in gay, delightful,
soulless Paris, makes one feel as if she
had lived here all the days of her life, and
were to continue so to do indefinitely. 1t
is 'out of the season" in Paris, and every
thing is closed up, and nobody is in the
city; but, still the inexplicable charm of
the fascinating place takes strong hold
upon one and il seems utterly impossible
that, before tomorrow dawns, the great
white city will be far behind US, with the
dreadfully mysterious channel billowing
| up between.
l wish it were possible that you could
have been with us last Tuesday morning
as we drove from the station to our hotel.
after our long all-night ride from Geneva;
that you could have seen Paris in the
bright o'clock glow of early morning.
when small shopmen were taking down
their shutters when the markets were Just
waking to another days life; when the
shop girls were making their way to their
places of daily toll, in their neat little
dresses of black cashmere or dark print,
and with no bonnets or hats whatever on
their prettily dressed hair: when the
Seine was ripping in the early light, and
the white walls and streets seemed so won
derfully clean end sparkling. wish you
could have driven with US past the
splendid buildings of which Paris is so
justly proud; through the beautiful
Champs Elysees and up the grand
boulevard, at the extremity of which the
stately Arc de Triomphe is so clearly de-
fined against the sky and then if you
could but have gone our rounds of sight
seeing with us during our six days stay
sightseeing and shopping, for never was
there more delightful way of spending
day than in wandering about through
Paris shops, picking up inarvels for next
to nothing, and getting your lunch in a
pastry shop like the people of suddenly
reduced circumstances in the English
novels.
We were sitting in one of these little
shops the other day, .Arabella and 1,
murchng chocolate eclairs and almond
gingerbread at the end of the tiny counter,
when a gentleman walked in and bought
ope-sou tart, and was about sitting down
to eat il, when we irresistibly giggled, and,
forgetting the possibility that the English
language might be known to others than
ourselves in this benighted land, conf
dentially and simultaneously remarked TO
each other:
"Another poverty-stiickeI individual I"
"He's on the cheap plan, too! I"
You should have seen that tart go into
his coat-tail pocket as he suddenly dis
appeared around the corner of the street,
while we gazed aghast at each other.
We went to the Grand Opera the other
night. Only three performances a week
are given now, and most of the stars are
out of town, and can't remember which
of the others sang, for the programmes
we bought for six cents each, turned out
not to be programmes at all, but only some
sort of little advertising sheet. But the
opera was William Tell-which / think
must be popular opera Just now in
Europe, considering that every time have
been in an opera house since crossed the
Atlantic, have heard a portion of this
very same work and the chorus was the
largest and the finest by very great deal,
of which | ever dreamed and the setting
OF the great stage was simply magnificent,
especially in the last act, when the waters
of Lake Lucerne rolled and heaved in so
natural a manner that some of our party
Immediately felt qualms, and the little
boat was dashed up onto the rocky shore,
and drawn back again by the receding
waves in manner that was perfectly
marvellous, and altogether inexplicable;
and the ballet was marvel of jumping
Jacks and Jills in gauze skirts of rainbow
hues and striped pants of ditto. In con.
sideration of the feelings af the Orthodox
minister from the west who was our
escort on this occasion, they should have
omitted the ballet, but such was not the
case.
We had private box; you should have
seen it Away up in the roof, where
would be the "nigger heaven" of our
home theatres, are the cutest and funniest
little nooks, from which three can get a
very good view of the stage in the far
prospective below, and fitted up with
crimson velvet cushions and chairs, and in
all respects very amazing places to cost
but 80 cents And we had the altogether
charming experience, by the way, quite
unknown to the feminine sex at home, of
| going out every time the curtin fell
between the acts to get lemonade and
/ cardamon seeds.
We went in the roof of the operp house
FOR two reasons, both excellent the first
being that our happy thought of going at
all, came SO late that no other places could
/ be had; and the second, that we hadn't our
new clothes then. But you should have
seen us bloom out yesterday Every
woman of us had new dress, and every
one of us wore that new dress, in order
that il should be an honest portion Of our
/ own wardrobe when the dreaded tussel
with those wretches, the New York Gus
tom House officers, shall take place. And
Paris hats But of these l will say moth
ing in particular, for my own Paris hat
hiss yet to be manufactured, when get
to London, and can spare a half hour to
puba new feather on my old black chip.
Did l promise to write you Of Paris
fashions Well, Tn afraid that promise
will be broken; for, verify, l have seen
nothing of which to write. From the dis
plays of Paris hats and costumes in New
York and Boston stores, could write ten
times as good letter on French fashions
as | can after a week in the city of
fashions itself. I've always heard that
they send the best of everything to
America and now believe it, And as for
prices-why, truly believe could buy
the s.lf.shme bonnet, if it should chance
10 be sent across, couple of dollars
cheaper at home month hence. than
can now, in Paris. and in fact, the best
and most stylish French hsts are made in
New York city. It's all humbug about
Partisan fashions.
We are a very jolly set of Gazing Tour
jeans just now, for a onjunction has been
effected between our own party, who have
been on the Long Tour and the italian
Supplementary and one of the "Swiss
PARTIES" We are all here at the same
hotel, and are doing Paris together to
mutual pleasure and profit, l Judge.
Another Swiss party left Paris soon
after We came, and there are still others
Just behind us. OF our tours about the
city, l cannot begin to tell you. Suffice it
that we have certainly done wonders in
the time at our disposal. AS regards the
city proper, Versailles, and other inter
esting places, Mr.. W. E. Gaze has per-
sonally conducted us in Paris, both our
own conductors accompanying us also,
and certainly the veriest grumbler that
ever sputtered, ought to be satisfied with
the way we have done this city.
And now for the channel and London
once more. Will he able to understand
English and eat salted butter? And will l
recognize slice of good rare roast beef
when l see it? Those of you who have
never experienced continual table Ghote
dinner, will not be able to appreciate the
force of that last remark, but to those who
/ huxr 4 mill H., ,4..l. L.