The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-05-07
Sarah Bernhardt's Ball.

A ball was given in Paris March 4th,
the like of which could certainly not be
found in any other capital in the world
but Paris. Some few days ago very
handsomely illustrated card-a work of
art itself, due to the pencil of Clairip-
was received by the personal friends of
Mdlle. Sarah Bernhardt, reading thus:
Monsieur Maurice Bernhardt prie Mon
sieur x. de lui faire Ihonneur de venir
passer la soiree de la Mi-Careme chez sa
mere" The entertainment was given in
celebration of the young host having
completed the fifteenth year of his age.
Fancy dress was supposed to be de
7igate,t,., and there were, indeed, so few
black coats that they in no way impaired
the bright and picturesque aspect of the
famous atelier which has been so often
described.
A model of artistic splendor, it needed
little to adapt it to the requirements of a
ballroom. The japanese figures, the
magnificent bronzes, the paintings,
statues, and numberless works of cost
from every part of the world, had only
to be heaped together in more than usual
profusion and the somewhat severe as
pect Of the architecture merely ightened
with additional tapestries and banners.
l.
frescoes on golden ground, naturally did
duty for the buffet, while an extra room
built over the garden, and draped with
gobelins, served as cool retreat from
the heat of the ballroom. The host was
dressed in the elegant italian costume
worn by his mother in ella Passant, !"
while she, herself, in white satin dress,
with tall hat, appeared as the most
charming of fPierrettes
Some of the dresses were fantastic
enough-Mdlle. de Gournay, for in
stance, being made up as Puss in Boots,
and Mdle. Abbelud as black ''Pierrot."
The painters present were naturally most
carrect in their attire-Detaille, for in
stance, wearing the undress uniform of
an English guardsman; Jacquet, q verit-
able italian medieval costume, and Bas-
tien Lepage looking like Calabrian
brlgand to the life. But to enumerate
the guests would be to give list of all
the notables in Paris. To show the cleo
tic nature of the gathering, need only
mention that it included the famous Ser
geant Hoff, whose bust, by Mdlle. Bern
hardt, is to be exhibited in the nextsalon.
Dancing was carried on with a reckless
gayety, which found its excuse in the
license Of carnival time, and the view of
the scene, as Witnessed from the stair
case, which is the most conspicuous fea-
ture of the studio, leaves an impression
which by those who enjoyed it will not
easily be forgotten.
DEATH OF THE PRINCE OF BANDITs-Gas.
parone, once the terror OF his countrymen,
as well as their pride, died Il few days ago,
at the ripe age of ninety. in the Casa del
Poveri, at Abblategrassi, in Lombardy. In
the good old days of Bonn oa, Gregory XVI.
and the Archdukes, he was known
Calabria, the Campagna and
Tuscany, in all of>which territories he at
different times piled his perilous profess
sion as ssthe Prince of Brigands" and "the
King of the Mountains" When the Pa.
pal States were annexed by Victor Eman-
uel, in 1870, Gasparone was under cloud.
He had for many years occupied a case-
and as, according to Italian law, his offense,
if any, was condoned by the unconscion-
able duration of his imprisonment, he got
the benefit of the limitation statutes and
was set atlliberty, being, at the time of
his emancipation, over 80 wears old. He
came to Rome and took up his residence
in the Transtevere but as he, oddly
enough, became the object of successive
popular evatiops which were considered
Ou6IlSlVc w puUflC HlOTdiiGy, anu, ulOIC9
over caused serious disturbances in the
streets, the Italian Government resolved
to remove him from the capital, and caus-
ed him to he transferred to Abbiategrassi,
where he has just died, universally re-
spected. Gasparone was an exceedingly
handsome old gentleman, of dignified
bearing and exquisitely courteous manner.
During his honorable retirement i'll the
Casa die Poveri he was wont to narrate
with charming frankness the thrilling ex-
ploits of his younger days, and tenderly
to deplor the reprehensible obstinacy of
some of his "chents," whose stubbornness
in declining to pay mp the sums fixed by
him for their ransom had compelled him
to treat them with a severity as distress
ing to himself as it could possibly be to
them. He would never admit that he
had taken more than twenty eight lives
with his own hand upon the more than
sufficient grounds for irritation; and
plumed himself particularly upon having
Invariably been merciful as we'll as a
just man. Peace be to his ashes!-Lon-
don Telegraph, Oct. 25th.