Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-03-31
PARIS GOSSIP.
THE WAsHERwoMENS FETE AND TEE
CHnDRETS HOLIDAY.
Art Blunders-The Case of Hartmann,
the Nihilist-An Ambitious on
cial Dumas Notes.
PARIS. March s. 1880

IOIty udJo VI ldsOilS anu prayer prov
long and dreary pilgrimage to the right
eous, and repose on the oasis of N
careme permits them to partake of thos
delights to which frail human nature j
readily inclined. III careme is the breath
ing space between prayers and austere de
votion, and the strict followers Of sever
rites hail its appearance as the dawn whicl
succeeds night OF gloom. The devoted
grasp this respite like tired soldiers dal
of rest, and those who pray not are equal,
glad to enjoy days frolic. 1t may there
fore be said that on this occasion Pari
dons her fete dress and plUnges into the
vortex Of pleasure with all the frenzy of {
regular carnival. Nj cGrensc is the fete o.
the bldacbisseaSeS, and has been claimed
exclusively by them until late years, wher
the different merchants OF the Halles large
markets and store-houses adjoining) have
made their triumphal car follow those OF
the
FAIR WASHERS AND IRoNERs.
All the remains of the carnival are to be
found in the nj c1reme for the JIaachiS-
seuses are large society, and if not rich
their combined purses and united pride
permit them to give an air of splendor to
their exhibition. Each year a queen is
chosen among them, and is placed on a
throne in the center Of large triumphal
car, attired in royal robes and surrounded
by all her court. On this occasion there is
all absence of wash tubs, hot water and
the perfume OF soap, for these busy wash
ers and ironers appear as so many butter
flies on their exit from their chrysalis.
They represent princesses, fairies and other
beauties belonging to all ages and all chimes,
and their costumes are often both rich and
elegant The public do not hesitate to
crowd the sidewalks for the express pur-
pose of watching them pass by, and the
fury for advertising having taken posses
sion of the entire civilized world, many
persons profit by this occasion to dress up
a fantastic wagon, bearing the address Of
their cafes or brasseries, and place therein
even more Enthusiastically dressed women,
who, on account of their light costumes,
appear for all the world ike the ballet dan
GERS of the opera out ON spree.
Since this day of dissipation finishes at
y o'clock at night, the festivities begin the
evening before, the dancing commencing
only at u o'clock and lasting until morn
ing. This is more particularly
THE oHILDREN's HOLIDAY,
And all parties, masked balls and enter
tainments are given in the children's
ames, which, after all, is only sham, for
he poor little things, growing tired and
sleepy, before the fun really begins, are
hustled off to bed and the grown-up folks
have all the merrlment TO themselves.
These children's balls are always fancy
dress parties, when the custom is Ia rigueur.
Even during the day scarcely little one
is to be seen without at least fancy cap or
hat and gay ribbons attached to the dress.
The whole family turn out to promenade
wards, and as carriages drive by there is
usually to be seen slowed away in corner
a little fairy, peasant or knight. The chill
dren certainly enjoy it all, but it is safe to
state that they are much encouraged by
older people, who are glad of an excuse to
give way to their own exuberant spirits.
Before the year is half over every one
becomes anxious and expectant about the
coming salon-that is, artists, all their
friends, and all those interested in art. Mr.
Turquet the "Sous Secretaire aux Beaux
Arts, since he has been in office has been
possessed of wild ambition to elevate
art, and not decided about how to begin,
has thought seriously of turning everything
upside down so as to begin over new. He
owes his position to the fact principally
that he is an excellent judge of painting,
and he has materially increased his fortune
by buying works OF young artists whose
merits were later acknowledged by all, and
whose pictures afterward commanded high
prices. His knowledge evidently stoDs
there, for his executive ability is very CUES
tionable. The papers for long time were
filled with resolutions to be proposed by
him, and many were led to believe that the
"Sous Secretaire aux Beaux Arts was
going to perform wondrous deeds, but, on
close examination, it was foundethat the
REVOLUTION N ART
Was unwarranted and one calculated to
oyerturn the good to be placed by some
thing not even passable. Mr.. Turquet
succeeded by one stroke of his pen in up
setting the equilibrium of all the painters,
topping them over from their stools dash
lag their brushes aside, and throwing their
hands in the air and causing them to send
forth such piercing shrieks of rage
and indignation as only an enraged
painter can produce. The whole
of it was that Mr.. Turquet proposed to
place during the exposition of the salon all
the pictures of the same genre subject
In the same room, so as to facilitate the
search of the different pictures by the pub
lic Then the artists cried, "Do we paint
pictures for the public to walk up and place
their fingers on them, like figures in lotto
game +" And then what sight-all the
I1agsdges in one room it would be enough
and ruin all the hotel-keepers at both the
sea-shore and watering places. And then
all the portraits in one room-horrible !!
particularly on rejecting that they are
mostly the portraits of fat, ugly old women,
who all seemed possessed with an ardent
ambition of figuring at the salon, and pay
artists very high price for this privilege.
As the artists all cried out in concert, their
voices were heard far and wide, and Mr..
Turquet was obliged to withdraw his prop
osition before the clamor of public opinion.
Therefore the salon this year will be con-
Quoted on the same principle as the salons
of preceding years, and Will be opened the
first day of May, which, by the way, is
not far off.
Paris has passed lately through
A por rrrcAr Op0r.,
OF considerable Importance. 1t is gener-
ally believed, not only by foreigners but
by many Frenchmen, that France has de-
generated and is rapidly on the decline to-
wards moral weakness and an extinction of
those qualities which command respect
from others. This supposition came near
being realized, particularly as the spirit of
arbitrsrincss still existsnthroughout this
ancient monarchy and goes to prove the
danger of placing too much power in the
hands of one frail human being. Mr.. An
drieux, the Project of Police, is as great a
reactionnaire and anti-republican as the
Count de Chambord himself, and retains his
position only through strong personal infiu-
ence; in fact he is one of the threads
which still holds the Republic to the re-
mains Of the Empire, and which the Re-
public has not yet had the courage to sever.
Since the attempt in Russia to blow up the
Imperial train, 1t was whispered in the ears
.1f Mr ND I'D r IL l