Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1881-12-17
THE LITTLE DUCHESS.
A Real Story of Parisian Life.

A Real Story of Partisan Life.
Paris is full, just at present, of talk
the frolics and folly of the watering places
The last news OF the kind comes froli
Treport, a little, insignificant place enouel
to which none but the weary economist Q
fashionable life is supposed to retire t.
recruit health and restore funds. boil
severely damaged by the rigors Of the seaso
in town. But this year certain leader Q,
ton had resolved to punish Trouville Fl
its preference for q newer and younge
rival in the fashionable world during til IS
whole winter.
The little duchess (for, in spite Of til
Republic, she insists on bearing the ran
to which she is entitled by her marriage
knew we'll enough that wherever she we,
she would draw an admiring retinue aftt
her, and this self confidence proved
correct that in short while the solita,,
place at Treport became the rendezvous
the elite OF fashion, leaving that of Iron
vile to the mediocrities end nobodies, who
in every country, love to follow in fashion
train, in the hope that distinction may
catching.
But the little Duchess had one scheme il
view which outweighed even the desire
revenge upon ner rival. She had Ion:
er, who, IN spite of his protested hatred
the great ladies of the fashionable worlo
whom he rather ungallantly designates "tL
rising dregs of the seething caaldron
Paris society. has become the most NJ
cherczte and most petted artist of the d.,
He had fled to Treport, as he said, to avoi
the heat and corruption of Trouv,lle, Oh,
to pass his time in the study of the simp
city of nature as exhibited in the fshe,
mai5ens and garden. girls Of Treport.
The little Duchess had 'beheld him seat
ed alone in solitary happiness among TIL.
rocks, sketching tho procession Of marke
girls as they assembled the steep incline On
after another to gain the high road, with
Wow of choosing from among them I'll
model of his picture to be'exhibited mex
year in the saloon. "A sudden thought Q
mischief danced through her brain. IL
painter had always boasted of the frmne>
with which he had resisted'al the supplica
'tions of the fine ladies in Paris to pail
their portraits. He is naan of fortune al.
can afford to kumor his oaprices, for hi
rustic pictures have longEheen purchased b
art-lovers, both in England and France
at enormous prices.
The idea of making shsm unconsciousl,
break his uncourtious vow, seemed pleas
ing one, and the little Du chess set about re
alizing it at once. Procuring dress fro,
one Of the market girls, she began in tn
early morning with unceasing perseverance
to practice the step and gait of her mode,
The large flat basket, filled with seasiI
flowers and vegetables, with seaweed fallin
over the edge, and casting Pickering shadow
over her face, completely changed her coun
tenance, while the short wooden petticoa
and upper skirt Of bright colored serge, Will
the bare fest aad ankles, gave her bearing
vastly different, in its lightness and vigor
to the nonohalant and dragging step Of the
Paris belle.
Strange to>say, in spite of the horror sc
freely expressed by the painter concerning
the atfectation and vulgarity Of the votariet
Of fashion, there was, something so much
more attractive to his artistic eye in the
appearance of the Duchess than in that Of
the common working maidens with whom
she came tripping over the rocks in her dis
guise, thathe at once fixed upon her as his
model. The sketch was taken, and he soon
after left for his hermitage at Sainte Adresse
to complete the picture. The ruse gradually
leaked out, but he is nothing daunted by
discovering the trick that had been played
upon him. ,1Ont Gu contrGtre, so en-.
chanted is he with his model that he de-
clares the fair Duchess to be much too GOOD
for her unfortunate position as lady of
fashion, aaa quite worthy to be simpl.
honest market girl of Treport while on her
side the lady is preparing to leave for
Adresse Sc as to be near the hermitage, and
thereby facilitate the progress of the
picture.
The adventure has been the talk of all
Trouyille, and has resulted, SO they say, in
the adoption of the fashionable hat SO
closely modelled on the flat market basket.
filed with flowers, vegetables and Tapping
seaweed, and worn under the name of the
"Guy FawEes" in every capital of Europe
at the present me ment. The whole thint
certainly has O. decided smack of an open
ing chapter CT Ouida, and one could almost
fancy 1t might be taken from some unread
novel Of that famous authoress.