National Republican., 1882-09-25
FROM LUCY HOOPER.
THE LATEST GOSSIP FROM PARIS.
About the Hotels and Good Square
Meal-Tourists' Baggage-Palntings and the
Duty Thereon-Forgea Pictures
Americans In Paris--PersOnals.
Special Correspondence ofTnr nnrunlicANi

Special Correspondence THE RErunLIcANi
PARIS September l0.--The city is beginning TO
look like itself 0gan. the streets filling, the
theatrical advertising columns on the bouleyards
well garnished with posters, the fall fashions
are in full bloom, and altogether one is admon-
ished that the gay season is fairly open again. so
far very few novelties have been given at the
thcators, which have opened as usual with revi-
vals with the exception of the Odeon, where
fairly successful comedy, entitled "Audre's Mar
rlagc," has been given. Mr.. Maurice Bernhardt
has iuaugurated his management of the Ambigu
with All old melodrama, the Cdrt0uche OF Den.
merry, but this antiquated and stupid play viii
not, think, enjoy long career. Some OF Its incl
dents are absurdly sentimental, according to the
taste OF the tines wherein ii was written, as wit
ness tho Tears shed by the deprnved bandit and
criminal, Cdriouche over little knife which re-
calls to his mind one of similar kind which
had been his plaything when he was boy.
TBElIoTELs ARE PRosPERINa.
and rather odd institutions the hotels of Paris,
taken as n whole. They may he divided inio
three catagories, the gorgeous the aristooratlc,
aud the domestic. The gorgeous hotels are the
aud the Continental. The Louvre, which used to
belong to this group Is now rapidly becoming alb
sorbed into the Magasi II du Louvre and will soon
be swallowed up by That monster dry.goods store.
These hotels have their advantages In their vast
and elegant public rooms their proiusion of light,
aud the animation and gayety afforded by the
transient population of the city. Anything
prettier than the piazzas and court t-yard of the
Hotel Continental on summers night, flooded
with the silver luster of the electric light, the
pazzas thronged with groups of people taking
coffee or ices. or smoking and chatting together,
can hardly DO imagined. But at these hotels
THE FOOD Is DEAR AND sCANT.
and poor and i'll served; telegrams, letters, and
cards persisIently go astray; nubody ever knows
in the office whether any guest of the hotel is ut
N u
hotel are in full force In the second category are
included such houses as the Bristol, the West;
minister, Mturices, &C., hotels dear TO the soul
OF the British aristocrncy, and dear TO the purses
of every other nationality. At the Bristol, where
the Prince OF Wales always stops when he comes
to Paris, the usual charge for dinner is 50, and
for lamp 81 per evening, other things being in
proportion The travelling American cnn be very
comfortable at one of these hotels but he will be
made to pay'roundly for his comforts and for the
accompanying elegance. OF the smaller aud
quetcr family hotels, their name is legion. Some
are very E91d; AM, anu others are eonsPIcnonsly the
you Can get good table d hOte
DINNER FOR DOLLAR,
and can have spacious rooms and fair attendance
at reasonable prices. but they Gre not the famous
praised to the skies in English guide books. AS
to the Paris boarding houses there very few
in which all American guest can cOntTive to exist.
Bad food, uncean furniture, cramped accOmmo-
dations, and disreputable fellow guests are among
the drawbacks to be encountered At most OF these
Z,
but these exceptions only serve TO prove the rule.
And once the American traveller gets fairly
sconsed in one of these dens, and in the clutches
of its pruprietors, woe betide lin or her II there
is any effort made to depart before the stipulated
term OF residence is ut an end. The full force of
the law is always brought to bear on the unlucky
wight who may chance to change his mind, and
the simple process of seizure OF the tourists bag
gage generally reduces him to state OF submis-
contemplating changes in the tariff bring about
needed and sensible reform, namely, the total
abrogation of the duties on paintingsY
EvERY FINE PICTURE
that is brought to the United States Is Just so
gain to the inhabitants OF the city in which it is
10 find a permanent place, not only in the way of
esthctic culture Lul to every artisan in decorative
work that looks at it. The wonderful and world
renowned taste Of the French is not simply an in.
born quality. Look at her workingmen lingering
In the galleries Of the Luxembourg and the
'eauty that unconsciously influence them in their
(y Toll. What has brought about the immense
rement in the decorative art of England
ears ago her furniture, her porceains, her
'rs, her carpets were by words for their
....,- .sS. they S..Sze c! 3 splendid quality so
far as the material and workmanship were con-
plate. They wore well, but they looked III, shape
color and design being all as bad us they well
could be. Now the porcelain OF England Is
RENOWNED ALL THE WORLD OVER
for lis exquisite artistic qualities, and many of
her other decorative proc ucts are not far behind.
hand. And this change has been brought about
by her museums ana galleries, and by exhibitions
Of pictures, and of artistic furniture and gold
smiths work. France SO fully realizes The i'm
mense influence of fsuch exhibitions on her indus
tries, that she is about to organize and establish
in addition 10 her already vast art facilities, mu-
scum Of decorative art similar to that ut South
Kensington. But, perhaps, more sensible
method Of procedure would be not It,, to take of the
duly of $50 per picture, according to the very
sible suggestion made by recent writer in Lip.
pnc0ifs Magazine This tax while weighing iai
less heavily on those who import genuine and
valuable works OF art, would do something toward
the suppression of
THE TRADE IN FORGED PICTURES,
which is beginning 10 assume alarming proper.
| tions, and would also keep great many daubs
prepared only for sale, out Of country and The
| abrogation OF duty on foreign paintings would do
own, and that nobly too, with the best of the rsins
set of foreign painters. Moreover, nobody buy
an American picture simply because it is cheap
| Merit wins the day, whether foreigner
native wields the brush, and the generous anC
wealthy American art patrons who purchase pic
lures usually at fancy prices of our rising yount
COuragement of American talent on account of tn,
removal OF the duly on his Cabanels and Meis
sonniers.
| The American residents are returning 10 tn,
city. Consul General Walker and his family hav,
come back from Royat, and are settled in town TO
| the season.
MR.. AND MRS. MORTON
| are expected next week from AK les Boins. Mis-
Eva Muckay has returned from a visit To her rela
lives IN America. ne hon. hOboft Il. RANDALL
| brother TO eX-Speaker Randall, has arrived il
| Paris with his charming and accomplished younl
| wife, and is stopping al the Hotel Bellevue. Th'
| Hon. Daniel Dougherty and family are now il
Paris and are stopping at the Hotel de Normandie
| They were entertained at dinner the other even
| ing by United States Vice. Consul General Hooper
| who gave dinner of eighteen covers in thei
| honor. Among the other guests Were the Hop
| Robert E. Randall and Mrs. Randall Mr.. and Mrs
Charles Osbourn, of New York. Miss Kate Field, Mr.
| Grinnell, nephew to Mrs Morton, Mr.. Yeatman, o
| GalignaniS Messenger, &c. Mr.. aud Mis-, Hope
| also entertained at dinner Mr.. A. T. Wood UniIet
| States Consul at Belfast, and Mrs Wood.
Lucy IL. HOOPER.
x.,, - Shn.p.a.V