The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-01-21

OUR NEW YORK LETTER.

OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
The Renaissance In 1882-Tho Arrival 0i
tho Apostle Of Estheticism-The Gains
boro' Hat--How We Spent the New Year
Tho Middle Of New York Politics
Kelly Observation-Disclosures in Trouble
-Weather, Theatres. Churches, Etc.
New York, January IA, 1882.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The observing man will not attempt to
deny that we have made considerable adj
vance in taste in the past ten years. Our
homes are improved, our taste in furni-
ture, pictures and the thousand -and-one
little things that 60 to make up respect
able home have all advanced. Chairs
with wooden bottoms are relegated to
second-rate country boarding houses, and
whitewashed walls, which were consid-
cred the ultin.a thule of exalted taste, are
now only to be found in out-houses and
barns, while the wallpapers of thirty
years ago would now be considered a
disgrace to stable. The most common
business card Of to-day would have been
thought high work Of art by our grand
fathers, and the advertising lodges which
made the fortunee Of Brandreth, Moffatt,.
Swain, Sands, and hundred others
would now be passed by multitude
without exciting the slightest attention.
On Saturday the pedestrians on Broad-
way were startled by the clarion+blast
of horseman, in scarlet jacket and
racing cap, who was attended by couple
of dwarfs Of Shetland ponies about the
size of Newfoundland dogs. Then came
an immense carriage drawn by ten horses,
each bearing an advertisement of the
house. The inside Of the carriage, or
van, which occupied about half the street,
resembled q magnificent parlor, in which
were four elegantly dressed yonng swells
laying off on easy chairs, smoking cigars,
and making themselves generally COM
Portable, while little darkey, in bright
uniform, scattered the advertisement Of
the house broadcast. Another firm sent
out 10 its patrons magnificently en-
broidered plate on which was displayed
q superb collection Of coins and most
splendid impression of the United States
fve-dollar note that was ever turned out
Of the Treasury Department.
But all other sensations give place te
the now revelation Of aesthetics, ~ apos
tie of which has just come among US tt
school our crude ideas in the philosophy
of the beautiful. We need some school
ing no doubt; for though we may possibly
in some things have emerged from oul
pre-Adamite condition, there is also nc
doubt that the cannons Of taste would
blow us all to pieces if We could only
find enough of aesthetic powder to load
them. This is what Oscar Wilde, the
new aesthetic apostle, is going to furnish
us. Whether we are to go back to the
original costume Of our first parents, be-
fore fg-leaves were invented, is yet to
be revealed; certain it is, that if the now
aesthetic is fair exponent of his own
views, long hair and low collars will be
the rage with our young swells for some
months to come. If Mr.. Wilde, or any
other aesthetic evangelist will only rid
us of that latest of all modern abonina-
tions-the Gainsboro' hat-he will have
earned the gratitude Of every man in the
United States, and Of not few women,
who attend theatres and churches for the
purpose of enjoyment and edification.
What would be thought Of a man who
should go into theatre or church with
an open umbrella and insist upon keeping
it open, to the outrage and discomfort OF
every one behind hint Yet, that is pre-
cisely what two-thir6s of the females in
New York City are doing at the present
time, and that the other third is not in
the same boat is because they have not
money enough to buy the hats. If the
poor Duchess whose name has given i'm
mortality to this abominable head-gear
could only hear the anathemas that daily
and hourly are sbowered on the wearers
Of these hats in every public assemblage,
she would turn over in her grave, and
am sure there would be an awful rat
thing among the dry bones. am glad
that some fellow stole her picture from
Hampton Court, and hope they will
not get it back. She has great deal to
answer for-this same Duchess-more
than she can ever pay; aud if Mr.. Wilde
or any other fellow can only rid US Of the
Gainsboro' hat, am ready myself to go
back to fig-leaves, or any other costume
that our improved modern taste may
prescribe.
The New Year opened bright and clear
and cold as Greenland. AS natural ro-
suit many of onr young men did not 60
in for imported drinks like tea or coffee
but preferred native hard tack whenever
it could he obtained. The ladies' tea.
urns aud coffee-urns and the big bowls Of
lemonade suffered very slight disturb,
ance; and jnst as soon as the boys got
outside tho houses where they were max.
ing New Years calls, they made a dive
for the first corner saloon, and, for some