The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-12
TIfE GOSSIP or Paris.
The End Of the Jardin MnbiiIe-Mrs Unr-
riet Deecher stoves Opinion Of tho Can
can-New Anecdotes Of Victor Hugo.

riet Eeecher stoves Opinion Of tho Can
can-New Anecdotes Of Victor Hugo.
PARIS, Fob Strangers OF oil nntlonali-
tlea-Saxons. Anglo-SaXons. Poles, Russians
MOldo- WaaChians. Seryiuns. Portuguese. civ
iiiand Japanese lamont the Mabc. No long
or will the astonishod and enchanted for
eigncr be able 10 gaze ut the grotospuo pos
lures and droll cOntortions Of tho can-cln un-
dor tho zinc palm troGs. While | am writing,
these worry palm trees. together with all the
othor materials and parnphernnlia. arc being
knocked down to the highest bidder. MnbilIo
Is n thing OF tho past. In few months it's room
will be occupied by stately ak story mansions.
OF iato years Mabio had oxistod solely for
tho benefit OF Foreigners. The Parisians of tho
present generation rarely set foot in the gar
dens. except sometimes on a Saturday night
after tho circus. Formerly gcntlomon were
not admitted unloss they were provided with
chimney pot hats. and. in case Of accidents or
forgctfuness. tho keeper of tho cloak room
had supply Of hats which no used to lot out
for tho evening. In the lator days OF the ball
tho administration did not exercise such rig
orous surveillance over tho costume Of Wis
itors. Nevertheless. Mabllle and It's hero
ines will have conspicuous place in tho
aneodotic history OF the century. and the
names of Rose Pompon. Rigolboche and Celeste
Will Ue TN W luJuIO
ans as those OF Manon Loscant. Duthe. or la
saint Huborty aro to us C6lesto Mogador.
who ia now tho Countess do Chabrillan. has
taken caro- OF her own memory by writing four
volumos OF memoirs and score Of novels and
plays. Another famous Mabillenno was Lola
Montoz, Countess Of Lansfcld. In the spring OF
1850 Lola came 10 Paris and devoted herself TO
tho cultivation of two arts. boxing and dancing.
Her dancing master was Charles Mabille one
Of the throo brokers who started tho Garden on
tho grand scale familiar to the modern world.
After u fow lessons Lola resolved TO appear at
Mabile. Tho connossours. the clubmen. and
tho journalists were invited But Loas efforts
only raised II smile. Tho next day Lola left
Paris. and persuaded Charles Mabille to ac-
company her with a view TO giving perform
ancos In the principal European cities. At
Brussels. Lola. in fit OF anger. drew a dagger
from hor stocking. ind Charles Mabile re-
turned to Paris.
There il a current impression that the can
can Ia On immoral IL not an indecent Dance 1t
Is rather grotesque than immoral. Whom
Harriet Bcocher Stowe visited Mabille In the
summer of 1858. she was agreeably surprised
at tho delicacy Of the dancers. the elegance OF
their partners. and the perfect distinction with
which they danced the auadrie. / imagine
the bad reputation of the can is due to po-
itical circumstances. The dance was invented
by the students of the Latin Quarter. between
1886 and 1910. 1t was simply manner Of
dancing tho ausdrllle with movements Of tho
arms. legs. head. and other parts Of the body
not anticipated by regular choregraDhy. The
Cavalier setlwa especially an occasion for the
most fantastic developments and steps Of end
| less variety-the crushed spider the epileptic
| crayilsh. &c. In its excessive patrarchalism.
the Government OF Louis Philippe undertook
| to prune down the eXuberant ilorltnri OF this
dance by tho hand Of the police. The attempt
| failed. The nation that had sacrificed its lib
ertty At home and It's consideration abroad. re-
| ferlng with its prouettes andcapers. The cam
can became an opposition dance and the bal
| can-c,n was danced underline eyes of the police
became q sort of gymnastie protestation against
nifty. the september laws and all the unp0pu-
| lar measures OF Louis Philippe. The modern
can-can is only souvenir. c2nve9tional sim
rarely put into their contoriions that invention
and observation which such a dance requires.
tesnue dancer ought to. know peri ectiy every
thing that has Is, taken place since chaos and the
Of Hornani is to be given at the Com6di 10
event. the great poet viii entertain his friends
| to dinner and In the evening II certain number
OF Partisan literary celebrities will congregute
| in the salon Of the modest villa in the Avenue
Victor Hugo. Thus. after having been more
Discussed and abused than any other living
acclaimed Of all. In his time he has boon called
ynndal brigand. incendiary. Wclche hel2t.
prcface 10 aSo Second sSiSe ed f Of Ham lam
| dIslande " he defends himself against the ac-
GrI,satlon OF brcakf,.Siing on newborn babe
Christ and compared him TO Lucan. Dnbartas.
Gongora. and the Marquis de SADIE. His books
platte, rugged. convusive, Men in high places
hay" signed pGiiton- to Kings in order to have
at in the Champs Elys6cs. triump hn arches have
been erected in his honor and the people OF Paris
have been, with flowers in their hands and brass
', when Victor Hugo wa, told of the death 9f
Emile de Girardin he is reported to have said
good a. ten ihons"nd ordinary mem men, Ali iii the he
men Of that strong suneratIon 3i iS3o are dis
ahhearnS one M MY turn Eerh 1
r. "so"% 10 MI ii" w9rd"' nj est temps que j.
| Mp!cstv il certainly not one of the qualities
| or defects Of Victor Hugo. In his case would
Many legends are current about tho utmos-
nhnr" Of infcnse in which he lives and the
admitted that these legends arc not without n
snh4tratum of fact for which. perhaps. the
spo"sbe az m % as Us the poe, him. Himself. But
| 1t, must bo, r"mcmbcred that tho man
| WHO lbT mo lHSt MY years mas D"en hCcuS
toned to he APPROACHED with awe and ,al-
| drrS5"d as dear and Industrious master" is
| the last of his generation: he stands erect
! and NisoIous upon its ruins, having buried all
! his advcrsaricS, even toa Napoleon. He has be
| come prophet and deity Tho crown Of aurels
| has boon placed upon the brow Of the marble
! nnigy under tho very eyes Of the living model.
| Tho wonder rather is that Hugo has remained
| charming and alahlc rs ha is; for to zach trait
| of ponposity that is cited one may cite an
,lqally striking trait of simplicity. Only the
! traits of pomposity are moro amusing. ! re,
| member one. not that il is characteristic. Last
summer one Saturday evening. Th6odore de
| !nnrile brought Suy Prudhomme TO Victor
| Hugo's To solicit tho poets vote. Sully- Prud
| homme WAS n candidate for the French Acad-
| einy of which he is now member. Banvillo
| left Suy -prudhummc nt tho door and entered (:
Dear master should iko to present 10 you
q young man. Sully Prudhomme who knows
nothing about the secrets Of verSilraton."
Then what docs he want here II he is igno-
rant of the secrets of yrrsicatiOnY asked Hugo.
>, Dear master. he desires to pay you homage +"
Oh! thon it is different" and Sully -Prud-
| homme was introduced and obtained tho
masters vote.
Lent makes little difference in the habits Of
tl,,,y st At Ia Pa i,,t 4