St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-08
PARIS THEN AND NOW.
Gay Still, but LESS Brilliant Than in
the Days of the Third
Empire.
"reminiscences of the "Good Old Times
Longchamps During the Reign of
Napoleon.
Eugene and Louis, Auber and Verdi,
Plon-Plon and Wicked Cora
Pearl.
The CARDS and Trapp1ngs of the
Wicked French City, by Rose
Eytinge.
Rose Eytinge in New York Graphic.

Rose Eytinge in New York Graphic
| l have seen Paris in many dresses.
l have seen her i'll full dress, during the
Third empire.
| And very brilliant and beautiful she
| looked in her crisp freshness and royal
robes.
Shining with the antique gems Of empire
in their new setting that had been designed
for them in the Fortress of Ham.
have seen her just after the Prussians
had left her gates, and very sad she looked
her gems all gone, her once gay garments
soiled with the smoke and CRIME of war
| the faces of her children gaunt with slow
famine and sad with bitter sense of de-
feat.
have seen her just after the fall of the
Commune.
And pitiful picture she was!
Her raiment soaked in the blood that
flowed from her heart to her feet, the
| flowers on her breast torn, and trampled,
and withered by the blasts of the fire that
had scorched and scared her bosom, and
her once beautiful face wounded and dis
| figured by the cruel matricidal touch of her
unnatural children.
And have seen her during the Republic.
And very tawdry and common and vulgar
she looks in her cheap finery.
The Goddess of Liberty is the embodi-
ment of beauty. But she must be gazed
upon reverently as she stands upon her pc
deStal of pure white marble, her feet en-
cased in sandals, her garments unsoiled and
severe in simplicity; the zone that girdles
her must be of beaten gold, and her brows
bound with fllet snow-white and pure.
But when we see her dressed in motley
with here and there peeping from under
the folds of her classic drapery a bit of the
tinsel that had formerly done service On
some old court-train, and when we see be-
meath the fillet that binds her brow, with a
touch so seemingly light, band Of rusty
iron, she is not lovely to look upon,
1t is quite possible that Napoleon the
Third misgoverned France.
| But he made Paris the finest and most
fascinating city in Europe.
1t is quite possible that her citizens were
heavily taxed, but in return they enjoyed
the privilege Of living in an admirably
| governed city, in an atmosphere of light
ness and brightness, where the air was
filled with the scent of flowers, the sound
of music, and the gay laughter of light
hearts.
He made her so attractive that the
traveller from the farthest corner of the
universe hurried to her presence, thankful
| for the pivilege OF pouring his OF her wealth
| into her lap.
1t is all very fine for Mrs. Millionaire
Mackay to buy Napoleonic palace and
| tack tail on the innumerable royal ms"
that decorated its facade. making ms" of
them; and to propose to purchase the Arch
| of fTrinnlth nd If for nf Ylr-
vate and domestic fireworks the brooch
that clasps the spotless robe of the Goddess
of Aiberty should be of beaten gold, tried
in the fierce fire of fate.
The ornaments of Miss France are only
French-gilt. Fire-gilt to be sure. but
| light, hollow, and not likely to wear we'll
During the Third empire ''LOngchamps''
was as pretty sight as one would wish to
| see.
Perhaps not altogether refreshment to
the spirit of an orthodox New England
deacon; but, to the ordinary mere human
creature. it was picture likely to live in
the memory, marked with white stone.
The long stretch of perfectly kept road,
cleaning white in the sun as only French
roads can, the vast, bright, emerald-green
! lawn. sunny and clean Shaven as a sailor on
Sunday; the horses in the paddock with
their well-trimmed fetlocks, oiled hoofs
and glossy coats. with their heads erect
and ears laid back as though they knew
their value.
The royal stand gay and bright
The gay groups of men and women dot
ting the lawn in picturesque groups.
The air filled with perfume and bright
with gay banners.
Here they come! Bowling along over the
soft green turf in low, dark landau,
drawn by four beautiful bays, with outrid-
erS gorgeous and glittering in gold and
steel, and positions with juggling spurs
and bells.
The empress. tall and graceful, with her
rounded, swan-hke throat, sloping should
ers tapering arms and ripping gold hair.
But her eyes are set a little too close to-
gether to indicate either generous heart
or large understanding.
There is the emperor with his fine bear
ing, his waxed mustache and imperial
Louis Napoleon was certainly fortunate
in his appearance, and like many another
lightweight, he looked much more than he
was. or would have so looked but for his
bulging heavy, fishy eyes.
And close beside his mother was the
young prince.
D! Fair young mother!
Beautiful boy
Let us thank God no power was given to
her to see her boy stricken down in his
early manhood. Lying on that hillside in
the African wilds, his breast pierced with
cruel spear wounds, his brave young spirit
passing away, uncheered even by the pres
ence of his lion-hearted but discreet En-
glish comrades.
In the empress train are many beautiful
women and cOurtly- looking men; but, as |
am neither chamberlain nor a chamber
maid, do not know their names.
10 be sure | see there the Princess Met
ternich, as famed for her charities as for
her repartees. She is one of the plainest
and wittiest women in PARIS, when Ouida
is in Rome,
To be the first is a great misfortune,
sometimes; to be the last ION benefit pro-
gram is fatal to someone.
And there is the Princess Mathilde not a
beauty either, but witty and charming and
perfectly dressed.
And there is Prince Pierre Napoleon.
'Plon-Plon," looking as much like his
uncle the IMAM of destiny" as a stone in
99-cent ring looks like cameo.
And beside him is his petite Young wife,
the Princess Clothilde, fresh from the Con-
vent of the Sacred Heart. Alas! for her
that she should have left it, to live ever
after in the cold shade of his neglect
And there near the empress is her faith
full attendant, DR.. Evans. the American
dentist, loyal to her in the days of her
prosperity, but how much more loyal to
the woman in her dark hour of danger and
flight.
And coming across from the paddock
surrounded by admirers, and small blame
to them'-is the beautiful Mrs. Richie.
daughter of Gen. Wadsworth of New
| York.
And that stately man. with complexion
like pomegranate that has hung a trife
too long in the sun, with dropping mus
tache, small hands and feet, and dark, i'm
penetrable eyes, is 1mbar Pasha, chief min
| ;.+a .1afI claal Pacha lrhad;,-o IL N