St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-01
AN AFTERNOON DRIVE.
Miss Mitchell, the American Beauty,
Strains the Partisan Eye.
The Sort of Gown She Wore at the
Reception.

PARIS, July 25.-SOmeone said the other
day that Paris was now quite deserted by
the society ueople. but drive in the Bots
de Boulogne this afternoon made me feel
that someone was quite mistaken, for this
bright, pleaaant day-giving us almost the
first glimpse of Old Sol we have had in a
month, brought out many familiar face
and equipage, and we concluded there
were sensible people like ourselves waiting
for warmer sunshine, fewer cloudy. dreary.
cold days before venturing into the country;
though tits true that for weeks the city
houses have looked ready for summers
desertion--the curtains taken down and
folded away, the ornaments done up in
their summer envelopes of white cotton,
and the occupants only waiting from day to
day for a glimpse of the sun to tempt them
from Paris.
There were so many light dainty dresses
in the Bots to-day. l confess the gowns
attract ones attention much more than the
| faces. for when one chances to see pretty
face one is sure to eXclaim: ''Ah, that
must be an American" and in ninety-nine
eases it is right. Our beauty par excellence
this year is pretty Miss Mitchell. She has
been quite without rival as social success,
and it is indeed little wonder that she
of her friends (do | need to explain-her
woman friends) with an air of comforting
such favor. She is the daughter of the
American senator from Oregon, and be-
came intimate with Minister McLean's
family last summer in the country, and
has assisted at the entertainments gwen at
the embassy this season. She has a fair
skin, soft brown eyes and this beautiful
reddish hair that is now the rage, so much
so that almost all young women here have
coaXed their black or brown or fair hair into
a resemblance of it. To a few, as to Miss
Mitchell, Is it free gift from Dame Natures
hand. She has received many offers of
marriage. including, tits said, one from an
elderly French duke, all of which have been
declined. Despite her beauty and her sue
cess she still retains much American good
sense, though perhaps this rumor may be
like one current in England, of another
American beauty, who was presented at
the last drawing-room of the season in Lon
don, Miss Langdon of New York, to whom,
it is said, the Duke of Portland had made
the offer of his hand and heart, and who. ]
am told by the person who presented her,
has never seen the Duke of Portland. II
Miss Langd0n has not had the opportunity
to become an English duchess she was for
tunate in another social way, that Of being
presented to the queen this yeas, aS-from
the same authority learn it has been al
most an impossiblity for Americans to sue
ceed in accomplishing their wish to bow be-
fore England'S ruler there being seventy
applications to Minister Phelps for this one
dra~ing-room. and only eight being found
with sufficiently worthy reasons to warrant
their presentation.
Every one is now talking of PATHS we'd
ding. and feel that l am especially fortu-
nate in being able to send you some of the
details known only to the ''inner circle, :"
having dined the other day with one of her
ladies of honor and her intimate friend, who
had Just returned from the marriage She
tells ME that Patti and Nicolini were mar
ried Tor perhaps should say had the cere-
mony of marriage performed for them sew
eral years ago in st. Petersburg, it being
legal as was their divorce from their former
spouses, in all other countries except
France, and, as they have just had two
solemnizationS of matrimony. it seems they
must be very firmly joined together. No
doubt you have read of both the blue dresses
Patti wore and of how one was quite coy
cred with exquisite lace, and of how So
clety's critics have pronounced 1t the per-
lection of taste that she should not have
worn white.
At her earnest desire all her women
friends present were grouped about her,
and everything was most simply and quietly
done. | must tell you how an energetic
reporter (of course, an American), with
good legs and much ambition, walked six
miles faem the nearest station only to be
met at the parks outer gates with the old
adage: Leave hope behind who enter
here. for the castle door were closed alike
to him and all other reporters.
Nicolini. my friend tells me, is the kindest.
most gentIemanly man; his every act
loving thought for Patti, or as we should
now say Though doubt if we will} Mime.
Nicolini. He is so proud that he never has
accepted anything at her hands, even in
their travels insisting upon paying his share
of the expenses.
have drifted long way from Miss
Mitchell. want to tell yeu of gown she
wore at an afternoon reception the other
day, for it was such a beauty. A soft, faint,
silvery-gray poplin, the full. plain, round
overSkirt of which was draped very high
and caught with steel buckle on one side,
over skirt OF the same embroidered and
braided in the same shade of silk and silk
cords as high as the knee; the waist as per-