The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-01

its center the hostess. who brOugnt 10TH
some new pattern Of embroidery she was
making.
mention this only as an indication.
shall not 20 into detail about what free
dom there may be in the other opportnni-
ties of the sexes to each other. with
plenty Of cosmopolitanism in the blood, 1t
Is still difficult to get over inciining to the
belief that the manners and customs Oh
ones own country are always the hest.
Nine. Henri Greville, for instance, one
of the rare French women who has seen
the United States very well, will make you
MANY remarks that invite reflection about
what she has seen there. She will tell you
that the American women have too many
acquaintance and too few friends. won
der If it is so; are the doors OF many 700
widely open, and their lives too wholly dis.
tracing 3 whirl? Or shall try to defend
this on the ground Of a large American
spirit of hospitality? Madame Greville's
drawin1-room Is one OF the most comforta-
BE among those Of the literary women. 1t
is in an extremely busy part OF ParIs-tne
Rue Blanche. There is an originality IN
this choice OF residence which pronaoly
extends into other things. She talks with
animation, tells many amusing stories,
and, oh, rare accomplishment! listens
we'll. It. was my fortune to go sometimes
to the day at home Of another literary
hostess which would hardly fall under the
same description. Too much tried, per-
haps, by the worries Of her Literary iasorI
prc-occupied with all. The lights were
not lit at the time when people chiefly
came in-the last part OF the usual short,
muggy winter days in Paris, and am not
sure there was always nre.
People sat about obscureiy In
heads painfully relieved in black against
the glare Of q window. l remember that
there was one who used to wear short,
close veil and never raised it even under
these circumstances When you went
away you had the impression OF having
been talking to q circle of only partly ma
terialized spirits. Celebrated people used
to happen in there, but it strikes me it was
hardly place adapted to the exchange
either of intellectual or the best gay and
mundane ideas.
Literary work has become not little
the mode among the fashionable women OF
Paris, of late years, and there are frequent
books and articles by ancient titled names.
] fancy it not q mere mode, but they are
glad enough of the money that comes from
this source. All sorts of minor calamities
have descended upon France since the war
of 20. Phylloxcra has ruined the vintage,
American competition the market for
cattle and farm products that might have
replaced the vines. The country estates
of many of these grand danes have be-
come unproductive, and they have turned
to find 8 certain resource in writing. l
have occasionally been filled with admira-
ton at some most excellent piece OF work
done by some person of this kind who is
but little recognized, nor is likely ever to
be much more, in the great competitions
and hard conditions Of the literary trade
generally. They look with some envy at
those who are regularly in the guild and
possess, as they think, the kind of acquaint-
ances who can forward them, and the
secret Of reclame, or being made noise
about.
Some of the most agreeable French
women have seen are those at Nice. The
cosmopolitan society of the Riviera is q
liberalizing element, calculated to arouse
an enlightened curiosity about the rest of
the world, which is notably lacking in
France. Our feet, among others comes
there and makes an imposing appearance;
and perhaps for the first time, to many,
the United States becomes a tangible and
respectable reality.
Madame Adam. who writes about Ameri-
cans, is herself one of those, in Paris, who
entertain in the more natural and easy sort
Of way. She is aided in her hospitality by
abundant means, and as hostess there
are none Of the terrors about her which
might be feared from the formidable politi-
cal articles in her Rerue. She has a
bright, charming, new hotel at the corner
of the Boulevard Malesherbes and q
little street named after herself, in the
time of Gambetta, the Rue Juliette LAIN
Der. In the country she is pleasanter yet.
shall always remember unique fete
saw at her country place, 'the Abbaye,"
at Git, an hour or so out of town by rail.
She gives garden party with some new,
original features there every summer. 1t
was costumed fete; the dress of peasant
or weil-todo farmer was prescribed. We
were all in costume from the station on
ward, in q special train. A collection of
large breaks and country wains, decked
with green boughs, received the company.
Madame Adam was in the gate, dressed
like q country bourgeoise Of hundred
years ago. Her white cap and fichu gave
her sort of Marie Antoinette effect. 1t
was all like the theater. The company
followed the bourgeoise, the patronne, who,
with lifted arms, went on in the van invit-
ing to immediate refreshment. "41Uons
b0ircf Gli0ns boire" was the motto. There
was mdt-de cocagme, and there was dane
ing. In the evening, the ruins of an old
abbey in the grounds were illuminated,
and there was ghost, and a specially COM
posed ode by Francois Coppee, sung by a
young tenor with . sympathetic voice, the
Prince Karageorge-witch, the same, if
am not mistaken, whose portrait Marie
heard names well known in many fields.
There were Pierre Lott, as a pccheur d'Isi-
0nde, Jean Aicard. the Proveneal poet, the
life of the fete; there were MademoisselIe
Jeanne Hugo, and the Marquis de Mores.
In the course Of the afternoon, the pro-
digiously oriental king and queen of the
Annamites arrived upon the Scene. They
paid their respects to the hostess with pro-
found prostrations, after the manner of
their sort. She, not to be undone, knelt
down, and with the gaiety of Is, gave them
bow for bow. That day, the destinies of
nations were allowed to slumber; the max
ing of the abstruse political articles for the
Revue would never have been credited.
WILLIAM HENRY BISHOP.