Evening star., 1897-09-25

ity to inspire the whole dark race with
pride. self-satisfaction and gladness. To
the surging Tilt of the great orchestra's in
toxicating waltz, there passed and re-
passed, clinging to a big coiored man, enc
of the fairest blossoms of the quarter, anG
highly pleased, it was most evident, to be
thus dragged.
Thus she was dancing with a negro, the
fair. pale flower of France: and those who
looked upon them had but curiosity mixed
with approval. admiration, some amuse-
ment and bit of laughter mayhap for
the darkey's evident delight and religious
like solemnity rolled into one. Other Amer
leans were there, white, bright as day and
ruddy as the morn; young men who. being
of the colony no less than being students
of the Latin Quarter, ought manifestly
have been on social duty in the pension,
hotel and ready-furnshed apartments of
the other quarter. just across the river,
called American because there are so many
English in it.
These young Americans were also dane
ing at the Bal Butler, dancing hilariously,
as delighted as the darkey though not
solemn. When asked by some one how the
dark-complexioned one affected him on the
same dancing floor. the son of a great nov
elist. "a student of the noble art of archi
lecture. remarked: "Oh, let him dance
They let him dance. Why, they could NOT
stop him. Their pretty partners would
have turned from tnem QlSSuSted at tn6
thought of so much incivility. And 50 they
all danced on There must be something
very democratic and Bohemian about the
Latin Quarter students ball in Paris.
Billiards for Your Life.
For those who do not care for dancing
there is the highly philosophic entertain
ment of the billiard table in one corner of
the hall. where. IL you have skill enough,
you may win something that you do not
want-a bon bon box, powder puff with
case and looking glass, fan a bouquet.
Or there is the still more altruistic pastime
of rocking the demoiselles on the big hobby
horses outside in the garden, whose squalls,
faint and musical. come waited upon the
nigkt TO punctuate the laundering quad
rille upon the dancing floor These and
the others-there Is no lack of side attrac-
tions tthe students ball
The billiard game is played as follows
The prospective player. awaiting his turn,
is grabbed firmly by the first young lady
who perceivcs his lone condition, and thus
beirg held. is fetched up to the table.
When he- turn comes she turns to the
young man of her capture, saying gentille-
ment, with pleading in her eyes: Dis
done. cheri, c'eSt bien toi qui paye, dis,
And then the game consists in stopping
off the demoiselle before she has entirely
ruined him in shot on shot. just once more,
dis dorc, and just yet another, cheri, and,
Then, paying the brigand who runs the
game-the game consists thenceforth in
making quick tracks from the neighbor-
hood, lest some worse thing should happen.
Then mademoiselle. TO make the game COM
plete. VIII open up immediate negotiations
with the brigand to buy back at something
like one-hfth their cost the trinkets snd
gew-gaws that she has won" All our
Americans have run against this billiard
table.
The Hobby Horses.
AS 20 the hobby horses. / am indebted to
them for one of the most picuant remem-
brances of my youth. no less a sight than
"a grave and reverend American millionaire
and president of many a grasping corpora
tion putting and blowing like a tramp at a
grindstone, while he rocked" giddy little
model of the altogether. These hobby
horses, being-how shall II be said? ?-of the
diamond framed style-that is. being ridder
necessarily as girl rides her brother.
bike-require a deal of circumspection il
their mounting and their management
The rich. stout tourist, as nimble as al
elephant. prodigiously forcefui and con
scientiously rhythmical Ia his boostings
stood planted there beside the hobby horse
where he could grapple with it each time
II came past him; SO that each new impe-