Evening star., 1897-07-31
PARTISAN CYCLISTS
As They Ride Along the "Boy de
Boolong"
REMIND ONE OF fHE BALLET
The Drinks They Drink Are Never
Strong.
WHEN RESTING AT A CHALET
orrcsnopdence of The E,enInr Star

Aha dhy SPoht ioi dhs iSheth oA
chalets des cyclistes form a pleasant
rendezvous. The chalets are a number of
little Swiss houses-one with a, cabine de
douches. others for putting up the ma
chimes, and others with porches for a good
orchestra and shelter In case of rain
while between, In the open air. ere the num-
erous small tables and chairs of a cafe,
with dining tables under striped awnings
en- the turf beyond. The establishment is
among the trees on the nat ground Of the
Bois de Boulogne. near the river on tue
one hand and with the great racecourse of
LonSchamps or the other. To reach II
you leave the city and cross the entire
park for two or three miles. CT you come
| by the longer route round by the road
which follows the windings of the Seine.
1t you only come to look at the cyclists
and their costumes and to share in the
universal passion of the French for out
door life in fair weather, then you take the
boat as far as Suresnes and cross over the
bridge-a sail from the Tuilleries of an hour
end a walk of "A few minutes.
1t Is from to of a summer evening
that the crowd is greatest and most curl
Gus to look upon. In the morning-from
till noon-the cool umbrageous alleys of
the Bos see the correct world-gentlemen
ana ladies'. with young masters ard misses
-cantering on Horseback or comparing the
speed OF their wheels. But in the after
noon every one who is not cribbed. cabined
and confined by French conventional re-
strictions wheels abroad; and those who
wish to see or to be seen to rest awhile
at the turning point of their course aim
Tor the chalets before their return to the
city.
Birds Of Different Feather.
The difference of the morning and even
ing crowds is characteristic of Partisan
lfe, where the sun is allowed to shine on
the just and the Unjust alike. and where
s,,.,, ,f.-l4t l.
ltspec liability in places opened to the gen.
eral public. Perhaps in the afternoon
among English and American girls who
come with gentlemen after the frank, fear
less fashion of their own country, there
may be seen more dark pencings under
French female eyes, and a greater fulness
of lip produced by a judicious use OF car
mine salve; but the unaccustcmed Ameri-
can VIII not at once recognize the differ
ence of the worlds around. In the
morning. too, there are many seeming ex-
traVagances of costume, which set the
American woman to criticising and the
| man TO wondering If he re ally likes the
sight. Bat he, or she, who knows Paris
easily distinguishes the real ladies' from
the painted limitations, who. have no other
place to show their fine feathers than
pupi.c resorts like this Above all, let not
the tourist of single visit hastily Judge
that all French wcmen use rouge and
bistre and carmine and the rest outrage
ously There are women and women here
holds sway.
The morning then-except of a Sunday or
holiday, when all Paris. nigh and low.
spreads itself out Of doors all the day long
| ana great part of the nights the select
time OF the chalets. Let us seat ourselves
| In one of the light gray-blue chairs. at one
OF the little white-topped tables ard. or
uerirs Iong drink OF syrup and water.
prepare to observe. There are "cocktels.
1t Is true. for the male American: they are
bought by the establishment, ready-made
In bottles. But it is better to follow the
practice of French male kind and keen the
head clear when bent on pleasure What
ever mounts to the head makes these Young
frenchmen so much the less capable of
thinking about the enjoyment they are hay-
| ing; and this thinking is Observation-Disclosures,
| II the enjoyment itself would be pale and
poor. And so self-consciousness helps the
whole race to temperance-as does also its
ulous
No Absfnthe Here.
This is a depression, by the way. for
| even the cocktails here are all but a lem
perance drink, like the brandy and the Ma
deira which are served out by thimblefuls-
economy again assisting sobriety. In The
afternoon books of German or thin
French beer are in demands measure
| tnat Is less than half pint. Some of the
dudish young men call for hot milk: and
mere Is good bit of black coffee i'm tall
glasses. Ices, in small quantities at big
prices may be had. A few of the afternaon
ladies call for bittIrs with a dash of cura-
coa and so do some of the faster-lookinp
men. But there is next to no absinthe al
though this is the green hour along the
boulevard, which is redoent with the odor
| OF Ihe deleterious drugged alcohol. 1t is
aiways the same instinct on the mart of
| This thrifty French race: its members will
not mix the tipsiness which kills Thought
with thelr pleasure and sport. which de-
| mand to be savored and rolled over bv q
free mental tongue for full endowment
There are forty or fifty people seated
about, and an excellent band of stringed in
struments Is playing the leaping. thrilling,
Walling music from Carmen or some of
Wagner's operas, that express the unrest
| and endless search after the unattainabIe
OIL the modern soul. Wheels dart I'm AT
every moment. riders gracefully alight-it
| Is the first lesson here, where everything ia
done so that 1t can be seen to the doer's
cred1t-and the ready attendants, hand
some young men In easy blue uniforms en-
proiaereo with red, seize the machines,
hand over the numbers and disappear to
the storing rack. Others are leaving in in
verse order In the late afternoon there
VIII be a crowd. and the newcomers will
nave 10 look, often In vain, for places at
the tables. Carriages will also drive mn
and fashionably attired men and women
aiight Tor few minutes refreshment and
iook at the young world around.
Stick to BlOomers.
Near US sits an English girl, whose cos
tune my American mentor pronounces per-
fect. except that the skirt is too long Her
blonde hair escapes from beneath Fedora
hat-simple gray felt: she has light shirt
waist and the skirt Is of dark material. A
FRENCH girl marches jauntily forward.
From the soles Of her feet to the top of the
ribbons on her head she is one esthetic
fault in the eyes OF my mentor. Instead of
leggins she has low shoes and-it goes
without saying-she wears no skirt. neither
long nor short nor yet divided All the
styles have had their fair trial in Paris In.
Guiding knickerbockers and the American
girl has had full opportunity to prove by
her example that the skirt is no end more
becoming than any other bicycling integu-
ment; But lessons and examples drop from
the fair Parfsienne like rain from the
eurled-up cabbage leaf, and she sticks to
bloomers. The bloomers In this case are
ample in black and white checks, with a
bright belt combining a pink waist over
which Is worn an open bolero OF white
pique. On the head above the masses of
coal-black hair there spreads far and wide
and high hat with multitudinous roses
and great appearing bows OF ribbon to
match.
SIT IN not the place for such fhinex ..vs