The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-10


for years. but since his illness the prin-
cess has taken the prince TO her home.
where she has devoted 20 HIM the best
OF care. The Castellanes. Princess Rad
ziwell and the Comtesse Boulancourt
are among those In mourning for the
Due de valencay.
Whatever their shortcomings may
have been, the Due de valencay and the
Prince de Sagan are the last OF nne
old school OF courtly and polished man
ners. Ceremonious. polite, graceful and
high bred. their object was not 10 paint
a picture. to write a book or 10 do any
OF those things which even the modern
nobleman blessed with gold and lands
feels IL incumbent upon himself TO
achieve. They were content TO make
their art an art OF the socia, graces.
In their day both gentlemen exercised
an influence over fashionable life in
Paris as great i'm its way as that I'm the
political field exercised by their illus
trious ancestor. Prince Talleyrand.
Nearly all the celebrities OF literary
Paris gathered, at the Opera Comique
to witness the first performance OF an
opera the libretto OF which Is founded
on Pierre Lofts lie Marriage de Lott"
The composer Is Reynaldo Hahn, q
young South American. The opera was
not a success, and the novelist, who oc-
cupied a seat In the box OF Natalie. the
queen OF Servia, seemed quite painfully
conscious OF this So dull did the opera
prove that the audience seemed more
diverted by studying the toilets OF those
i'm the boxes than in attention TO the
play
Notable among the fair ones was q
Frenchwoman OF distinguished family
and literary tastes who wore a gown
OF cieI blue silk, with a short drapery
outlined upon the skirt with narrow
double fiounce of white crepe de chine
and -peint- lace. The gifdie was point
ed one of pearls over white chiffon, the
low bodice being softened about the
edge with pearls and chiffon. Clusters
of pale pink geranium blossoms at the
shoulder and down the skirt lighted up
the white furnishings and matched the
tint of color in the wearer's cheeks. Her
hair, arranged as only a French maid
could have arranged IL, had no other
ornaments than sprays of the geranium
blossoms. All this would have been
very pretty had not an adjoining stall
been occupied by a stout and elderly
marquise known for her amiability and
wit, who was clad in very pronounced
gown of the new shade Of tomato red.
For her the red was softened by black
chantilly lace and some rubies which
are the envy of score of women In
her set. but the color completely killed
the charming effect OF the toilet Of M.
de Bas Bleu.
A large part of the fashionable world
has gone or is going to the Riviera,
where at this time all Europe gathers
for spring holiday.
One of the most chic OF outdoor cos
tunes was seen yesterday. Its wearer
was a young girl. apparently English.
Tall and rnagnificently built. as is the
modern woman who golfs and rows and
drives. the long folds of the princess
dress suited her admirably. 1T was of
menier blue. one of the recent shades,
the edges OF the sham polonaise which
crossed at the waist being edged with
broad bands of plaid blue ard white
taffetas silk. The small hat was trim
med with blue blossoms. straw flowers,
and was OF corn colored straw.
The other gown was Of fawn coIored
smooth cloth, having a triple stripe in
brown. From the hip to the bottom OF
the skirt, forming an apron drapery.
was broad band of raspberry colored
satin. A bodice loosely fitted in the
front had two stripes of the silk, orna-
mented on each side by handsome but
tons. A belt Of raspberry silk fastened
with a cut steel buckle. Shoulder straps
of raspberry satin completed a most
charming and effective gown. With IL
was worn small round hat Of rasp-