Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-03


climber may take tea In the afternoon or
something else after dinner, and enjoy the
sensation of being at least in the chorus
of the Paris world.
There Is no better place In all Paris to
pursue studies in lingerie than at the Palais
de Glace. Skating as done in Paris is moth
ing like the athletic sport of the same name
Which we know in America. 1t Is fine art,
and as practiced by the women produces
maddening effects. The women dress COM
monty as for the opera from the waist up.
From the waist down, they suggest the
ballet. Their skirts made short are lined
with light-colored silk; their petticoats,
matching the silk lining in color, are a mass
OF lace and ruffies; their shoes are white,
yellow or red. AS they skate they describe
the most ravishing curves and the motion
OF their 1.-THE, swaying bodies. with the be-
wildering frou-frou Of their petticoats quite
takes away the breath of the innocent
American beholder. Then, when they fall
doWn-oh, my! 1t must need lot Of prac-
tice to skate like French woman, but to
fall as they do is gift like poetry; it has
to be born in them. And-oddly enough
the very loveliest skaters are always fall
Ing. AS soon as you a particularly
good looking woman wearing an especially
frilly petticoat start ON the ice, you know
just what is going to happen to her. 1t is
only the very plain looking women-ausuany
English-that are ever able to skate with
out nearly standing on their heads every
time they go round ~
Where One May Not Co...
1t is well for the American climber to
know in advance that the possibility of
success in Paris has fixed limitations. She
will never either by her wealth or her
wits make her way into the homes of the
most representative French families. To
arrive here depends altogether upon what
personal recommendations she can produce
A great majority of Americans dwelling
in Paris spend a lifetime here without
knowing anything at all Of the real life
of fhn
hearthstones something almost sacred
and jealousy guard their interior life
against the invasion of the world which
comes to Paris.
the Americans, who are accustomed to get
what they want in life by being able to
pay for it.. Still if they knew the facts
1t is not all glory to be admitted to the
firesde of French aristocracy. The ex-
perience has-in the beginning, at least
its painful complications. 1 have not yet
got over quite the slow misery I suffered
being the guest of honor at a dinner in
the home of French marquis 1t hap
pened soon after my arrival and was still
generally upset by the conditions of life
in Paris. So I rushed off to the dinner
forgetting that I was not brought up with
aristocracy and that plain misters and
missuses, with few senators, generals
captains. ETC., had comprised all my earthly
experience in titles. Then when 1 was
usheredinto the midst of the distinguished
gathering assembled in compliment to my
self and there was not single plain mis-
ter or missus among them, I just got cold
and numb from head to foot becoming |
suddenly aware Of my ignorance concern
Ing how to address marquis or count or
longed to the President of the United
States. Your royal highness? No. that
belonged to kings My lord? That had a
hunky sound intolerable to the spirit Of a
true American. What on earth should |
say? I got no help from anybody, for |
they all were so well acquainted that they |
addressed one another by their Christian |
names. |
The Problem Of Titles.
Usually one can get through a whole |
evenings entertainment without saying |
mister or missus once. Conversation flows |
naturally without any formal PREDATORY ut |
terance Of the title of the person one con-
verses with. But I was under a speli-a |
conjuration spell-that night, and every |
thing wanted to say compelled the utter |
ance OF the title of the person whom I |
sought to address This was bad enough |
but not fatal till time came to go home. |
AS the guest of honor I had to make the |
start. And under the spell upon me SIM
hostess by her title. And 1 did not know |
whether to say Madame la Marquise, or |
Mrs. Marquise, or be curt and chummy and |
say just marquise. I really do not know
why l am not staying on at that dinner
yet. For lack of language proper to an es- |
cape stayed until I had accomplished a |
splendid test of the French aristocracy. |
never in my life before saw anything so
fine as the cheerful front they all kept up
under the suffering we endured together.
Especially was the marquis noble about it.
He smiled so bravely, even to the end. l |
don't know now how the end came. / did
escape l know, and 1 say this to my own
credit. When 1 got home and found that
Baedeker nor Grant Allen nor Kathern De
Forest nor anybody else who writes guide
books of Paris has written a line concern
ing how to address ariStocracy, 1 waited a
day or two and then went around and ask
ed the marquise to supply me with Ian
guage becoming the distinction Of her &C
quaintance She took it quite simply and
told me that in her husbands family-one
of the oldest. best and bravest in all France
they never used their titles in social inter- t
course with their equals. They are, under
the republic, plain monsieur and madame. |
One applies their titles to them only as a
means of distinguishing them before the
public. Thus you would address a letter: |
thus servants and tradespeople always ad-
dress them. but their friends never How
ever. l have since learned that all the ariS-
tocracy are not simple and rational in
their requirements under republic. 9th
ers exact the homage and form of a royal
list regime So it comes about, as I have
said, it is not all glory hobnobbing with the
aristocracy of France. The untutored child
of the west in America constantly makes
mistakes and suffers thereby. However a |
truly grand dame of Paris delivers to me
this sage advice. which one may apply I'M
der such variety of circumstances it is a
bit of universal philosophy:
"It is to be expected that you win make
mistakes. Only have care of this: Never
make the same mistake twice"
PAULINE PRY.
A Dainty Luncheon.