Year: 1875

90 Your Nj, de Saint-Elalr looks as If
he were Just getting over fever. When
he is sitting around in the corners I
am always tempted to offer him bowl
of gruel.'


ooh, that's all very well, but as for
distinction, I don't see any one who
comes up to him. And then, too, they
say he writes poetry"


"Still, I must say I prefer nj. de
P.


perfect barrel, and besides he's forty
six or forty eight years old. "


Well my, dear, man has to be as
old as that to be able to offer woman
an acceptable position. It's not at all
bad to be the wife of banker.


At this moment the music began, and
the men came forward to ask my little
neighbors to dance. They accepted
Ian. uidly, with a half Indifferent air.
The gentlemen placed their opera hats
on the chairs the ladies had left, and
they all advanced, talking, to join the
dancers. I followed them with my
eyes through the crowd. Each aban-
doned herself with charming grace to
her partners arm, turning her head
little TO one side, her hair floating on
the waves of the waltz. Perhaps there
was exaggerated ease and a trace of
childish awkwardness in their manner.
In ten minutes they came back to their
places, out of breath, but with bright
eyes. They took up their fans again,
and while tanning themselves went OH
with their conversation.


That gentleman dances very well, but
he's a queer creature 4; he talked TO me
about geography. Do you know the
principal town in the department of the
eastern Pyrenees?"


"No, have forgotten. Dear me
how warm am 1 danced with that
partner of yours the other evening; he
talked about geography to me, too.
Ism t it strange that some partners al
ways say the same thing over and over
again ?"


"Oh, there is mamma making me
sign that it is time to go home. Oh
dear no, indeed It will be like the
other evening, when we should have
gone to bed as early as the hens if nam
ma hadn't been asked for the German.
Tell your cousin to ask mamma to
! dance, and to ask me. I like him very
much he at least makes you laugh,
even if you don't understand very well
what he is talking shout. He Seems
sometimes to be making fun of you, but
| that's TO matter he's very nice and
| then, too, he holds you firmly while
dancing, so that you feel perfectly COM
| Portable"


Toward 2 o'clock in the morning,
after having looked through ri. de BIS
collection of etchings and pIayed a game
of whist, l returned to my station be-
hind the three girls. Two were bravely
| drinking a glass of claret, and the third
a cup of chocolate. They were laugh
ing so loud while leaning back in their
chairs, and so talking all together, that
I could scarcely catch what they said,
but saw by their loosened hair, and
the briIliancy of their eyes, and their
feverish agitation, that they had not
wasted their time. Their mothers, who
were quite as animated, had collected
together, and three or four gentlemen
had gathered round them saying a
thousand charming bits of nonsense.
| The eayety had become so fast and
furious in that corner that l despaired
of hearing any more, so l went back to
the ante e-c1amber.


What charming women my adorable
little girls will have become IN few
years


Pray do not think that the fever Of
pleasure, that caudlelight and love of
waltzing Will at all impair the solid
treasures which a good education has
storedup in their littlehearUs. This very
night when they go to bed these three
little angels viii piously fold their
hands beneath the quilt, so as to keep
warm, and will thank Heaven for all
that has been done for them, and will
beg that they may not catch a horrible
cold IN the head which will prevent
their going to the opera tomorrow.
Then, having kissed the little gold
medal which protects them from fire
and spraining their ankles, and makes
them dance in time, they will fall fast
asleep to the dim murmur of waltz,
like bird In his nest.