Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1894, Page 20

20 AMERICANS IN PARIS The Number is Surprisingly Less Than Generally Supposed. INTERNATIONAL MARRIAGES How French Aristocracy Welcomes New Comers. UF THE SOCIAL LADDER. @pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star. PARIS, January 9, 18%. HE OFFICIAL RE- i port of the prefecture of police concerning persons of foreign na- tionality actually liv- ing in Paris has lately been given to the public. It is a rum- mary of the work done by a special bu- reau originally insti- tuted in 1888 ‘or re- ceiving the “declara- tion” exacted from : strangers who intend femaining in Paris more than six months. ‘The result, making allowance for every @rror and omission, is rather surprisiag to Americans, who have been accustomed to estimate the number of theiz fellow country- men from the frequency of their appearance &round the great hotels. The whole number of foreigners that have filec a declaration of residence in Paris is ‘241,386. These figures are those of last June's report. The effort to bring about a general compliance with the law of 1893 has thus far had no great or general effect. This new law demands, in addition to the general declaration d’etranger, that every foreigner in Paris exercising a trade or Profession shall make another trip down to the prefecture. Only #),000 foreigners have thus far responded. Obviously, there were but few Americans among them. The Amer- ican in Paris does not work—he spends his money. The Belgians head the list with 65,000, fol- lowed by the Germans, with 38,000; Italians, 35,000; Swiss, 34.000, and Luxemburghers, 18,000, The English number 13,900, Rus- sians, 11,000; Austrians, 8,000; Hollanders, 5,000, and Spaniards, 4,000. Last of all, the Americans, without apparent distinction of north and south, are reckoned at only 3,000. The Number of Americans. It is very possible that, being little ac- customed to police supervision, Americans of every kind may be more delinquent in declaring themselves than citizens of other countries. But it is very probable .that the majority of Americans found every- where in Paris are simply floating about for a scason and do not properly become resident at all. There are several hun- @red students on the léft bank of the Seine around the Latin quarter, and the rstanding. American art students in Paris are said to be more numerous than those of any other foreign nationality. Then, a certain num- ber of students of past years remain on, working and waiting for fame. There are a few hundred agents and clerks of commercial or industrial houses in the business parts of the city, and there are some rich families settled in houses or apartments of what is called the “Ameri- can quarter,” between the Champs Elysees and the river. To find the rest, you would have to make a census of the boarding houses and the hotels. All told it is not probable that at any one time the total number of citzens of the United States in Paris would amount to more than 10,000, including the 3,000 to 4,000 who may be called . residents. This is. something very different from the number very ordinarily given, which would reckon them at three or four times as many. But if the good American does not xo to Paris to stay he is pious enough while there to support four churches, one Roman Cath- olic, one Episcopalian and one Congrega- tionalist—all on the right side of the river— and a chapel in the students’ quarter. The latter has also a club, and the Young Men’s Christian Association is doing w There are two professedly American news- papers—the Paris edition of the New york Herald and the American Register—not to speak of the appeal made to Americans by the venerable Galignani’s Messenger. In_ general, American families resident im Paris, whether from the United Stat Mexico or uth America, are well to do, and are universally known to be such among the Parisians. Of late they are affecting the neighborhood from the Are de Triomphe toward the Pare Monceau. This district, even with respect to its French inhabitants, is said to belong to the “aristocracy of art and money.” Rich American Residents. Of the American residents in Paris per- haps the one who is most noted socially im the great world of today is Mrs. Ayer, the widow of the worid-famed doctor. She is commonly described as la richissime Americaine, and seems to have succeeded where Mrs. Mackay failed. Her jewels are equaled only by those of the Duchesse de Pomar, and it is a commonplace of the French society columns to note the ap- pearance of Mme. Ayer “wearing preciou: stones to the value of several million.” She is prodigal of entertainments, dinners, concerts and reunions, where the best tal- ent of the Paris stage appears in turn to amuse her guests. These are chosen im- partially from those distinguished in art and society among the American colony and that portion of the French who are willing to step out of their own circles. Mrs. Ayer lives in the very pretty Hotel de, Mouchy, which she rents; it is just op- posite the Invalides, in the full Faubourg Saint-Germain. International Marriages. The French complain of late that the Prejudice existing in the families of the old aristocracy against matrimonial al- liances with the new democracy does not exist to the same degree in respect of re- publican hei jon ago there were only two marquises d one comtesse of American blood in the whole court of the Empr Eugenie. that court life has passed away the noble families seem to hav opened wide the doors of their salons to the American girl, d she be rich and beautiful. Her hands, as they well know, are quick tehing a coronet, but better so than iance with some bourgeois fam- ey came the same way. It 7 sy to count up American s in France by the dozen; and duke, after divorcing a first fe, was not content until he an American widow. His » former and his stepdaugh- ter have both been married as to add fresh American at pale blue blood of a an and ound in w se. T Mt true that z of money .— 3 common » foundati: gueh marrinces were Steadhal, whose writings have continued to Now | | | | } | | | copies each month. run. It 1s astonishing, also, what respect | is without political influence seems no’ jam speaking. THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1894—-TWENTY PAGER. influence French literature, was the /irgt to analyze the American girl, who at at time was but one generation removed | } the revolution. He pretended that youn; American women were so penetrated with | sweet reasonableness that love, which is an | idle flower of life, would be a stranger to | their youth. At this rate marriage would ; less a question of ‘sentiment than of business. A Streng Reason. At present there is a very special reason | why the older families of France should | prefer marrying American money, so to} speak, rather tHan give admission into | their charmed circle to the daughter of | some successful bourgeois at home. The | republican of America is not so obnoxious, | historically, to what remains of the old noblesse, and, strange to say, he is oftea, far more in sympathy with its hoes if ideas than the new element in Europe. | fs to be hoped that married life justiiies | what an observing Frenchman has recently Pronounced: “A Yankee man remains a} Yankee always, under whatever latitude } chance may bring him; on the contrary, it} is enough that a woman of his race should i } interaational Amenities, set her foot on the soil of oid Eurove for} her to take up its customs and habits. Another very general feeling was expressed | recently by the heir of a ducal family who | had been consulted bx one of his mates on this question of matrimony “My dear fellow, choose your wife among our own class, or look for one in America; for henceforward we cannot admit any other alliance: Parisian Society. As to Parisian society, I think that the | time is past when American readers wei led to imagine that its tine dower unde! the republic might be found blooming: in the salon of Madame Adam. In its patmy jest days this was rather an assemblage of male notabilities, willing to be brought to- gether by females adventuring into politics and literature, than any repr gathering of society people. With all her cleverness, the hostess never si doing more than making her reunion to the advancement of her proteges th politicians of the school of Gambetta. later ministerial radicalism is made up of Pharaohs, who no longer know this femi- nine Joseph of older days; whiie her Re- view, which still offers a Convenient place for the productions of her own pen, and of any eminence who wishes to come cheaply before the public, selis but a few hundrea | As to the official receptions of the presi- dent and the various ministers, under tie presewt administration they have undoubt- tiv kad some recognition from social, eie- ents which would have been consilerad desirable even in the time of the second |" empire. Bui the Empress Eugenie herself did not succeed in drawing within the daz- zling brilliance of her court that older ar tocracy which has its title from the dura- tion of its being. Here and there was a de- fection, ending usually in marriage with some of the newer families more blessed with money; and sometimes true love or even a progressive patriotism has led rep- entatives of this grand monde of older France to an acceptance of the new thi as they are. It is clear that the final of any circie of society can be known from the intermarriage of its mez Mere presence at fetes, offic'al or othe bers. rwise, | tell litle as to the republicanizing of the aristocratic Faubourg. A Lave of Titles. As far as intermarriage is concerned, there seems to be little prospect that" the advance of democracy will revolutionize French higher society, or that it will pro- duce a stute of things like that which ex- ists In America, where money with fair manners is sure to win its way In the long is.still had by the French people for titled personages. The fact that the titles of nobility are no longer conferred and that the old nobis ‘0 affect the esteem in which hereditary rank is held by high and low: Among the forty members of the French Academy there is “the party of the dukes.” Only a few years ago 1 heard the Suisse ery in a crowded church: “Place pour le Due de Nemours!” and the people obediently made way for this pious, miseriy afd very deaf'son of King Louis Philippe. This is not peculiar to the settled and re- ligious portior of the French people. The title of the Comte de Mun rather helps than retards the popularity of that enthu- siast among the workingmen; while the bit- terness of the bourgeois radicals show how keenly differences of rank are still felt by pretending parvenus. This, also, explains the eager rivalry to possess a decoration of any kind, most of ali that of the Legion of Honor. It but illustrates a characteristic of the French people which perseveres, through all changes of government. and, revolution. The desire of a .title or deco- ration for purposes of exterior show is in- born and will not out, and the lack of a court and of hereditary titles to confer is, im a measure, a source of weakness to the present republic. I suspect it would be felt even under the rule of socialism itself. ‘The Bourgeois and Aristocrat, It remairs to be seen whether the notable families of the republic will be able to work their way upward as easily as did the new- comers of the time of the Empress Eugenie. The latter had new titles and distinctions created for them, and yet they found it hard enough to enter the charmed circle of high Parisian society. Mere political eminence has never given entrance to it, and the literary lions found in its salons are oftenest simply on exhibition. Money sometimes comes in through a marriage with the daughter of a rich bourgeois, but, she is sure to becorre the most intolerant guardian of the exclusive privileges of the class to which she has been elevated. This does not revolt the French bourgeois, who An International Alliance. is never, in any sense, a democrat. He de- | spises the people for the simple reason that he adores money and its powers, something forever beyond the reach of the m humanity; and this leads him to rev the social privileges of an exclusive cl. that is above nimself and his money. any rate, the French aristocracy has managed to marry its younger generation among its own class at home, or, where money is needed, preferably to rich’ and ti- tled foreigners, or, in the last resort, to the American heiress. Tai $ nothing in the expression “last resort” to cause our giris to bridle or our men to bite their nether lip. We are sometimes led to imagine that foreigners of the great world have nothing to offer our American heir except their | names and persons. The fact is that she is regularly offered a great deal more, an it is her own fault if she is unable to ris above the round-trip tourist stz opment. This slight uncertainty setly how the pretty cat will jump—as i stanced in two recent cases, At so far makes the American girl a second choice more than any other consideration. As to money, great famil it regularly have it in a marriage. ential just the t. imply the noble family is itself impover- ished. same But that does not Social Exclusiveness. Careful French mothers sometimes dread these American marriages for their sons, precisely for the social reasons of whichaT It is feared that the 4ndet pendent habits of the American girls may lead to a confusion of classes which would | ghesi. ntative }) | answered the mother. | soon leave not a survival of the old French aristocracy. But the advantages of social exclusiveness are soon caught up; and, in some instances, the hearts of all have been captivated. All single instances, however, ct American women (never men) taken up by French society do not invalidate the law it has made for its own preservation. ‘This is to limit the entrance of the profane into the circle of its families. The obser- vance of this iaw is not likely to be dif- ficult for many years to come. Paris is the gathering place of great families from all parts of the world; and not a few of their members mate with this French aristoc- Yacy which stands at bay against the onset of the plutocrats. The relations begun’ dur- ing the forced migration of the irench no- bility during the great revolvtion, especial- ly in Austria, have been responsible for an immense number of matrimonia! lia- tions. Russian and Polish princes, Sapie- has and Czartoryskis, Spanish grand like the Duke of Alba, and even Roum Le princes enlarge the field of match-mak- ing. A Noble Family. To give a single example of what is, after all, ‘not so simple 2 matter as is sometimes imagined, take the family of La Rochvfou- cauld. Under the empire it twice married into the Italian princely family of ihe Bo On the second oc n the. French lady who thus became Princess of Sersina- Aldobrandini was herself descended by her mother from a commoner, the adventuro. Perron, who commanded so brilliantly Gur- ing the last years of French ruie in india His family, which he left immensely weal u at once took an honorable position in ® state and has also intermarried with he ancient house of Montesquiou-iezensac and with the Princess de Chimay of Bel- sium. One of the lat This is an illustration of the radual ascent in the social seale which has always been possible to French fam- | ilies and has not been thought to lead to class degeneracy. It is ally in conection with high position in the state or army or in letters, but nev: from mere money. The Prince de Progi of ancient but petite noblesse, is descend through the famous writer, Madame de 1, from Necker, the minister of Louis and his second son marzied some ars ago into the family Say, which nun bers among its members several great po- litical economists and public financier g0 back to the La Rochefoucaulds, one: of them two years ago married into the fan: ily of a statesman from Oregon, Senator Mitchell. This marriage, which no one has the slightest doubt was the outcome of true love, is not likely to be heard of ex cept favorably. The difficulty is that it is always the unfavorable cases which we hear of. They make their own noise. Lou STERLING HEILIG. er 08 GRACE IN WAL NG. Never Look at Your Feet, Nor Shufite Them on the Street. It is difficult to attain a graceful, un- affected, distinguished manner of walking. It can only be done by practice, during which certain rules regarding awkwardness must be strictly observed, urges the New Orleans Picayune. Don’t, for instance,look |at your feet when walking, but hold your head well in the air. But don’t hold your head stiffly tilted upward, nor too high. Don't shuffle your feet. A little thought- fulness and a little practice in high step- ping will soon break up this ugly habit. ,Pon't bend your back at the waist under the Impression that you are thereby walk- ‘ms _erectly. It throws the stomach for- ‘wittd, and it is almost as inimical to grace @s'Yound shoulders. Finally, don’t allow yourself to walk “pigeon-toed that is, with the toes turned in or straight. You can never be graceful in movement while you do. An ideal place in which to prac- tice walking would be a long room with a mirror at each end. Though this is usually impracticable, you should, by all means, practice in front of a mirror, or you may only accentuate bad habits. It is unnecessary to say that heavy skirts and tight corsets are quite incompatible with freedom of motion. Do not bother about the shoulders. Hold the chest weil forward, and they will take care of them- —. eee with chin ht up, and the oes turned out, you may literally “wall chalk line.” H ni it is always a bothersome business when tecomes to management of the hands when walking, The natural way, to have them hanging at the sides or loosely clasped in front, is not considered elegant. And to have them glued at the sides as far as the waistline, and then bent at the elbow, is not only awkward in itself, but it elevates the shoulders in the most unattractive way. Therefore, most women try to obviate the Camere by carrying something in the nds. It does seem strange that the most use- fat members of the body should be so un- pleasantly in evidence when they are notj in use. But, however you elect to carry them, remember the first and last rule in good walking is not to hurry, nd GIVING A LARGE DINNER. The Preparation Must Begin Days Be- fore the Event. From the New York Press. ‘The newspapers from time to time an- nounce that this or that society leader gave a dinner the previous night to any- where from forty to sixty people, and the imeident usually passes by unnotic2d ky the world. But in point of fact a dinner for three-score fastidious diners-out is as diffi- cult a thing to manage successfully 2s can well be imagined, Preparations are made days in advance, not only in the way of se- curing fresh vegetables and fish ond the plumpest ducks, but for the enlargement of the kitchen facilities so as to provide range room for the unusually increased number of people at thme dinner, Two caterers in New York have portable ranges, which can be connected within two days’ time with the chimneys in the kitchens of the nig private houses, and by means of these, and the put- ting in of a corps of cooks, thirty birds or ducks can be roasted at once, and served piping hot to the guests upstairs. For two years hostesses have run to small tables, for six people each, which are distributed restaurant wise through the big dining reom. Tnis year that plan has bean aban- doned, and the guests sit at one, or, at the most, two, huge, oblong or round tables. Sometimes these tables, which are built at great expense and decorated lavishly, are only, used two or three times during the season. In another year they may be out of fashion, ———_—_+e+ KEEP THE BABIES WARM. An Instance of terest Mother in the Land. From Babyhood. A professional nurse of many years’ ex- perience tells me that she finds more babies suffering from insufficient clothing among the rich than among the poor. For ex- ample, she was summoned by a physician to a wealthy family where the five-months- old baby was suffering from some mys- terious trouble that baffled everybody. He could only live a few days, the doctor said, if, something was not done. He could keep nothing on his stomach, and was slowly starving to death. The nurse jound a dis- tracted mother and a pincl:ed and_moan- ing baby. His flesh was blue, and there was a settled lock of anguish on his face. The nurse picked him up from the silk and laces of his costly crib and found just what she expected. Dress and skirts of linen fine as gossamer and about as warm; shirts and socks like lace; flannel skirts of the regulation number, but s9 tine and thin as to give little warmth. “Is this the way you have dressed your baby from the first?” asked the nurse. “Oh, yes, I’ve al- ways had the best of everything for him,” “Well, it's no won- der he is sick. He hasn't enough on to keep a fly warm in July.” The nurse call- ed for the thiekest blanket in the house and the hot-water bag, and sent the as- tonished mother down town for the warm- est flannel wrappers, however ugly they might be. The result was that in a few jays the child was taking his food perfect- and was thriving as well as could be desired. to Ever a Daisy Bell. SoS From Life. ‘WOMAN'S SCEPTER Interesting Facts About the Fay and Its Uses. Salata a EB | How It Grew in Popularity Among Different Nations. |SOME NOTABLE COLLECTIONS > | Written tor The r. ARTICLE o male tracted more atien- nd figured more ter.” Jt has always been recognized as a powerful weapon in- dicative of the own- ers various moods and obedient to her ter, by the way, mar-/iMclinations. An old writer has said that! ried a Miss Ward of Detroit a couple of | pear since. the “fan is a de or a Coquette, accord- |ing to the nature of the person who bears jit’ It has a special and everlasting in- | terest, for since the sixteenth century no usu- fashionable woman has ever apveared en| ‘ grande tollette without it, bility never will, It may be interesting to note the tech- nical terms used when speaking correctly and in all proba- feathers, ivory | terial, and the ivided into a num- iber of “blades,” varying at different per- ‘fods, which fold in between two “guards. These “blades” are fastened at the “han- |die” by a “pin.” The “shoulder” is the height of the fan from the “handie” to the lower edge of the “mount.” As “age cannot wither nor custom stale the infinite variety” of the fen, we will look at it first from the standpoint of its age and then consider its variety. Of course the orient is the home of the fan. The Chinese have a pretty legend regard- ing the fan, They say that Lam-si, the lovely daughter of a powerful mandarin, Was invited to a royal fete, which, accord- ing to the etiquette of the day, she attended masked. Becoming heated, in defiance of ‘custom, she tore off her mask and fanned herself with it vigorously. She was so beautiful of face and so exalted in rank that this breach of good manners was par- doned and her example was followed by others. Thus the fan had its origin and was made principally of ivory. In the Ancient Bulrash Fan. early part of the Christian era a Chinese workman called Chi-ki-long was renowned for his screen-shaped fans, which he made by beating cut gold to a thin sheet, which he painted with gods, extraordinary birds and rare animals, varnishing them and covering them with transparent pieces of mica, The fan was no less important in Japan, where it is used as in China; both Chinese and Japanese soldiers handle the fan under the fire of the enemy; it is on the fan that students take their notes; it is by waving the fan that people salute each other in the street; it is with the fan that school- masters crack the knuckles of disobedient scholars; the fop uses it instead of a walk- ing stick; the beggar as a receptacle for alms; the traveler as a memorandum; the warrior brands a foe with its iron case; and it comes as a death warrant to the high-caste evildoer. Generals in Japan | carry a fan with iron ribs and silk cover, decorated with the arms of Japan, and when the commander of a corps orders the attack he gives the signal by throwing the fan into the air as far as he possibly can. ‘The form of Desima, an artificial little is- land of the Niphon archipelago, constructed in 1635 and allotted to the Portuguese, is that of a fan, the question of its form hav- ing been determined by the emperor show- ing his fan to the engineers. In Japan the fan underwent the greatest change and improvement that was experi- enced in its whole history; for it be¢ame both portable and folding, a process which resulted from the study of the wings of the bat. This pliable shape was first seen in the hands of the Japanese god of happi- ness. From Japan it passed into China in the tenth century, and thence into Portu- gal, Spain and Italy. The earliest fans of India were of palm leaves. The primitive fan is shown on the oldest Hindostanic bas-reliefs, and there is searcely an old tombstone in India which does not bear the fan, fly broom and para- sol, which were so important in daily life. Greek Fans. In the great Sanskrit poem, the “‘Mahabha- rata,” it is related that King Kila had a daughter endowed with the rarest beauty, and that she had charge of the celestial fire. She tried to make the flames blaze by using her fan instead of her breath, but the poet says “it was of no use, for the celestial fire not only would not blaze, but it almost ex- pired; being taken with love tor Nakarita it could not live without her breathing.” This fan is known as the “Talapat,” and forming part of the paraphernalia of a certain sect of Buddhist priests in Siam, then take their name of Talapoins. A fan belonging to the same period is pictured above, made of woven buirushes painted in various bright pigments. In Egypt. The Egyptians considered the fan an em- blem of happiness and rest as well as au- thority, and consequently we find triumphal chariots surrounded by them, and they were also carried as standards in war. The earli- est kind, made of feathers, were royal or imperial gifts, but later white and em- broidered silks were used. They were car- ried by very long handles. Rameses III is represented in a certain temple, in Thebes, as surrounded by nobles who bear screen- shaped fans, composed of papyrus leaves semi-circular in form and brilliant in hue, which also served as battle standards. Therefore these could only be borne by men of royal birth or noted bravery. Hand- screen fans and ostrich-feather fans were also in use, with wooden handles half a yard long. The fan was also a symbol of royalty with the Medes and Persians, who were fond of the ostrich-feather fan; also used by the Greeks, who adopted the peacock-feather fan from Asta Minor. The fan is often men- tioned by Ovid, Euripides and Virgil, and it is often seen on the vases of an ity, In Rome, as well as in Greece, the fan of the ‘AMONG THE ORTENTALS| of its various parts. The fan ts composed | of the “mount,” made of silk, lace, linen, paper, or any chosen ma-/ wealthy had a very long handle to prevent any one fanning himseif, fashion insisting | that a young slave or “fan bearer” should be employed. The Arabians were accustomed to write | inscriptions and religious sentences upon | their fans, and feather fans are often spoken of in the ‘Aral in “The Sleeper Awakened,” where Abou Hassan, seating himself at a banquet, is fanned by seven beautiful women. None of these screen fans, as they are ivory, silk or gold, whether semi-circular or in light tire than) the fan, which has 3 been happily termed | Arabinon Fan. seen again until the time of the Crusaders, when these articles were brought back from Europe by those adventurous knights and introduced into Venice, Naples and Padua. | The First Christian Fan Makers. In the meantime Christians had, like the | Pagans before them, applied it to liturgic ceremonies, and the first Christian fan mak- ers were some Syrian monks—St. Fulgence | and St. Jerome, who considered it an em- blem of chastity. They were used at the sanctuary to keep flies from the chalice, and to add to the comfort of the celebrant. The “flabellum” is mentioned i ny inv jes—one of silk was at Salisbu: in 12i4; one of peacock’s feathers at St. Paul's | Cathedral in 1295. They were in general | use until the thirteenth century, but gradu- ally fell from their place in the service, the pope only retaining the privilege of using | them, and at present, on state occasions, he is preceded by two fan bearers who carry fans of ostrich feathers. In the Sixth Century. | The oldest Christian fan which is in ex- listence dates from the sixth century, hav- | ing belonged to Queen Theodelinda, a prin- cess who possessed a nail of the holy | cross, which afterward was set in the iron crown of Lombardy. This is preserved in the castle of Monza, near Milan, and shown to the tourist as'a relic. This is an | interesting specimen of a folded fan, as it is made in two leaves, which shut on each , other by means of a spring. It is gilded {and ornamented with pearls and rubies, [and bears traces of a Latin prayer. The handle is of solid gold, inlaid with gems. |The young girls of Milan go to Monze on ja certain day in the year simply to touch | this magical fan, as It is supposed to bring | About a speedy and happy marriage. Introduced in France and England. The illuminated manuscripts of the thir- teenth and fourteenth centuries show flag- shaped fans, similar to those used in Tunis today, and folding fans, similar to those ccmmonly in use, were introduced into France in the reign of Francis the First. The fan made its appearance in England during the reign of Kichard H, and at the end of the fourteenth century it was seen in the hand of every lady ot rank, Eliza- beth was so fond of this article of adorn- ment that she became known as the “Pa- tron of Fans.” She established a rule that no other present save a fan should be ac- cepted by English queens from their sub- jects. Among the twenty-seven fans found in her wardrobe after her death was one, the gift of Leicester, of white feathers, and its gold handle was ornamented with pearls, rubies, emeralds and diamonds, bearing also'a lion rampant, with a white bear muzzled at his foot—a device indicat- ing his loyalty. Sir Christopher Hatton, who sprang into the queen’s favor by his wonderful dancing, gave her a fan studded with diamonds, and Sir Francis Drake gave her another of white and red feathers, the gold handle being enameled with mother-of- pearl. The Countess of Bath sent her one Egypuan Fan. of swansdown, with a maze of green’ vel- vet embroidered with seed pearls, and a very small chain of silver gilt, and in the midst a border on both sides of seed pearls, sparks of rubies and emeralds, and thereon a monster of gold, the head and breast of mother-of-pearl. The queen having set the fashion, no lady ever thought of stirring without her fan, and its care devolved upon the gentleman usher. The most fash- ionable fans were made of ostrich, peacock or other flexible feathers, fixed into a in. dle of metal, mother-of-pearl or ivory. Coryat, the famous traveler, was charmed with the fans he saw in Italy in the sev- enteenth century, which, he says, were carried by men as well as women. He de- scribes them as “consisting of a painted piece of paper and a little wooden handle. The paper, which is fastened into the top on both sides, is most curiously adorned with excellent pictures. either of orous: things tending to dalliance, having some witty Italian verses or fine emblems writ- upon them, or of some notehe Italian with a brief description added there- unto.” Aubrey bears witness that entle- men used them in 1678. with lone handles, and with them corrected their grown daughters. Catherine of Braganza, anepn of Charles TI. broncht to Fneland the ereen sereen fan, which held its plage until the folding fan became popular. A Fan Syndicate, In the reign of Queen Anne the London fanmakers were incorporated into a kind of guild, who supplied the great demand. They became in general use even on the streets, and the fan may be said to have reached its climax as an interpreter of moods. They were fortune-telling fans; fans with witty riddles, charades and epi- grams; fans with rules for various games; program fans made for balis and routs, and fans with which conversation on any sub- ject could be managed at a distance. All through the eighteenth century the illustrations and paintings on fan mounts presented such themes as Hogarth’s “Mar- Queen Theodelinda’s Fa riage a la Mod,” scenes at Vauxhall Gar- dens, the Royal Academy and popular fairs, Fans were always popular in France. They were worn as early as the tenth cen- tury, though few fans were made in that country, as Spanish fans were largely used. Catherine de Medici created a demand for Italian fans made of feathers and artificial flowers, or like the fan of Eleonora d@ Este, Duchess of Ferrara, so celebrated in connection with Tasso’s love and poems, In France. In the first half of the sixteenth century the fan blades numbered from four to six- teen; silk was used for the mount; and the fan fell open to the quarter circle only. During this period [talian and Spanish fans were extensively imported into France. and it is not until the reign of Louis XIV that, after much petitioning, the guild of fanmakers was established, and the period began to which the finest specimens be- long. The blades of the fans made during the Louis XIV epoch number from eighteen to twenty-one, and when open reveal a continuous surface of ivory, or mother-of- peari, decorated in gold or silver. The fan bian Nights,” notably | called, whether made of feathers, leaves, / tail-shaped, could be folded, and they disap- ; pear with the last of the Caesars, not to be} epens out to a full half circle, the mount skin"—a kid skin prepared with ular tweatment, and now a lost art since the time of Louis XVI. A famous fan of this | Period is the “even-tail brise,” so named | because these fans have no mounts, being or decorated with spangies. The most interesting specimen of this Kind is the fan sent by Mme. de Sevigne to her daughter, Mme. de Grignan. The sub- Venus,” to which additional interest is given because the goddess is a portrait of Mme. de Montespan. It is figured in the Biaise” edition of her letters, and is 0! rn | who lived in the reign of “le xrand i mi arque.” He discovered a wonderful var- nish—hard, brilliant, translucent, and Jast- ins—which has never been jualed since. This he applied o puaiiaas oman es, sedan chairs, snuff boxes and ivory He may not have painted fans, bat it is certain that he v secret died with him. though legion, are yi “Vernis Martin” wiil mi from $200 to $00, A by belonging te Marie Ani by Queen Victoria. Louis XV made as much use of the fan as any beauty of his reign, and always carried it with him. Because of his intei est, Yhe famous artists like Watteau, Lan- cret, Bouch. Fragonard, Le Brum an Moreau orn. ited these charming toy aces of the most beautiful quality were used for the mounts, and miniature paint- ings of extraordinary merit decorated them. One owned by Mme. de Pompadour represents nine years of labor and $30,000 pecimen, is owned in money. 1t is of paper elaborately cut to represent lace, and is exhuisitely painted with five large and seve: Mons. In the reign of Louis XVI fans were made in imitation of the Chinese, spangles were worn, and figures sometimes were placed on the guards and set in mo- tion by a vin beneath. During the Revolutionary Period. During the revolutionary period sandal and cedur-wood fans cut in fretwork were greatly in fashion. They were usually mounted with medallions engraved by Bar- tolozzi and others with portraits of Louis XVI, Lafayette or the taking of the Bas- tle, Mirabeau, Robespierre, the inaugura- tion of the assembly and representations vf the three sisters—Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, When Charlotte Corday killed Marat she carried a knife in one hand and w fan with the popular motto, “Freedom or death,” in the other. The fan was also used by the royalists in order to communicate their political sentiments without discovery, and they devised the “weeping-willow fan,” the leaves of which when turned upside down represented images of Louis XVi, Marie Antoinette and other members of the royal family. They also contrived transparent fans, which only revealed their political a fan, and she waved one that she had secretly procured on the scaffold. After a long period of neglect the fan resumed its sway. It so happened that in 1s% a grand ball was being arranged at the Tuileries when several “costume quadrilles” were was planning the Louis XV quadrille and sought everywhere for fans of his time. At length she came across a perfumer who had collected old fans as an amateur, Renaissance of the Fan. eventually purchased, beginning the re- naissance of the fan and the cult of the fan collecting. This also gave an impetus to the making of fine fans, and today Paris than any city in the world, and there is little colony of fan experts in Paris, some of whom earn as much as $2,800 a year, a sum equal to what the Empress of Russia paid for a single sample. Several samples from this “school” have been exhibited at the salon. Among these artists, each of whom may command ing of the fan without carving of the handle, item, are Lambert, Maurice Leloir,. Eu- | it the desicning and produces more exquisite specimens of fans | being of leather, silk, paper or “chicken | composed of sticks alone, painted, carved, | jects are a “Promenade” and the “Toilet of | ral small medal- | eee THE TRAWLER’S CATCH. “I remember,” 3/00. F. Murphy, omciat reporter of debates in the Senate, “when I was about seventeen years oid, that be- rang the bell and waited. Senator himself opened the elderly lady about to leave. Seeing Standing there he addressed the lady: “Par- don me, Mrs. —, but 1 desire to present to you my young friend, Mr. Murphy.’ And as I lifted my eyes after acknowiedg- ing the introduction, the Senator continued: “And onty fancy,cMrms. —, that little boy there is able to my speeches! lady was good endvgh to ejaculate: possible, Senator!’ And as she stepped through the door she laid her hand upon my head and I confess I enjoyed the double distinction I shad received, even the Sena- tor’s ‘my! i Up at the Capitol they have been telling the following on Representative Boutelie. It seems he has a constituent who is deeply interested in the Hawaiian matter, ana this gentleman said to Mr. Boutelle: “Why don’t you repubs draws up a reso- lution—a sly sort of device, in which there shall be no reference to Hawaii?” hat reminds me of a story, wy eu the director of the chorus leader of the on “We've got to keep our I thought we might the trombones. You four measures if we leave . Accordingly suggested to the that had engaged: expenses down, and get you to leave out fs know they have only in the entire oratorio, and them out we can save at least a the composer.” “Thereupon the chorus director observed: “Oh, never mind him, he’s dead.’’ Of course, Washington people may take no part in Michigan polities, but by the same token they have a warm place im their hearts for Senator Jas. McMillan, who, as chairman of the Senate committee | on District of Columbia affairs, made such @ worthy record @urin€ tre Harrison ad- ministration. 1 is“‘i0t Known, post Whether the Senatordesires to home nek to the Senate (his but the republican of Michi- an, the Detroit “Youne, is out for Gen. , Alger—he who hail ‘the presidential bee in meaning by being placed against the light. Mme. de Cevennes owed her death to such | to be danced. Mme. la Duchesse de Berri. She bought some of them, which were. $1,000 for the paint- | which is a separate | gene Lami and Mile. Abbema, who may be | said to have fallen heir to the mantle ot Lancret and Boucher. Fan collecting hav- ing been instituted by several distinguished ladies who are connoisseurs of this beauti- ful art, is becoming every day a more fash- fonable craze, but it is a very expensive one. The Baroness James Rothschiia is possessed of several of the finest, ir not the Most expensive, fans in the world. wortn from $1,600 to $2,000. A beautiful Watteau specimen is valued at a higher figure. The Duchess D’Aumalé has such superb exam- ples at Chantilly as to attract admirers from all parts of the world whenever she condescends to display them. Many other private collections exist in Paris and Vien- | na, while Spain is said to surpass France in her public and private collections. Queen Isabella of Spain is known to possess S00 magnificent samples. Previous to the downfal! of the empire the Empress Eu- genie had a choice collection. and one of these, designed for her by Gavarnie, is still hers, though many of the others are scat- tered. The Empress of Russia has a series Which rivals all others, and Lady Charlotte Schreiber of England has long been amass- ing treasures, which she has reproduced in her book on fans, published a few years ago. Mrs. Lanctry has a fine collection, which she keeps in a room designed for the purpose by Oscar Wilde, and there is an exceptionally fine one at the South Kensington Museum in London. Many well-known ladies in New York own valna- ble fans. Perhaps the best coliection as a whole belongs to Mrs. Pinchot, who has a number of beautiful Spanish and French fans, most exquisite in design and of great value. ESTHER SINGLETON. Sip enn THROWING DICE FOR A GOLD MINE. Three Shakes Horses, the Tie Being Won by Four Aces. Samuel I. Silverman and Dick Sherwood each owned a half interest in a valuable gold mine in Okanogan county, says the Spokane Review. They decided Saturday that there wasn't room for two in its man- his bennet for a wh Millan's successor. Gen, Algenana nants, it is understood, is the outcome of a lone republicans of Michigan, has in politics he been a thorn in the side of the aus hour re- gard to party—of Michigan. Him: large manufacturer and a wg he has, it is claimed, done alll In his power to oppose the street car compan! eas Two young men sat directly im front of me in the House gallery and each one seethied Tem Johnson's spééch. one of the young men began to utter words im @ low voice, words which had no relation to each other, this his companton. gently plese tars placed hand over the mouth of the fi Speaker and the at ee aimlessly turned | Coat this way and that, gazing at collar, the lining, the cuffs, and and gradually becoming more spasmodic tn the restless upon which he several minutes his movements. Then the took a small phia!l from the weet pockets pocket of his friend, and, drawing cork therefrom, interested in what Mr. Johnson ‘was fT, mn would like to know is as to the of that phial. who invariably, but good-naturedly, guy all of his many efforts at improvising on the Piano. As they are both of them quite accomplished amateur musicians,the father decided to put a stop to their amusement at his expense. After ‘on: ‘ble practice he acquired the atilfityfo ‘play a certain composition quite - Then, on New Year eve, he followed his usual habit, and seating himself at the piano began to play in a halting sortof manner though trying to formulate seme musical nection that had occurred to him. Several times did he pick away at bits of this idea and at last he played the thing through ir his best fashion. “Oh, papa, that’s aw- ful!” said one of Poe and her sister added: “Yes, that's worst you ever did.” Then, both together, they observed. “Why don’t you give it a name?” “I would,” said papa, “only it is alreaay christened. It is the sndante movement from Mendelssohn's concerto.” And ever since that event the gentieman has had his piano practice without comment from the daughters, The Department of Agriculture expects to entertain in a few days J. B. Olcutt of South Manchester, Conn., and no kin of the favored disciple of Madame Blavatsky. Mr. Oleutt has certain theories in rejation to the culture of “grasses, and he claims that his theories aré ‘@ipported by expert- ments he has been conducting on his Connecticut farm during the past few | Years. Mr, Olcutt asserts and says he can agement, and hit upon a true western ex- | pedient for settling their business diffical- ties. But they didn’t call for pistols for two, with coffee for one, or go out on the open green sward behind the hotel and ficht with bowie knives. There was a quicker w: than that, and it was much safer. Sher- wood and Silverman called for a dice box and the regulation number of dice instead. “How shail it be?” asked Silverman, with @ name-your-weapon expression on his face. “Three shakes, horses,” Sherwood replied, and as every one knew what that meant there were no further preliminaries. Both men were as calm and collected as if an immense fortune had rot been at stake. Silverman shook first. He got two pairs, fours and treys, in three series of hopes ard fears. Sherwood was sure he could beat that, and he did, with three aces the first rattle out of the box. “Follow your hand,” said Silverman, still unmoved. Sherwood shook ani so did Sil- yerman. The latter won. That made it “horse and horse.” Silverman rattled the bones long but gently, with a short, circular motion sug- gestive of deep thought. Then two pairs rolled out, fours and treys. He tried to “fill” and failed once. Again he attempted the same feat. Then with a glad smile he laid the box aside. The tucky bone had come a four. Sherwood was not so confi- dent after that, but he bore up heroical! In one shake he had a pair of aces. In an other there were three aces. He puifed a breath into the box gently and rolled cut another. Then Manager 8. T. Arthur, who had been a silent witness, support on each arm and a trip was made refreshment room. The claim will be the Monte Carlo by its owner, Mr. wood. It was bonded some tinie ago b payment of $1,000, but the bond ls Mining men regard it as a good prosp the country within a circle of a few miles contains thousands of ounces of the precious yellow metal. — soo | Impossible Patient. From Life. Bodkins—“Doctor, how can insomnia be cured?” Doctor—“Well, the patient should count slowly and in a meditative manner 500, und then—" Bodkins—“That is all very well, doctor but our baby can’t count.” _roots of the better grasses Prove that the best quality of pasture grasses can be profuced upon any fertile ground where poor grasses thrive, by prac- ticing a system of pruning among grasses; Instead of trying to develop a superior class of grass seed, he plants the poor and the good grasses together and then has the crop trodden thoroughly together into the soil. When another crop appears then another trodding is indulged tn, the prevailing until the desired high quality is reached. Mr. Olcutt will make an exhibition on the de- partment grounds of results thus obtained on his own farm. os Representative Aitken is the grand high Maccabeepootrah of) ‘the secret mutual benefit organization knowh 4s the Knights of Maccabees, which has about 69,000 mem- bers in Michigan. Outranking all brother knights as a Maccabec, and being a mem- ber from Michigan of the Congress of the | United States, Mr. Aitken is, of course, @ distinguished citizen, but occasionally he meets with situations which are caicu- lated to try his soul. Such a predicament presented itself when be found it necessary to live in Washington, and at the same time continue control of the business of the Maccabees of Michigan. His ex- | penses for telegrams and postage, the de- | Capitol. . as | lay and annoyance of sending reports, cor- onderce, dispensations, é€c., to his type Rolter at Fiint, Mich., and all’ that sort of al thing, interfered sadly with a tention to the business of the sir knights, Thus it happens that the headquarters of 6,000 Michigan “Maccabees—oftice furnt- tare, stationery, seals and stamps and all—are locatedyiw this city, 40 miles frem home, and (hus it happens, when the tariff question or the HonolGiu mess become irksome, Mr, Aitken has an agree- able resort, conveniently adjacent to the ? TOM TRAWLER. —_+0+____ TO SERVE ICE CREAM. How as Good as Indi- Bricks. There is an art in serving ice cream. If you order from the confectioner’s a large brick, which can be cut fm firm, soll@ blocks, it is very easy to give it an attract- ve appearance, but if it is made at home it agli a problem to the housekeeper how to serve the great freezer full of ice cream y pats and not in shapeless lumps. ‘ay to do this fs to have a bowl of er beside the freezer and after dip- poon in theeream quickly turn it e down on the plate. It will be found this method is exgylayed that each portion cream looks aS oVal and smooth ané 1 cut as if it had been cast in a separ- ate mold. A Very Hot Speon ™ of