were attired in a very economical manner. A review of promenade dress will convince us of the contrary. The robe may be either of plain or printed muslin, made in the pelisse form, that is open before; it is worn over a cambric or jaconot muslin petticoat, the latter as well as the entire of the inrobe is edged with narrow Valenciennes lace, which is not in the least shewy in appearance, but of an excessively high price. If the whole of the dress is white, an embroidery in feather stitch, which is also very expensive, sometimes supplies the place of the lace. A pelerine, or canezon is indispensible, but the former are most in favor. Some are of plain clear muslin, with a very deep hem, edged with broad rich lace set in full. Others, whether single or double, are very richly embroidered; those we must observe have only a narrow lace at the edge, set on nearly plain. Some pelerines of a very pretty kind, called fichus à la Paysanne, are made up to the throat, pointed behind, and with pointed ends which pass under the ceinture, many of these are thickly strewed with sprigs in a lace pattern. Others are composed of small embroidered entre deux, divided by a strip of muslin or cambric small plaited. But this simple style of dress, though very much the mode, does not quite exclude a more showy appearance thus we see at the Bois de Boulogne, gros de Naples pelisses, a grey ground quadrilled in rose or green, and pou de soie robes of grey or nut colored ground, figured in very small patterns of either blue or green. Mousseline de luire, that prettiest of all pretty materials, is also, notwithstanding the warmth of the weather, still partially adopted, but the grounds of these robes are always white or colored, and the patterns are of the most delicate kind. We might make, if our limits would allow us, a very long chapter of hats, for there is at present a very great variety of them, and of bonnets also: to begin with the latter, those drawn and of a close shape, are very fashionable for morning dress; the prettiest are of lilac pou de soie, glazed with white, and simply trimmed with ribbons to correspond. There is nothing more elegant for half dress than a bonnet of an open shape, composed either of pou de soie, or gros de Naples, of a new shade of light green trimmed with two tufts of bluets. These two colors, which it would formerly have been consi. dered very bad taste to have worn together, are now the most fashionable contrast. Another very pretty half dress bonnet, is a drawn one of plain Indian muslin, the casings drawn with citron colored ribbon. Knots and bands of white ribbon, fringed with citron, adorned the crown; a curtain veil of English point lace gave an elegant finish to this bonnet. come next. Italian straw is coming very much into vogue for hats, the only peculiarity in their form is, that their brims are larger than those of the other hats of the season, they are always trimmed with flowers, exotics are the most in request, field flowers An ornament, resembling a diadem, formed of these latter is very much in favor. Rice straw has lost nothing of its vogue, it is still the material par excellence, and likely to continue so during the remainder of the season. Bottines of grey gros de Naples are very much in favor for the promenade. So also are those of dust colored cordeline; the newest form is, that to fasten at the side in the gaiter stile. Dust color and grey are the favorite hues for parasols, they are of ich gros de Naples, and always of a large size; the stick is of an expensive foreign wood, and the head either of silver or gilt. Gloves of Scotch thread, which had gone out of fashion, are again in vogue, they are of openwork, and sewed and embroidered in colored silk. The colors a-lamode, are the lighter shades of blue, green, rose, and dust color, lilac, straw, and some very pale shades of brown. LETTER FROM PARIS. MY DEAR FRIEND, These people are always mad after something or other ; at present the mania is private theatricals. The applause be stowed upon a really excellent representation, given a very short time ago, at the superb hôtel of the Conte de Castellane, seems to have set all the Parisians agog for the boards. The fashions has passed from the nobility and gentry to tradespeople, and from them to servants. My daughter, finding her maid very busily engaged in spangling a robe, enquired who it was for, and was answered by Mademoiselle Amélie, that it was for herself, to wear in the part of a Duchess, in one of the last new pieces, which a party of servants had agreed to get up. It appeared, however, that the plan had nearly miscarried, from the difficulty of finding performers for the footmen aud chambermaids, nobody caring, as Amélie expressed it, for such vulgar parts as those. Paris would be very thin at present were it not for the influx of foreigners on the one hand, and the immense number of speculators at the Stock Exchange on the other. It is incredible to what a height this species of gambling has risen, and those who practise it rarely go more than a few hours journey from Paris, in order that they may conveniently watch the operations at the Bourse. Thus Paris still presents an appearance of bustle and gaiety, and the evening promenades, particularly the concert in the open air, in the Champs Elysées, are crowded with elegant and fashionable company. But on the Sunday, after the morning service, Paris appears quite a desert; the rich would consider it vulgar to be seen abroad, and the middling and lower classes are each on the wing for the country, or rather, I should say, the first makes excursions to Versailles, St. Cloud, &c. &c. and the last set out for the Barriers. Not a single journeyman or work women, even of the lowest grade, would think of passing their Sunday in Paris, and whenever a love affair is entered into, the first part of the agreement is, that the lover shall take his mistress every Sunday beyond the Barriers. But these parties are not of a tête a tête kind, nor confined to lovers: you see whole families, from the grandsire and grandam to the little prattler of three or four years old, all setting off with, I had nearly said equal glee, to get their Sunday's dinner, and a mouthful of fresh air out of Paris. To say the truth, these people seem to me to have the art of mingliug business with pleasure more rationally than we do. An Englishman, who is in business, generally continues to work like a slave for his money till he is passed the age of enjoying it; but a Frenchman, if he is ever so busy, affords himself time for relaxation. There is quite an anglo-mania for horse-racing. We have lately had races at Chantilly, which might almost vie with those of Epsom. The elite of Parisian society, ladies as well as gentlemen, assembled to witness them. Our country |