LINES ON DEVERIA'S PICTURE OF "I'VE CAUGHT IT." And, Ellen, you need not so piteous look ; But as these words she said, Ellen gave her a jerk, and the captive fled. PARISIAN CORRESPONDENCE. Rue Saint Dominique, Faubourg St. Germain, DEAR MARIA, You would not wonder at my silence, I am sure, if you knew the bustle in which we have lived ever since our arrival, and even now I shall hardly have time to answer one half of the questions you ask me. However I will take them' in order, and see what I can do. First, as to how I like the French, I can hardly say. The men are not at all what I expected to find them; their high bred courtesy, their chivalrous devotion to the ladies seems to have vanished. I don't mean to say that they are, by any means, rude or illbred, on the contrary they are polite and attentive, in the ordinary acceptation of the word; but it appears to me they are mechanically so, for their thoughts seem absorbed in war and politics. And what is very singular the ladies are quite as enthusiastic as the men on both subjects; only they mingle observations on dress and public places with these topics, in a manner that is excessively ludicrous. I assure you that, at times, I have great difficulty to keep my countenance. "I am ready to die with vexation," said Madame de T. to me the other day. "What is the matter?" "Oh! all sorts of things, M. de T. and I have just had a serious quarrel.”— "Oh! I hope not a serious one." "Indeed we have. You know he is a partisan of the odious Justi-milieu, and actually in my very presence harangues in praise of them. Now you must allow that is quite abominable. But that is not all, Can you believe that he is an advocate for peace? yes, Mademoiselle, absolutely an advocate for peace. How little did I ever expect to witness such shocking degeneracy in my husband. Fortunately he fought two duels last month in support of his opinion, or else heaven knows what might be said of him. And he really conducted himself so well that I was almost inclined to overlook his belonging to that odious set, when, would you believe it possible," and tears actually came into her eyes, "he refused to company me to Madame Saint P's unless I took off my bonnet rouge, though he knows it is the coiffure de rigeur for all the ladies of my party? Did you ever know any thing so provoking, is it not enough to make one think of a divorce?" I hardly knew what answer to make; luckily the arrival of one of her friends relieved my embarrassment. I like the women upon the whole better than the men; they are lively. graceful, and so caressing, that one is very soon at one's ease with them. I speak of married ladies, for as to girls, they, poor things, are in a terrible state of vassalage. I wonder that in all the changes that have taken place in society nothing has ever been done to ameliorate their condition, Only conceive, dear Maria, of a spinster of twenty, or even twenty-five, being obliged to dress with the most scrupulous plainness, to sit in company like a statue, and, worst of all, to marry without having the least voice in the matter herself. Oh! these marriages! How my blood boils at such downright Smithfield bargains, for such a thing as a love match is hardly ever heard of; equality of fortune is the one thing necessary in a French marriage, and often, I am afraid, the only thing necessary. Mamma is quite enchanted to find that the fashions of her grandmother's time are coming in again; and I really believe if we remain long here, she will send for some of the contents of our large cedar presses. You will laugh at this, but I assure you it is no joke. There is now a perfect mania for old fashioned silks, satins, and laces. I mean black lace, and the new ones are only prized as they resemble in texture and pattern those of Louis XV's day. Happy is she whose L. 33. 1. H grandmother, or great aunt, has preserved some of the relics of her youthful finery; and happy too is the old relation who sees all of a sudden her grand daughter, or great niece, who perhaps had never before paid the least attention to her wishes or commands, become all at once docile, mild, and caressing. The good old lady can hardly believe her senses, or contain the fulness of her satisfaction; but, alas! the pleasing illusion vanishes as soon as Mademoiselle or Madame gets possession of the robe, or the mantelet, which was the real object of all her cajoleries. But it is not only in materials but in forms that the old fashions are revived; the bodies are peeked before, the skirts of the most extravagant width, and plaited round the hips so, that mamma says, they resemble a pocket hoop: and then the sleeves! many of them coming half way to the wrist, and trimmed quite in the style of an old fashioned ruffle. In short, I assure you, that neither your grandmother nor mine, if they were both dressed as they are in their portraits, at Melmoth Hall, and B- Manor, would look at all amiss in a French soiree. I must observe to you, however, that this style is adopted only in full dress, and that heavy materials are not worn by the misses. One of the old fashions which is adopted for dinner, or social evening parties, is, I think, very pretty, and quite in the spirit of French coquettry; 1 mean black silk mittens, descending in a point up on the hand. The same heavy style reigns in furniture as in dress, but it is not so uniform. Sofas, arm chairs, and tables of an antique and massive description, are intermingled with others of modern date, and with china and toys of various kinds. The general effect of this heterogenous mixture is in my opinion decidedly bad. The carnival has been but a shadow of what it was a few years back. So, at least, the Parisians say. I was very much disappointed, for, from all that I had heard, I expected to have seen numerous and well-dressed groups of masks parade the boulevards, in carriages and on foot, during the three days before Ash Wednesday. However there were only two or three groups from the minor theatres in carriages, and a few stragglers, who seemed of the lowest description, on foot. I was told, on remarking their wretched appear |