BEAUTY. Beauty is neither ideal nor positive-neither a dream of poetry nor an uniform fact. Her bow is a more than triple-colored bow"-her ensign with more than three listed colors gay." Her garland has a hundred different hues; the spell of her fragrance is made up of myriad perfumes; and the flowers which exhibit the one, and yield the other, are planted everywhere amid the gardens of the world. She is the true Proteus, filling a thousand shapes, and a prophet in them all. If the poet be her minstrel, the sage is her minister; and the heart of man, before the mirror, of a thousand reflections, which Beauty holds up to its gaze, is-like the moon of old, before the magic glass of Pythagoras-compelled, by the spirit of philosophy itself, to receive and acknowledge the impression of all the characters which are written on her brow.-Gallery of the Graces.

THE FLY AND THE PAINTED LADY.Mother," said a young fly in great agitation, "you certainly are in error about the beauty of these persons who are so affronted with us whenever we touch them. but just now settled on the cheek of a lady of high fashion which appeared to be smooth and natural; but Lord, dear mother, I thought I should never get back to you again, for I stuck in this filthy red mud, and with the greatest difficulty I got away: only look at my feet and legs! If they thought themselves so handsome as you say they do, I'm sure they would never cover, their faces with such stuff as this !"-Crithannah's Fables.

ENGLISH CHARACTER.-Fashion, luxury, pleasure, conventional beauty, are powerful in England, but they are not triumphant. Over-elegance has not yet spoiled the taste for nature which is the prevailing characteristic of the nation. Dress and manner, compliments and salutes, all, even to the conclusion of letters, is redolent of simplicity. Count Pecchio's Observations of an Italian Exile in England.

ADA BYRON. Great preparations are making for the bringing out of the daughter of the late Lord Byron, who is to be presented at the next drawing-room. Report speaks very highly of her accomplishments, and she is said to resemble her father in many of the finer qualities of his mind. Her education has been attended to with the greatest solicitude by Lady Byron, and her studies have been pursued with great assiduity.

QUEEN'S DRAWING-ROOM. On March the 21st, her Majesty held a drawing-room, which was very numerously attended. The most beautiful and attractive dresses were :HER MAJESTY. An elegant blonde lace dress, over white satin, the body and sleeves ornamented with diamonds and blonde, train of blue terry velvet, lined with white satin, and trimined with ermine. Head-dress, feathers and nick.

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF KENT-A white crape dress, embroidered in gold, over white satin; train of cerise Irish tabinet, brocaded in gold, trimmed with a rich gold border to correspond with the dress. Head-dress, feathers and diamonds.

DUCHESS OF GORDON.-A white satin dress, embroidered in gold, body and sleeves handsomely trimmed with blonde; train of celeste velour d'epingle, lined with white gross de Naples, and trimmed with gold. Ornaments, diamonds and torquoise.

DOWAGER MARCHIONESS OF NORTHAMPTON. A richly embroidered dress of black aerophane; train of watered striped sati mantille of point lace. Head-dress, Court plume, lapets of point lace; ornaments, diamonds and topazes.

DUCHESS OF RICHMOND.-A rich Chantille blonde dress, with pointed body, over a white satin slip; blonde mantille and sabots; white satin train, trimmed with blonde. Headdresss, teathers and diamonds.

COUNTESS OF PLYMOUTH. A silver lama dress, trimmed with point lace and blue feathers; train of blue velvet, trimmed to correspond.

MISS ROTHSCHILD.-White crape dress, embroidered in silver lama and white silk a moutant; train of blue watered silk, trimmed with silver and lined with white satin. Headdress, feathers, pearls, briliants, and lappets.

THE LADIES' TOILET.

WALKING DRESS.-A pelisse of violet gros de Naples, the corsage tight to the shape, is partially covered by a velvet pelerine to correspond; it is lightly arched all round, each point being ornamented with a wrought silk button. The sleeves are a double bouffant at the top, it is formed by a band drawn close round the arm, just above the elbow, with a button in the centre; the lower bouffant is much smaller than the upper. The lower part is nearly tight at the wrist,

which is ornamented with a worked muslin cuff.

The front of the skirt is decorated with a velvet band placed on each side in the apron style; it is arched on the inside, and deach point finished with a button. Velyet bonnet sto correspond, lined with pale rose-colored satin. The inside of the brim is trimmed with blond lace, the crown is adorned with fullsknots of violet and white gauze ribbon.griCollar to correspond with the cuffs Half boots of violet reps silket di ant

EVENING DRESS.-It is of mouselin de soie, a new shade of green. A low body made to sit close to the shape, and trimmed with a row of pointed blond lace set on plain, and falling over. Single bouffant sleeves. Avfall of blond dace is set on round the bottom of the skirt in light waves, on each of which is a tulip ornament of white satin ribbon. The hair is much divided on the forehead, disposed in cork-screw tinglets at the sides, and a tuft of curls on the summit ofs the head. A bandeau of pearls, a gold comb, and a knot of rose-colored ribbon ornament the coiffure, Fancy jewellery.

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NEW FA
FASHIONS

CURSORY REMARKS ON THE LAST Merino dresses begin to be laid aside in walking costume, the few that are still retained being worn without any other addition than a boa. Silk and cashmere mantles continue in favor, and probably will till the end of the months Gros de Naples pelisses, with satin bonnets to correspond, have within the last week or two been adopted by a good many genteel women in walking dress. Some of the pelisses have a falling collar, and a row of leaves down the front on each side, both are generally of satin; the leaves are placed in an oblique direction so that the tips meet. The bonnets worn with these dresses have small round brims, and moderately high crowns the brim which sits close, and rather long at the ears, has no ornament on the inside, but blond lace mentonnières, which nearly meet under the chin.. A single knot of gauge ribbon to correspond, placed near the top, adorns the crown. and the band that encircles the bottom of it ties in a small bow behind. We have observed, in two or three instances, a bouquet of short ostrich feathers, substituted for the bow at the top of the crown, but ribbon is preferred, and is certainly more appropriate for walking dress.

Pelisses are expected to be very fashionable in carriage dress. We have just seen a very elegant one made for a lady of high

Crank; it is composed of emerald green grès de Tours, and lined with white sarsenet. It is open with a corsage of the dosshawb kind. The shawl part very little open on the bosom, „bobot cut square, and falling low over the shoulders. Both the corsage and the fronts are embroidered in a wreath of vine 2leaves in different shades of green. The sleeves are very large at the top, but the size diminishes gradually towards the wrist, they terminate with an embroidery similar to that sbson the body.

bas We have heard, from good authority, that next month will introduce quite a new style of carriage hats and bonnets. At 90spresent we have but few observations to make on either. dosThose of velvet are at this moment the most generally adopted, is they are trimmed with a single ostrich feather to correspond. -goWe have seen also some of a new kind of fancy straw, it is od an intermixture of pea green and white. There is no actual to novelty in the shape of these bonnets, but they are a little larger than those that have been worn in the winter. They are trimmed with gauze ribbons to correspond, and a bouquet of violets or of Bengal roses.

"

The principal novelties this month are those of ball dress. It is distinguished rather for richness than for good taste. The corsages are almost all pointed, and the skirts of extravagant width. We see also a good many dresses of rich silk, and even of colored satin, an innovation which does not ap pear to us happy. If the dress is of gauze or crape it is no longer worn over a silk or satin slip, but lined with silk or satin. A good many dresses have the corsage trimmed with a cabbage rose of gauze ribbon, in the centre of the back, at the bottom of the waist; and a similar ornament at the point before. The sleeves are of the double bouffant form; they descend below the elbow, and are trimmed with points of gauze ribbon which stand out very much, and are gauffred in very small plaits. Some dresses have no trimming on the skirts; others are ornamented with embroidery, which is now put quite at the bottom of the skirt; or with two bouquets of artificial flowers; one is placed considerably above the left knee, the other below the right; each is attached to the dress by a full knot of gauze ribbon with long ends, which fall nearly to the bottom of the skirt.

PartBall ~head-dresses are always of hair, ornamented with Qu! L. 33. 1.

M

flowers, or with wreaths of marabouts intermingled with sprigs of colored gems; nothing can be prettier than those wreaths, particularly where the feathers and the gems are strongly contrasted, as emerald or ruby sprigs, with white marabouts. If flowers are employed, they are generally arranged in bouquets, sometimes two are used, but, in general one only of rather a large size is placed on one side.

The colors, which are expected to be the most in request, are various shades of green, rose, dust color, and blue,

DINNER DRESS. It is composed of embroidered tulle over white satin. Corsage á la Montespan, low and plain behind, a stomacher front with folds round the top, and pointed at the bottom. Long sleeves excessively wide at the top, and descending below the elbow in the ruffle style; the lower part slashed in the Spanish fashion, and ornamented with knots of white gauze ribbon. The front of the skirt also slashed on each side, is trimmed with knots of ribbon. The head-dress is a white gauze turban ornamented with two esprits. Baudeau, necklace, and ear-rings, of fancy jewellery.

BALL DRESS.-It is of white crape over gros des Indes. The skirt has a running pattern of flowers and foliage in pale rose color and green velvet. The corsage is made to sit close to the shape, pointed at the bottom, trimmed en pelerine with rose-colored crape, edged with embroidered tulle, and a row of knots of pink gauze ribbon down the front. Short full sleeves, terminating in the style of an old fashioned ruffle, with embroidered tulle. The hair is curled at the sides, arranged in bows behind, and decorated with a tiara and band of fancy jewellery; and a bunch of grapes and vine leaves. Ear-rings, and necklace, fancy jewellery.

CURSORY REMARKS ON THE LAST FRENCH FASHIONS.

Silk dresses and Shawls have, during the last week, been universally adopted in promenade dress. As yet, however, no new patterns of spring shawls have appeared; those mentioned in our last number being the only ones adopted.

The bibis, so long in favor, appear to be at last discarded;