Rensselaer Union and Jasper Republican, Volume 8, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1876 — Doll Life in Paris. [ARTICLE]

Doll Life in Paris.

The toy-shops are of course brilliant with attractions. One of the handsomest novelties of the season in this line is displayed by Giroux; it is a life-sized swan in pasteboard ridden by a PoTicliinelle; the back of the swan, with thp wings, lifts off, and the body is filled With toys. A pasteboard dromedary of even larger size, and mountedßy a golden-haired demoiselle in black velvet,, is arranged in the same way. Tjie dolls are, however, the most bewitching feature of the display of toys. There is a shop at the corner of the Kue •de liivoli and the Passage Delorme, which has the ground floor of one large window specially devoted to scenes ot doll life, varying from one season to another, from a ball to a wedding, from a christening to a reception. Just at present the fairy people in wood and porcelain are engaged in celebrating a solemn church marriage, at which officiates uo less a personage than ah archbishop in very gorgeous pontificals, all satin and lace and gold embroidery. The bride’s train of heavy gros-grain silk is a study. The groom is very pink as to the cheeks and very small as to the waist, and very, very curly about the head, and he is do bigger than the bride, which is hardiy the correct thing. However, a remarkable uniformity of size is paflicuIdHy observable all through the wedding parly, the archbishop himself being of precisely the same height as the bride and groom. Behind the bride kneels her mamma, very correctly gotten up indeed In pearl-colored silk and a black velvet cloak. Then behind them are. ranged in lines the wedding ghests, all kneel iug on praying chairs, alyl, each lady with an ivory-backed prayer-book

open in Iter The you rig Dieter of the bride in pink silk, escorted by a dapper young officer, is in the act of taking up tiie collection, and a splendid “ Buisse,” gorgeous in gold lace, looks sternly on at the proceedings. The Qliurch accessories, th* organ, the altar, the image of the Virgin, the devotional pictures, the flowers, the candles, the bells, and censers for the small acolytes who stand oug on either aide of tha archbishop, are all duly in their places. And the toilets of the ladies! Such exquisite costumes of pale blue and pale pink and pale green silk, such ruffies and pussies, such gowns and such bonnets, such gloves anu eyeglasses, such airs and grace—the miniature company looks exactly like a real one seen through the wrong end of an operaglass. Note that stately dame, full sixteen inches high, in a superb toilet of dark red velvet and red silk; she could not Itave disposed her velvet train more effectively had she been flesh and blood every inch of her. And that one in pale blue silk who is flirting in a corner with a young officer—how lifelike }s the aflectation of her pose and the turn of iter eyeglass in her dainty gloved fingers. Here wc come upon a home Beene, a bedroom, gorgeous in rosewood and blue satin, aud with a lovely blonde seated before a toilettable, which is draped with lace and covered with the prettiest littje knickknacks imaginable; toilet bottles the size of filberts, real ivory-backed brushes and tortoise-shell combs that would go into a peas-cod; a jewel-box in unoxidized silver and porcelain that would hold a goodsized thimble, etc.. The mistress of all this splendor is elegantly gotten-up in a dressing-gown of white muslin and Valenciennes lace—real Valenciennes, too, let me tell you—none of /our machinemade shams. Her profuse golden tresses are flowing over her shoulders, and her maid,' a bewitching brunette in a gray cashmere dress and the most coquettish of beribboned caps and aprons, is engaged in the task of brushing out the wealth of mademoiselle’s shining locks. A little page, in a very stylish livery, profusely sprinkled with buttons, is bringing in a note on a stiver salver, while a fashionable acquaintance, with a real India shawl draped over her case au lait silk and brown velvet costume, has just dropped in to have a, chat, and advances, muff' in hand, to pay her respects. What do these stylish ladies cost? one is tempted to ask. Any price from five dollars to fifty dollars, according to their size and toilets. Some of them have all their underwear ruffled with real Valenciennes lace. The dressing-gown worn by the blonde beauty yonder is worth at least ten dollars, the lace being real. Madame’s India shawl is held at no less a price, while as for the dresses, one can spend well-nigh as much upon them as upon an outfit for a grown-up person. The dolls are not quite as bad as they were in the last days of the Empire, w hen solid silver tea-services and sets of real diamonds were the correct thing for their ladyships to own, but they are extravagant enough in all conscience. I heard of one instance where a doll’s wedding-dress was ordered and furnished with genuine point applique flounces and veil to match, at a cost of fifty dollars. And oh! the shivering little gamins of Paris —how many warm suits would not the cost of that foolish toy have furnished I—Paris Cor. Philadelphia Telegraph.