Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1876 — Social Amusements in Old-Time France. [ARTICLE]

Social Amusements in Old-Time France.

It U amusing to note the dericeu by which theftft social and pleasure Peking coteries aoagbt to amuse thomaelvoa. and to pans the time which hung 4 heavily on their hands. At one period It beernnp fashionable for men to busy themselves with embroidery and othef light work which had hitherto been the eMftnMvtr province of the ladies. Entering the •ohm. you would observe gturfy-dressed cavillers seated at the embroidery frame* or stitching away at a piece of tapestry; even grave statesmen ami ponderous philosophers might have been sees bustty embroidering birds, flowers and coat* Tfei* there raws abput u faftftf iAflorum-arpltnfi the silken and mttafflt*Uireads of fringe* and tissues. This waa colled “purfling.” The ladies of quality were wont in rats to taake a' pretense of doing something useful and economical. ! At first they ana their male gallants employed themselves in picking out iho gold anti «ilvor threads from old garments, wont* trimmings, epaulets, ana so on: "On* ctftle of liUlifce (fibing formed,” says Tafnc, “a big unraveling-bag in green taffeta is placed off the table, which supply the rather cqptU material* for this curious parame;' On Ame’occasion the Duke <R-&fuzurftoppll*«Ms guffwitli ! a harp to be unstrung and unraveled? The ladies, after thus separating the threads, vied with each other in selling them, and thus made a merit of earning an income. If they.(.destroyed a garment, worth a thousand francs, and then sold the threads taken from U for a hundred, they regarded it as a good operation. Not oontept with unraveling bid garments, they would capriciously destroy new ones iff the rage for eiceHing in thfg peculiar accomplishment. One dtiy a lady; as she swept orit of the drawingroom, tx>6k it into her head that the com fringe which dangled from her rdbfe would be capital for unraveling; and without hesitation took her scissors and cut it off. “Tenwomen suddenly Aflrround a man wearing fringes, pull off his coat., and put his fringes and laces into their bags, jusf as if a bold flock of tomtits, Uppe*rng hod rh»¥«f»ig in *hOi air, should sudcle of women stanug fn danger of being stripped olive. ” f M ■ jja ! fauesswqfk ff^Which ~omedres, represents a young Marquis enWlu+e CVto fait ’thdfisds are mfflmincf fehth! the here ! takes a litfla gold nnle outiof the pocket of hls-rkhly-uecorated waistcoat, jmd selects a ffalnty gold needle, “ tie goes to the frame at which Cidiritae 1* working, and finishes the flower which she had begnb. from her he moves tothe sofa, and, seiringMone 6nd of the flouffee, assists Is menc, to whom he pays special attention, jto complete hw tasKt” At thisAmeirWas die custom of the ladies^n^^^^tocafboxes and rouge-Botsf' Gentlemen also carried defUy-embroiaered little bags into company, arsenal of cutlery and Fancy articles, such as boxes wssaissL was to cut ent drawings books ana pamphlets, wild to paste -feeilron lamp-shades, boxes and vases. The skill te'sa’ssarx' a curious or amusing effect. Then’there oamc a sedson when >al! Hie rage wis for charades and riddiw, which gave a peculiarly good opportunity to exercise the light and rapid wlfc. so conspiijaons lu the French. Every #ea||.ir the flbrawingrooms were converted into impromptu charades. Some lady would suggest a word br phrase, and forthwith it would be Converted mto-the subjectuii-a spright ly little play. Maffy es tile . word-guinea now current withjMini AmefiCtohaii their origin in the tWOeSsrnf the FfMclf xrttbm twa .wKior m - lwt oiricle-Of I news, was too often a mere chronicle of scandal, wqs. adopted. Mme. Doublet de Person issued bullvtius which she called “ Nouvelles a la mainiff her apartments two registers were kept, oho of authentic news reeei&d hete nud there by bffr guests, Me oHffiffritfloOiHf ,*i|JHQrs £ throughout Franbe. —Gedityi At. Tinrte, tn Appletom' Journal for ffot/itnber.