Cookery 



317 



portion of vinegar. To some tastes a spoon- 

 ful or two of cream would improve the present 

 Mayonnais, which may be varied also with 

 Chili, tarragon, or any other flavoured vine- 



gar. It should be served heaped high in the 

 centre of the salad, for which, if large, double 

 the quantity directed here should be pre- 

 pared. 



FASHIONS FOR THE MONTH. 



THE toilettes at the late Ottoman ball 

 in Paris were the most splendid and 

 richest on record. 



The Princess Metternich, notably, had no- 

 thing in her hair, two curls of which fell on 

 her neck. Her white toilette, set on a straw- 

 colour transparency, had that exquisite ele- 

 gance which, above all, distinguishes her from 

 others, was only ornamented by yellow bind- 

 weed, the clusters of which fell all around her 

 tunic. 



Several charming ladies wore robes of light 

 gauze, cappadined with small flowers or small 

 volants in tarlatan, set in lozenges, which is 

 quite new. Those who wore flowers had not 

 an over-load of them — a camellia or a rose on 

 the middle of the forehead, and another on 

 the side, a I'Espagnole. 



The dancers' dresses were round — that is 

 to say, neither long nor short. The ladies 

 with trains danced very little. The epau- 

 lettes of flowers worn by a few young ladies, 

 and particularly by Mdlle. de Tarente, were 

 a charming novelty. 



The dresses of chambery gauze of colour 

 striped on colour, had a great speciality at 

 Djemil Pacha's ball. 



For town toilettes one may be very much 

 astonished to see so many novelties appear at 

 the time when the ordinary course of the sea- 

 son is quite finished; but the dressmakers 

 are still occupied with dresses and mantles to 

 match, and have rather neglected black man- 

 tles, meant to be worn to the end of the sea- 

 son. 



Those milliners of undoubted good taste 

 have invented a great number of Watteau 

 mantles, and mantillas more ample than 



those to match with the dress. The pans 

 square, the plaits square, ruches flat and 

 straight, and flounces without ornaments are 

 what are now worn. 



The Maintenon mantle has three small 

 volants, straight behind, and long square pans 

 thrown behind. Satin trimming, niched flat, 

 on fine black taffeta and a hood, very small, 

 and I'learly hidden under an enormous bow of 

 black satin. This may appear very warm for 

 the weather, but evenings in the country and 

 seaside are very cool. 



At the Fontainebleau races, the Empress 

 was in a robe of plain linen, with volant 

 russes, with a Le'toriere toquet and black 

 feather. It is needless to say what a success 

 this toilette is. The Le'toriere toquet is a 

 kind of three-cornered hat, with edges turned 

 up and bound with velvet, and ornamented 

 on the side by a very curly feather, black or 

 coloured, almost covering the hat. In the 

 middle of the feather in front, a fl3^-bird, or a 

 large rose, or a brooch is set. 



Italian straw, which had rather fallen in 

 favour, reappears with grand chapeaux. They 

 have a very low calotte, sides very large, and 

 are fastened by means of elastic passing under 

 the chignon ; they are ornamented by branches 

 of light flowers, garlands of cherries, and 

 small blue flowers, mingled with a long 

 feather. 



As dresses of exquisite simplicity, I ob- 

 served robes of white muslin, set on^a trans- 

 parency of coloured lawn, having a plait in 

 the bottom. 



The muslin of which they are composed is 

 plain, ornamented by ruches ^ la vielle or by 

 entre deux, or better, it has Creole satin 



