This style of work produces a better effect than darning, and can be used for a great number of articles-window curtains, counterpanes, anti-macassars, &c. It can be worked from any crochet or netting patterns, as well as from all Berlin-work patterns, but a certain rule must be observed. Thus, all the stitches placed in a straight direction in the patterns are worked in a slanting line on the net-that is, in the direction of the diamonds, touching each other at the point; the stitches placed in a slanting direction in the patterns are, on the contrary, worked in a straight line on the net, but one diamond should always be left between two diamonds that are to be worked. By following these directions all difficulty will be done away with, and our readers will be able to work on a netted ground any sort of pattern in Berlin work. The'

working of this embroidery is very simple. Take embroidery cotton of the coarsest size; fasten one end to the netting; cover this diamond with five or six stitches which go round twice, by passing the needle from one corner to the other, alternately under two threads and over two threads of the netting. The diamond thus filled up is reckoned for one cross-stitch. The next stitch is filled up like the preceding one, and worked round in the same manner, the needle being inserted underneath the two outer circles of the previous diamond.

A pretty effect might be produced for an antimacassar by working stars in coloured wools, in the same manner as we have just described. The wool would fill in the holes of the netting nicely, and the work would have a rich raised appearance.

This is extremely easy to make, and forms a pleasant occupation for the long winter evenings. These little pelerines reach to the waist, and close at the throat, and are worn underneath a mantle out of doors; or they make an exceedingly comfortable wrap, on a cold winter's evening, to put on in coming from a theatre or other place of amusement. Being arranged without sleeves, they are easily put on and taken off. Some are made of blue, white, and speckled wool, arranged in stripes; and the manner in which these stripes are crocheted, whether broad or narrow, must of course be left to individual taste. It would be superfluous to give directions for working every row, as the stitches are all the same, and the shape of the pelerine is formed by increasing in every row down the centre of the back, and on each side of the front. Make a chain rather longer than the size of the neck (as it diminishes in the work ing). 1st row: 5 chain, 2 treble, 1 chain, miss 1, repeat from until the middle of the row is reached. Into this stitch make 4 treble instead of 2, with a chain between, and work to the end of the row. 2nd: Turn, 3 chain, 2 long into space of previous row. We may here mention that all the treble stitches are worked into the spaces, and not into the chain of previous row. 1 chain, 3 treble, until the middle of the row is reached, when work a double quantity of treble

stitches, then 1 chain, 3 treble to the end of the row. 3rd: 3 chain, 2 treble, into the space of preceding row, then 1 chain, 3 treble, to the end of the row, increasing as usual down the centre of the back. From the description of these three rows, it will at once be seen how the remainder of the pelerine is worked, always bearing in mind to increase at the commencement and in the centre of every row. When the foundation of the pelerine is crocheted, a row should be worked all round, consisting of 1 chain and 3 treble; this finishes off the sides neatly and nicely. A small collar may be added, if liked (this is, however, not necessary), by crocheting into the foundation round the neck, and working 3 or 4 rows, in the same manner as the pelerine. This little collar is finished off round the edge with a row of double crochet worked into every stitch. The fringe which ornaments the bottom of the pelerine is easily made. It consists of lengths of partridge and blue wool, knotted alternately into every space and treble stitch of the bottom row: A piece of plaited wool, with a pair of tassels at each end, is run round the neck, with which the pelerine is fastened. The arrangement of colours is as follows: 10 rows of white, 1 row of blue, 1 row of speckled, 4 rows of blue, 1 row of speckled, 1 row of blue all round. Fringe, blue and speckled.

MY DEAR C

The Encyclique is the momentous question just now in Paris. It fell on us like a bomb before we had finished wishing friends and enemies a happy New Year, and has quite disturbed our equanimity; we rub our eyes, and ask, "Are we, or are we not, in the nineteenth century?" The papers have published and commented on this famous protestation of a crumbling power; but Government has prohibited its lecture in the churches, which very much enrages the bishops, and all have signified their indignation by letters to the Minister of Public Worship. The Bishop of Orleans has issued a refutation to the attacks of the liberal papers; while the Ultramontane party devoutly says, Amen, to all the Holy Father says, and will say; the successor of St. Peter being infallible. The Jesuits are accused of being the instigators of the deed, in reply to the Franco-Italian Convention this autumn, and the nomination of the Prince Napoleon as VicePresident of the Privy Council makes some think that the Emperor has good intentions, though his enemies assert that the Prince has been raised to that dignity on account of his Majesty's ill health, he having frequent faintingfits of late. It is also whispered, and that rather loudly, that the Orleanists have united their forces with the Republicans, and that a revolution is preparing for us. En attendant, we have balls and parties in every direction. Four grand balls are to be given at the Tuileries: two have already taken place, although the Empress also is in a very delicate state of health. It was thought that she would go to Nice for the winter they say she has the same disease of which her sister the Duchess of Albe died, and on New Year's day she did not hold a reception for ladies as is customary, nor did she appear on the ice in skates, as last year-an amusement she is extremely partial too, as all our fashionables are at the present moment, when the weather permits, and grand fêtes were in preparation on the lake in the Bois de Boulogne when the frost disappeared, and left us to console ourselves with dancing, for which amusement an entirely new and interminable cotillon has been invented, and was tried the other night at the Countess D-'s. All the ministers and the new nobility have opened their saloons with increased splendour if possible; but the old aristocracy in Faubourg St. Germain do not intend to give ball or concert all the winter, except between themselves in family reunions. The crinoline is also said to be in danger of being dethroned by the initiative of these noble ladies; but the alarm has been so frequently given, that I do not put much faith in it.

French beauties seem to be quite on the decline, now, in our gay capital: most of the men of note marry foreign ladies, and Russians are decidedly at a premium: their millions, real or

supposed, completely transfigure_them into all that is dazzling and seductive. It gives them beauty, wit, and amiableness, to the highest degree. Álexandre Dumas junior married, the other day, Madame Narischkine, a lady of Swedish origin, but allied by a former marriage to the Emperor of Russia. This lady is said to have 100,000 francs (£4,000) a year, so is therefore lovely in the extreme, and possesses red hair without dyeing it. The happy bridegroom in the exultation of his heart, when announcing his marriage with £4,000 a year, declared that he would only write one comedy and one novel more. By-the-by red hair is likely to be dethroned soon, in spite of Mdlle. Cora Pearl, of the "demi-monde," the frail beauty whose golden locks set the present fashion. The Countess Zichy, sister of the Princess de Metternich, arrives all the way from Mexico with the most suberb white hair imaginable, although she is only thirty years of age, and she is also very rich, therefore very beautiful. It is expected that white hair will be the vogue soon; the hair-dressers and hair-dyers have already begun trying their art in producing this new colour, and I have no doubt but at the next reunion of the coiffeurs (artists in head-dressing) the secret will be found. I say reunion of "coiffeurs," because there is a society of hair-dressers now, who assemble a certain day in the year, to decide what is to be the fashion. The inspired ones produce their inventions, medals are awarded them according to their merit, and the evening ends with a ball, at which are sometimes more than a thousand people. At the last the style "Empire" carried off the palm, and already the hair of our "élegantes" shows the effect of that decision.

There was a fancy bazaar the other day, at the Persian embassy, for the benefit of the Poles. Another foreign beauty, the Duchess of Colonna, a Swiss by birth, but a Roman princess by marriage, was the queen of attraction there, and sold much more than any of the other ladies present. The bazaar brought in 42,000 francs. The Poles in Paris have lately lost two eminent ladies-the Princess Czartoryski, and her young daughter-in-law the Princess Ladislas Czartoryski, daughter of Queen Christina and sister of the Queen of Spain.

Voltaire's heart has at last found an asylum. The Academy refused it, and the heirs of M. de Villette were at a loss what to do with it; so they made it a present to the Emperor, who has ordered it to be deposited in the Imperial library. Voltaire was at M. de Villette's residence when he died, and left his heart to that gentleman, who had it religiously enclosed in a silver urn, with the following inscription engraved on the urn:-"Son esprit est partout; mais son cœur ici" (His wit is everywhere, but bis heart here).

The Prince Metternich has bought the copy

right of the posthumous works of Henri Heine for 3,000 francs a-year; which makes people think that they contain something that the prince or his imperial master wish to keep from the public. It is announced that we are to have another Great Exhibition in Paris in 1867; so Mr. Haussmann must hasten and get his new Paris finished. The proprietors of the Grand Hotel ask him twenty-two million francs for that part of the building which he says will obstruct the view of his new opera-house. This has made him reflect a little, and the purchase is not yet decided, though I do not suppose such a sum will prevent the great arbiter of the destinies of our houses from following his fancy. He made a speech the other day which has very much occupied the public, but has not exactly satisfied them. He pretends that the bakers are making fortunes since they have had their liberty, and he would rather see the money in the city's coffers than in theirs -which is very natural.

There has been great talk about a present that a gentleman made a- young lady of his acquaintance on New-year's Day, and which caused a great sensation amongst her female friends. It is certain that such presents are not everyday occurrences. It was an immense and splendid bag of bonbons, each sweetmeat enveloped in paper with a piece of gold the size of the bonbon, which made a total of 50,000 francs-£2,000.

The last night in the old year was celebrated as usual by the amateurs of such orgies, by a masked ball at the opera. At one o'clock in the morning, when the frenzy was at its height, a solemn procession of thirty-eight persons, walking two and two, dressed in the costume of the members of the Academie Française, and wearing masks that resembled them, entered the ball-room, preceded by the usher-in with his silver chain and ebony rod. They formed a circle, the usher drew forth an urn, which he presented to each in turn, and received a voting billet from them; he then read the votes, and declared Jules Janin elected a member of the Académie Française, and the thirty-eight fell in procession again, and descended with the same solemnity, mounted nineteen cabs that were waiting for them, and disappeared without the curious multitude being able to know who they were. They had given a mimic representation of an election in the Académie Française, at the same time a lesson to that learned Areopagus, who refuse-unjustly, some think-to admit M. Jules Janin amongst them. As we are at the opera, we have not far to go to the Opera-Comique, where a new opera, words by Sardon and music by Gevaert, is nightly filling this House. "Le capitaine Henriot," (Henri IV.) is the hero, and the action is during the siege of Paris, when a truce allowed the two armies to visit each other, besieged and besiegers. The critics, as ever, are at variance in their appreciation of the piece; but the public fill the theatre, which is the director's affair. The operetta "La belle Hélène," at the Va

riétés is also another hit. The heathen gods and goddesses are handled without ceremony, and excite roars of laughter. The music is by Offenbach. Mdlle. Patti astonishes her admirers more andmore every night in "Linda di Chamounix." She shows that she is not only a consummate singer, but also an actress of great skill. Our critics declare that she sings like Sontag and Malibran; she plays the comedy like Mdlle. Mars, and the tragedy like Rachel.

M. de Morny, who writes under the name of "M. de St. Remy," delighted the Court at Compiègne this last season with a comedy"Les finesses du mari." It is said that the piece is to be played at the Théâtre-Français, when "Maître Guérin" will allow it. Emile de Girardin has also given a new comedy

M.

"Le supplice d'une femme." He wishes, no doubt, to prove that it was not his former wife who wrote what he signed, as scandalous tongues have insinuated.

Another new piece, at the Beaumarchais, entitled "Jacques Burke," promises a fair success. Its author, M. Demongeot, who is also an actor, was a few months ago the true hero of a real drama. One of his fellow-actors forgot the commandment "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife," and having declared his passion to Madame Demongeot, he was repulsed with indignation. He, however, concealed himself at night under the conjugal bed, armed with a poinard, with which he struck the husband and wounded him severely, and is now in prison expiating his deed.

Monsieur Tandon, one of our richest booksellers, caused great emotion the other day by hanging himself, after six months' marriage. Alas! alas! why do people imagine that money is the only source of happiness! M. Tandon was a young man of twenty-five years, possessed of a very handsome fortune, which promised to increase every day. The young lady he married six months ago was eighteen, with a large dower. A marriage was immediately consummated, without the affections being consulted; for the young lady was passionately attached to another. While on their wedding tour a serious quarrel divided them for ever, and the lady sought and obtained a separation, which, as soon as the husband heard, he committed suicide.

The wind has certainly been in the tragical quarter since the beginning of the new year. Last week Theophile Silvestre, chief editor of the Nain jaune, deliberately entered a café on the Boulevard, and fired a pistol on another editor of the same paper, named Ulysse Pic. Happily no harm was done.

The duel between M. Larochefoucauld, the champion for the descendants of the Montmorency family, and M. Talleyrand-Perigord, the usurper of that name and title, ended more severely: both were wounded-M. Talleyrand seriously so. The famous surgeon, Nalâton, who accompanied the antagonists, prevented murder by insisting on separating them.

Let me finish my letter with something less