Farther on are a row of swings. In one of these sky-scraping affairs a chic little blanchisseuse, her blond hair flying beneath a soldier’s cap jammed over her ears, is holding on tight and screaming with laughter while her escort the soldier pulls the rope with renewed effort, until they both come near bumping their heads on the upper supports.
THE MONTAGNES RUSSES—FÊTE DE NEUILLY
A few steps farther on, another merry-go-round is on the point of starting. Astride of a wooden camel sits a young negro wearing a straw hat with a pink satin band, and a suit known as “nobby.” Two girls pass. They are evidently two little couturières out for a holiday. One of them, a little brunette, catches sight of the coal black youth with the pink satin tie. The two girls hold a hurried conversation. Suddenly the little brunette runs up to the surprised gentleman in the nobby suit, throws her arms about his neck and kisses him.
A POPULAR MENAGERIE—FÊTE DE NEUILLY
“Voilà,” she says as she runs on to join her companion, bubbling with laughter over the joke.
“Je pourrai dire que j’ai embrassé un nègre!”
At night the Fête de Neuilly is ablaze with light. Carriages crawl slowly through the crowd, some of them are smart private turnouts which have driven to the fête after dinner at Armononville or elsewhere.
Parading side by side with these are others containing jolly parties waving great paper chrysanthemums and sunflowers carried upon long sticks. These pretty souvenirs are sold by the thousands in the fête, and nearly every party of merrymakers brings them back to the boulevard cafés.