The Knickerbocker, Vol. 22, No. 3, September 1843Various
General
The Knickerbocker, Vol. 22, No. 3, September 1843
Various
Periodicals
After Catharine Julia had left New-York on her marital journey, a
small closely-written sheet of paper was found in her room, which
was evidently intended for publication. She said in a short preface
that she took the idea from Shuffleshanks, and that after his death,
in her pensive moments, when
... 'oft at even as she sat
In a little summer-house in the garden without a hat,'
her experience of society shaped itself into the following rules,
which she resolved to leave as a legacy to the beau sexe of the beau
monde, among whom she had so long been conspicuous:
'RULES FOR BECOMING A PERFECT _ZAZA_.
'The accomplished belle, flowered, flounced, fanning, figuring,
flirting, flinging herself in all directions with the timidity
of the gazelle, and its endurance, approaches to the grand ideal
of belles; the peerless _Zaza_.
'Zazas are like Pachas of one, two, or three tails; (no double
entendre meant.) A _Zaza_ of one tail has one or two regular
beaux; one of two tails has five or six; one of three tails
has as many as she pleases. This is the summit of _Zazaism_.
A demoiselle with no beaux is a nobody; (_nobeaudy_;) a poor
creature; something quite despicable.
'RULE I. When about to seat yourself, pull your dress strongly
on both sides to prevent its wrinkling; then subside.
Consequently, upon rising, the dress must be raised again with
the left hand, and three or four slaps given on each side, to
complete the circle. The gesture of smoothing the front hair
with the flat of the hand may be tolerated----in the darkest
closet of a house with stone walls, or in the centre of the
great desert of Sahara when no caravan is in sight.
'RULE II. You should always endeavor to be sportive. The lambkin
and the very young cat style take well, and are quite _Zaza_.
A frisk just tinged with the _soupçon_ of a tremble is a very
beautiful display.
'RULE III. If you perceive a friend arriving, and go to meet
her across a large room, always proceed with three skips on
the points of your toes, then two quick steps, then three more
skips, and so on alternately. Take care that your face does not
express more anxiety for the success of your _pas seul_ than
joy at greeting your friend. When you attain your très _cherè_,
groan _Zaza_, seize her hand and kiss her twice. This is a
simple and effective meeting. The _coup d'oeil_ is excellent
when both young ladies are of the Zaza school. The three-skip
gait is admirably adapted to entering a room unexpectedly; where
there is a gentleman, or in leaving one at home tolerably full
of company, when called out by a servant. It is invaluable at
pic-nics.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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