The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-11-27
The ReIizion Of Pnri..

Speaking Of my friend, the Able, brings
to mind MS character and pursuits. He
used to remind me ofthat good Able Of lie
de France, VINO advised and condoled with
the widowed mothers, and who figures in a
long black robe, and broad -brimmed hat
in ell the illustrated copies Of "Paul and
Virginia" But, my friend did not wear
habItually bis Church uniform, for his care
had been large one in the county, and he
had come like all Frenchmen, to the city
for relief: he has even ventured upon a
nice haunch Of mutton with me upon Friday.
For all this, he had far higher respect, and
love for the spirit and obsevances for the
Religion Of the Metropolis, than | ever had
myself.
Religion at Paris, always seemed to me
more Of a sentiment than principle that
is 70 say, their Religion has more the liveli-
ness Of feeling than the earnestness of alb
sorbing duty. Except at times of funeral,
one sees few earnest faces in the Partisan
churches; they, the worshippers, do not
leave wholly their gayety at the door. They
listen to the PRAYER and to the discourse, at
tentively-rarely can you see more of al
tention; but it seemed to me always an at
tention fixed upon the eloquent lapse words,
or some sweet mental image Of the Virgin /;
an attention made grateful by the presence
OF the pictures, and the grOined arches over
head, and the fragrant odors Of burning
herbs;-an attention, it may be most de-
vout, with some lancied or real presence OF
God in the soul,-but very rarely the at.
tention Of what PrOtestants call ga broken
and contrite heart"
Nopeople would be so intolerant ofuna.
dorned churches and poor preaching. as the
Pansisns. Nor would they altogether fan
cy the scolding habit Of the Scotch presby.
byters; they mean to be happier after ser.
vice than before it. Why a sad man should
60 to church TO come away sadder, is whai
they cannot comprehend. remember that
Madame de Sevigne, in one Of her letters
10 her daughter, gives this admirable com.
ment upon one Of the sermons Of the great
men Of her time:
al fit lie signe de la croix, il dit son texte;
Il ne nous grO7ada point; il ne nous di
point dinjures; il nous pria de ne poin
craindre la mort puts qu'elle etait lie seul
passage que nous eussiOns pour ressuciter
avec Jesus Christ--lOus fumes tous CON.
tents Ninon dEnclos might have heard
the same doctrine, and said as much of il,
and as truthfully. And it is true of great
many discourses, which have not the redeem.
ing excellences Of Bourdaloue.
There is no such thing as Religious big.
otV known at Psris;-this would seem
strange to man fresh from such pleasant
reading as the Chronicle of ST. BarthoIo.
NEW. ST. German PAuxerrois is still stand.
ing and its tower is still standing. from
which, on that dreadful August night Of
1872, went out the first signal for slaueht.
er;-but at the foot Of it now. as Won enter
the door, an old man with gray shock OF
hair is standing, and sprinkles Holy water
on you, from his horse-hair brush. limo
cent-looking priests glide up and down I'D
on the pavement and the sunlight streams
through the stained windows,-and il seem
ed to me, as | saw il Pickering in rainbow
colors over the gay columns sort of
token, new covenant with promise" that
no such Bartholomew slaughter should come
again. 80
Every man in Paris seems satisfied with