The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-06
From In. Literary World.
Trsycs.
A SKETCH FROM THE COUPE.
BY wa. A. BUTLER.

Even ia Paris, November is the most
dismal OF months. On the Boulevards,
clogs, umbrellas, and red noses; in the Tuil
cries, bare blanches and leaves, soaked and
matted with the continuous drizzle; in the
Louvre. windy dampness; that makes the
Claudes chilly, and gives to Davld's classic
unbuskined heroes, blue, rheumatic tirge;
in the ITOis Freres, spite OF Incompatible
appliances of indoor comfort, a piercing
atmosphere Of incpient frost, which not
even the restorative redolence Of Iurbot au
grdtin, or the inspiring aroma OF Chamber
lin vieuz, can utterly dispel. Fortunate the
man who can escape at will from such un-
comfortable environments whose con-
science has no scores unsettled with his Gal
ignani in the items OF thifeenth-century
churches unvisited, old Hotels UNEMPLOYED,
Napoleon "reminiscences unnoted; Restau-
rants undined at, and dishes untasted; who
is free TO book himself at the Messageries
Royales for the Southern route, and can d.
rect his anticipations and his luggage, 'lta-
ly, via Marseilles.
The morning frowned on our departure
with clouds and threatenings Of storm. On
the threshold of our ehambres de garcon in
the airy Quariieme which had lodged us
through the gay, radian, summer, and the
bright autumn, while we whirled in the de-
lirium Of Paris, We gave parting look OF
half regret at their snug nicely, and all thst
tasteful trickery Of cheap decoration, by
which the stern realities Of the attic are
softly idealised into the attractive elegance
of the boudoir. On the stairs stood Mad
anne, our landlady, in becoming disha-
billie, wishing US pleasant journey, and
bestowing her parting injunctions on the old
principle of one word for us and two for
herself "By all means should We wrap
ourselves we'll up from the cold-and take
care Of our precious health-and be GER
tain not to forget, if We happened to meet
any Of our friends on the Journey, to re-
commend them to her establishment" The
buxom file de chan.bTe was ready with a
courtesy and smiling msTci, in return for
the expected trihe, while from the final fool
of the long staircase cries the Concierge
wife, that brave man, the Concierge him.
self, having gone long ago in advance with
the luggage-" Bon jour, Mes,ieWs bon
Jour- BON Uoyage, au plaisiT"
Such were our Partisan adeux.
What precious windfall for the note
books and descriptive epistles Of the I'M
fedged tourist is the first French Diligence
he encounters. That great, yellow, chimer-
zeal, capacious monster, whose name he per.
sists for fortnight in pronouncing as if il
were an English substantive and signifed
extra care. and every subdivision Of whose
huge internal economy, he is anxious 10 en-
pertinent upon personally in the venture oil
a Journey. The Diligence becomes in his
mind AN absorbing idea. Into it, as the
greater including the less, ale merged all
his preconceived notions and future expe-
riences of all sorts of CONFERENCE.-The
less he happens TO be a real estate lawyer
in size, shape, and arrangement 10 be
gusged by this authoritative standard. lnto
what an involved process OF calculation is
he plunged by the complex tariff of prices
from the coupe at the top Of the scale, to
the Banquette at the top Of the coach the
highest in position and the lowest in price.
What a climax Of bewilderment is the
hour Of starting, when he finds the mon.
ster more elephantine than ever. with whole
tors Of freight distending the huge black
bulk Of the top covering, and caravan oil
horses inexplicably grouped in front. and
an anxious population swarming around,
waiting for distribution Of the disputed
territory inside. How invariably is he
caught getting up the wrong ladder into
the wrong place, how uniformly fancies
himself The victim Of some terrible impo.
siton, how despsiringly resigns himself at
length TO the necessity of blind submission.
Like the last scene Of five act comedy,
to which every explanation is postponed BY
way ofintensity OF finale, the highest pitch
Of confusion Just precedes the departure
Finally the decisive 'Roulez' of the Conduc.
teur, like the voice Of des inv, cuts shor,
the conflict, settles the matter Of contested
seats, and the unwieldy levialhan slsggers
along with its score of unfortunate Jonahs
inside
Our Diligence numbered ont of Paris,
and ON towards Dion. with The most perse-
vering monotony. Out of our coupe win.
dows we had full view of the wide un.
varying landscape, destitute of attraction
or beauty Of any kind. Now and then We
cla,tered into some old town to pull up al
the yawning gateway of the post houses,
and await the change of horses, process
which never failed to call down the con.
ducteur from his exalted seat in the Ban
quetle, with the prescribed amount of small
change for the depating position and an
unlimited supply of depechez and sacres for
the new conner, who soon guided us out
again into the dull country. Over the
solid stones. along the straight, undertaking
line of the highway, like all other French
roads laid out in the strictest adherence Of
curves and bends, We rolled all day. To-
wards night it was great relief to be let
out at Nangis, little unnoticeable town,
with the intimation Of dinner in readi.
ness. The interior, Rotonde, and Ban
queue had peculiarilies of taste; preferins
souPe maigre and rim ordnaaire to the
more elaborate provision Of the table dhote.
This last was great affair, got up with
strict regard to the unities. on the Paris
pattern, with a superabundance Of white
napkins and vast display Of large plates and
small eatables. There was nothing in the
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