The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-01-03
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.

Robinson Crusoc lifo in Paris, and 1
shall proceed to give it to you in plain
prose, promising only by the way that
you seem to me us familiar with Paris
ian phraseology, as if you had been born
and bred au septieme of q French Ho-
tel Meublc. /, then, Henry Colman,
of lawful age, citizen Of the grand Re-
public Of the United States (hurrah
for the thirteen stars and stripcs!) and
for many years subject Of her royal
majesty, Queen Victoria GOOD save
the 0uecn!). do dcpose and say, that 1
reside in street Of Paris called La rue
Chaussce d'Antin, running from the
Boulcvards to St. Lazarc, strai ght as
an arrow, clean, well built, full of fine
houses and fine shops, and magnificent
hotels in court yards, and crowded from
carly dawn to late at night, I had al
most said until the return of dawn, with
carriages, chariots, omnibuscs, chaiscs,
whcclbarrows, ladies and women (gen-
orally very handsome indced), milk
maids, laundresscs, g,isettes, lorcttcs,
chiifonniers, fashionables, and Norman
disc with their butterfly caps; in short,
one of the most public, and one Of the
busiest, and one of the p!casantcst
streets in town. I am in the fifth sto-
ry-thc lower floor is not counted, and
the cntrcsol, or second floor, is not coun-
ted; am au 1uatricme, and mount six
flight Of stairs to reach nv .-:tinp
place. place Being fat and 'pursy,' and
having very short legs, y5da a5ii lssay, way oe.
pend upon it have often wished 1oFI
some elevating machine, by which the
summit could be reached without hav-
ing to double up my joints one hundred
and thirteen timcs-for that's the NUN
Der of stairs. Now young and ethc-
real persons like yourself, 50 gay, so
transparent, SO light of step, would go
up like sparrow whole fight at a
time. From my eyric.ncst look down
upon the moving world with philosorhic
composure, and breathe; an atmosphere
far superior to the govelling sons OF
earth below me-(ask the chemists ifit
is not SOY. My nest, however, is very
small. 1 have but one small room;
three good closets; brick floor, which
[ like. because itsavcs all noise, cover
cd with thick carpet; a bed,a long
enough if don't grow any, which l
have concluded not to tio for the pres
cnt; chest of drawers, snrmounted by
a stuffed parrot in glass case, who
looks very civilly at me, and says moth.
ing though / feel occasionally quite en-
barrasscd at the closcncss of his in
spcction; bed, linen, covering, most
clean and excellent; an open fireplace,
with movcablc crate, which purchas-
ed, and in which burn dry wood and
good coal; three easy chairs, and two
with upright backs which l prefer, fer
fear of affecting the grace of my move
mcnts; and, to crown the whole, three
good sized mirrors--so that, you SEQ,
| am never without company, though
it is only the reduplication Of that of
which one sample is quite sufficient
certainly one at a time. l breakfast in
my own chamber at nine; rise at half.
past six; get very hungry before break
fast comes. Tho servant brings my al
lowance of bread, butter, and cream.
| boil my own tca-kettlc; make my own
tea; buy my own sugar, candles, etc.;
have the Daily News to read in the
morning-which sometimes, on account
of the ill.temper which it shows towards
America and France, obligcs INC to put
more sugar than usual in my tea. In
dishabillc | wear a grey frock coat,
plaid waistcoat, grey trousers, silk neck
cloth, black slippers, occasionally warn
ished, and look very grave anu wise,
when raising my head from the table, l
let my spcctaclcs drop on the end of my |
nose and comb my few struggling grey 4
hairs with my fingers, presenting i'm
such cases very fine study for an ar. e
tst. | have a man servant for my fem. Is
me dc'chambre; attentive to fault, fullE
of good nature, and so willing to servs s
me, that | take care never to call off
him for what | can do myself, and #S
almost frightcn the cap Off
his head by my frantic gesticulation 81
when cannot make him understanding
my French, though understand it v
perfectly myself. | stay in my room, U
,xtraordinarics excepted, always until
three o'clock when go sight seeing; S
dine at an English restaurant at five &
can't live at a French cafe dislike the
French cooking -dont't know whether I
you are eating frog cat or baby; even
ng with friends, or at the theatre, rare 4
y at home; get sleepy at eleven: crawl
20 bed at twelve o'clock; link Of my L
lear friends in Americ, II England; II
sigh so hard as almost to untuck the II
bed clothes; wish them all kind of bless
ngs fancy | SEQ them; nc,ur knew
loved them half so much; pray for them,
md Irno,fa n ahnut 4In,,,. III