Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-02
PARIS CUSTOMS,

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We take the following paragraphs from an interesting
Paris letter in the 81. Louis Republican
will Tell you how Easter week is kept in Paris First,
though, must say something about Longchamps, the
promenade de L0ngchamps as the French call it. This
fee which consists nothing than riding and driving
up side Of the long Of the Champs Eyees and
down the ohe takes place annually Holy Thursday and
Good Friday 1t dates from Louis XIV, and its origin
follows: An ancient abbey called Longcbamps, founded in
1861 by Isabella Of France Of ST. Louis existed
the Malot gate, and humte that few persons
knew Of it's existence Suddenly sisters the daughters
Of noble family sough. refuge in The abbey agains, the
cares and temptations Of the world These young ladies'
oduced into the abbey the and Of music. They
founded chapel in which every year during Passion Week
sacred concerts given, and the music Is described
having heen almost celestial All Paris tucked to these
cers and every year hsy became and fashionable
At last the Revolution Of 49, and the
stopped After the 18Th brumse, tho police, in order
the public and distract attention. tried revive under
preext, the ancient musical and religious pilgrimage
Longchamps They hired carriages drive along the
Champs EysSes the occupants dressed in wny excite
curiosity and amusement. And thus the given every
year from Wednesday Friday Of Passion Week, the long
Of carriages and horsemen extending from the
Place de Ia Conc,rde the Bois de Boogne serves as
pretext for the display Of spring fashops and eccenctes
which would be tolerated nowhere else
This year the weather uncsrain which made the dis
play less brilliant than usual As sail BEFORE the carriages
oil up side and down the oher of the broad avenue
and carriage allowed stop leave the line except
Of the two ends Police men, gems dams, horse
back stationed small dstances that oil rules and
regulations properly observed This year the ee-
CANT and snowy equpsges, by far those belonging
the different actresses Of note Rache was an elegant car
rge painted 10 dark green and go drawn by four black
horses, with gded hatness Two ootmen behind, and the
coachman dressed in green velvet livery faced and
trimmed with gold. Rebecca (Rachels sster) afforded
aYon sho he's
Her carriage small light and open, painted in blue, and
drawn BY four snowy white horses, with plated harness. The
coachman and foomen in livery of blue and silver
Rebecca young and pretty and has great number Of ad
mirers.
Two the greatest curisses this Of the year.
is the Gingerbread fair and the Ham fair held on Good
Friday and the Saturday and Sunday following You
know that the good people Of Paris exceedingly fund of
hams, but pork dear that they slice Of ham,
sonaly, only very great luxury. Such thing gen.
ueman curing his own hams or having his own sm ke-
house, never heard Of here, probably Well, once
yes, great lair Of hams, sausages and pork of every de-
scpon is held At Paris and then the retail dealers and
families 10y in supply The fair is kept by people from al
parts of France, and affords the best and most curious spec
ace of the manners, customs and Of the different
provinces. There may be the Picady women, with
their snowy at least two feet high, and the Normandy
women, with two stiff white muslin wings floating from the
sides of their heads and the Anvergno and the Bourgog
nese, with cap crowns measuring two three feet n ccum-
ference, and their short red petticoats little stiff jackets and
wooden Shoes giving them the most picturesque sr in The
world.
The Gingerbread fair is similar 10 the Ham fair, but is
mostly made up by the Parans The French are exceed
ngy fond Of gingerbread but must say, they cannot make
good that made in the United States The molasses
very bad here, and great deal Of honey used ns ead
which makes the cake exceedingly tough. One booth at
fair kept by who sold gingerbread Gu, into oil
Of forms There and amost the SIZE
Of e and gigantic and dogs and horses and cows and
sheep, and every thing, in fact Her customers mostly
children, who highly delighted with the dispsy she
made Coming down through the Champs EIysess after
visiting the fair, stopped Of the shows
which in full operation during the hoydays found
myself at last within circle where Arab showing
of with eight great erpens wanted turn and
go away but the crowd had become great, that found
could not move, and obliged to remain witness Of csr-
tainly Of the curious and fghul spec sces ever
offered TO the public The soake-chsrmer was seated on the
ground, after the fashion Of his country, with his snakes oil
around him three Of them Of the m g, enor-
size, almost large ful-grown boa He would
arms body neck and head stick oot their forked tongues
and kiss him the hands, the lips the yed and present
their heads tails to bin, he commanded them. While
the spectacle proceeding in the successful way one
Of the largest snakes slipped off, uonotcd by the Arab
apparently and dragging itself along got Of the crowd
every body you may be giving bin clear space Jus
outside Of the circle two dogs playing together The
serpent no spied hem than he raised bis head and
70 sooher moment busy winding himsef around the
oooy o. one Of the unfortunate snms The poor dog really
screamed with fight Il was like the scream Of human
lug Inc Arab no sooner heard il and uodersood The
Yuan ne gol up, went 10 the spot and without touch
ing the serpent al spoke few words and the cre.ure IN
"sny uocoed itself slowly until Il et the dog fee aod
assure you one Of the canine never ran o fast a that
dog did % soon a. be loose The surprise of the spsc
ato o. nn scene knew no bounds and pieces Of silver wore
literally showered into The Arabs turbsn.