The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-04-01
IIOTELOF THE INVALIDS, PARIS.

| llOlELOF The lNNALlliS, PARIS.
Professor upham, in writing to the Con-
gregationast thus concludes letter from
Paris. The final paragraph is specimen Of
eXquisite!y fine style:-
The Hotel of the InvaIids is a vast cstab-
iishment, founded by Louis XIV, bnt greatly
| enlarged from time to time, and ut the present
time covering, with its numerous courts, sin
teen acres Of ground We passed number
Of pieces Of heavy artillery, as we approached
the gate Of entrance: and everywhere, at Tie
gate, and in the court, and galleries, some
seated on chairs, and some walking: some
with one arm remaining, and others with one
leg, with divcrsities Of uniform, but all, ap-
rar"ntly, in good spirits, and chattcring e.
cessivcly, were the old associates Of my Guide
- the broken, but indomitab!e remnants Of
the wars of the Emperor. Too old to frt,
end too much mutilatcd to labor, thew -:cit
themselves happy in not being Obliged to tc..,
The Hotel Of the lnvalds, constructed Yith
view to the accommodation Of a large nnrn-
Der Of soldiers, displays Il front Of six hundred
and twelve feet. There are four rcicctories
or dining rooms - for the occupants, each
one hundred and fifty feet in length. and eight
spacious dormtores, besides smaller ones
containing fifty beds each. The dome OF the
Invalids, which has Il sort Of historical ,cle-
b.ity, Is spacious and lofty, and is seen at IL
great distance Among the other accommo-
dations pertaining to this remarkable estab-
lishrient, it has Il library Of 1900 volumes;
consisting chiefly OF works OF general litcra-
turr, Jurisprudence, and military strategy: and
it is here-Hs might naturally be expected -
that we find deposited many of the trophies
which the French have taken from their enc
mics. In the time Of Napoleon there We're
three thousand flags collected here - the
memorials Of war and Of conquest, all Of
which were burnt by the French themselves
on the evening previous to the entrance of
the allied armies into Paris, March 81, 1914:
so certain is it that war brings with it its own
rctribntion.
In this building are the remains of Napol.
con-thc dust and ashes of the nan who was
for many years the idol Of France and the
terror Of Europe. 1t is not surprising that
visitors should constantly flock to see the
splendid monument of "A man of such Won
derlul power and of such strange vicijsi.udcs:
at the age Of twcuty-eight the con1uercr OF
Italy: at thirty the first Consul of France; and
at thirty-iiyc the Emperor Of France, but in
his purpose OF conQucring Europe driven back
by the flames OF Moscow, defeated ut Water
loo, and linding death on the rock Of st.
Helena. The hoof of his war horse trou in
the blood Of millions.
As returned from this place, the sun WAS
setting behind the distant hills. passed
through the majestic grove Of the EIysian
Field. The adtumnal leaves, cleaning in
the departing radiance Of day fell around me.
NV heart went bacl; to America. The sound
OF her rivers was in my ears. Her vast forests
sprr;.,. out before me. remembered 'thr
vastncss, the wildncss, the rcpose Of nature,
and said to myself, ''rhrsc works which |
have seen in foreign lands - the efforts and
the memorial Of genius are still the works
OF man. Impcricctlon marks their origin: de-
cay completes their progress. Beauty ana
delormity, life and death, are mingled to.
ge,hcr. Man is here: but where is the Maker
of Man! | siyh for my native land. wish
to hear again the prayers and the hymns Of
her cottagcrs, inspired by the blessings around
them. Her rivers are her lines of beauty; her
hills are her monuments: the mighty tirml-
mcnt is her cathedral: and God heard in the
signing of the winds seen in the richness Of
the forest and eternal in the reproduction
of her wild and varied magniliccncc God is
everywhere"