The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-01
For the National Bra.
BELL NTH ABR DAD.

LOOKING FOR LODGINGS.

BELL SMITH ABROAD.
No. V.
LOOKING FOR LODGINGS.
PARIS September.
DEAR FRIEND: French hotels, like their
over the channel, are manned by
sportsmen, who take game upon the wing. 80
very severe are the hunters, in their charge
upon the unfortunates, that the game gets out
with squeak, so dreadfully plucked so near
the abstract, that it may be thankful, indeed,
to escape owning enough feathers to fly with.
None but a bird Of passage, entirely ignorant
of where to place the sole of his foot, ever fut-
tered into such an ambush; so the keen sports
man makes the most of such as fall in his way.
do not write this in reference to Hotel de
Tours 1t is better than Meurice, or Hotel de
Paris, or the Albion but with our limited
means. we were soon satisfied that even Mon
seur Charles would not DO. SO we set out in
search of lodgings
Paris is said to have floating population of
over hundred thousand strangers, and, in
view of the fact, Paris has provided accommo
datons The wealthy will find gorgeously
furnished apartments - the less fortunate
palmer rooms; those who propose remaining
three or four years, can engage unfurnished
apartments, and fill them to suit their own
tastes or pockets; and, between the luxurious en-
tresols and the dizzy garrett, all may be suited.
Nor will they differ from the inhabitants, when
d0miciled, save, indeed in not owning the ar
tices they use for we live here in barracks.
One house holds many families, with a COM
mon stairway, and a female Briarens at the en-
trance, keeping a good watch on all. Each
floor has its reception rooms sleeping apart
ments and kitchen The artist or student suf-
fers or starves in the seventh or eighth story !;
the millionaire ieasts in the second and they
pass each other on the winding stair, with the
same indifference as in the street. AT o'clock
in the evening" the poor student or artist or
seamstress steals from the apartment, into
which the blessed light of day can no longer
come, to wander on the Boulevard, or in the
gardens, where gas lamps belong to all and,
passing the richer rooms, catches glimpse OF
the dazzling lights, or faint odor from the
rich viands being served up. Oar roof covers
little world, with as wide contrast, almost,
as the broadcast earth. ! do not know much of
the wickedness of this people, of course but if
| am to believe all told me by more inquistive
acquaintance, 81 moralinetre might bc carried
from poof to cave, without indicating the diver
sity to be found in the pockets. | will not,
however, speak on II topic in which | have 80
few facts
With all the variety of apartments before us,
TO secure precisely what we needed was ex-
ceedingly difficult. The price for rooms lessen
ed as the tenant assembled. OF course, the
weak state of my health disabled me from
climbing to the sixth and seventh stories--tho
weakly condition of our income would not sup
port more splendid rooms nearer the earth.
Nothing daunted, however, we hired a voiture
by the day two francs forty centsl hour,
and set out. We received from the driver a
card with the number of his vehicle and the
rate of charges thereon, established by law
and in return We stated our business, and
named the streets we wished to traverse. To
a stranger in good health, this search for an
abiding place is not unpleasant. We made of
it merry party. DR.. Bob and d. were espe-
cially happy in their comments upon the vari-
Gus places 80 new TO us.
From an assortment Of cards, given us by
kind friends, we selected the localities nearer,
so MS to lose no time, and stopped at No -,
Rue dc la Paix. Apartments furnished, with
a table d'bote. This last was the obstacle in
the way. Let no woman lodging in Paris sub
NIT to q table d'hOtc In the first place, the
fare is abominable Everything in Paris is on
a limited scale plenty is word learned from
lexicons, and never practiced; profuseness con-
sidered imaginary obsolete, practically impos
sible and the differences in the tables d'hote
consist only in whether you will be starved to
death in q very genteel way, or suffer starva-
ton in q mean style la the second place, you
are forced into the society of total strangers
This, the moral state of Paris will not permit
We determined to look at the rooms Two pair
of stairs only, a reception and two bed rooms
very nicely furnished Bat the table d'hote.
+" Madame can have meals in her room for a
trihe more" Very good-the rent Of rooms
and trihe more brought the expenses up TO
about one hundred and ten dollars per month
not objection able. But there was an obstacle
one of the rooms would not be vacant for ten
days In the bright lexicons of chambers
meubles there is no such word as "faiI"
Would Mes,ieurs and Madame accompany
the polite proprietor. We could not refuse 30,
descending TO the street, we crossed over into
another street walked half square, entered
another mansion-one fight Of stairs and we
were in the entresol.
The ceilings were low, but painted and GID
ed not too much light came from windows,
square, and ret with huge clear panes but
what did enter, fell on walls gorgeous in gold,
garnished with mirrors, and adorned with
beautiful pictures; while the gilded furniture,
cushioned with silk and velvet was in keeping.
One Of the pictures-an oil painting--fascina-
ted me. Ii was scene in desert. The sun
had set in Il )od Of glory, which still lit up
the waste Of sand no rock, tree or water; no
life, save one solitary figure on horseback, that
galloped over the sands What glory in the
sky. what dreary solitude on the sands, and
what mystery and force in the one figure
could scarcely leave il 10 look Mt the apart
ments and now it. securely holds its place in
the cells Of memory These rooms were ocou-
pied---on the table in the saloon were pair Of
riding gloves, owned by hands leaving their
shape round and delicate, beside whip, the
ivory handle Of which terminated 10 beauti-
fully carved serpent. While in one Of the bed
rooms we caught sight of a pair OF beaded
slippers delicate enough and ftly shaped to be
the companions of the gloves. On the dressing
bureau wero thrown, carelessly, gorgeous
robe Of velvet, a mask, and q singular hat with
long dropping plumes, wbetting our curiosity,
and giving rise 10 various surmises These
apartments would be vacant on the Monday
"Could we not keep them altogether at the
same price ~ asked, eagerly.
Certainly, if Madame would come to the
table dhoteD
"Don't" exclaimed Dr. Bob something
wrong, or these rooms wouldn't rent at that
money Been a murder here Won can rely %
e; haunted-Launted BY bad smell an way.