Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-24
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the National Era.
BELL SMITH ABROAD.
No. XIV.
LA MoRGUE

this in the beautiful exhibitions Of art, or his
torical associations. Other places have their
csntury-stained cathedrals; other cities nav
palaces eaualling Versailles and Fontaine'
bleau; other countries have galleries wonder
full as the Louvre OF the Luxembourg. but 10
know in what Paris differs from all the world,
one must seek a low, dark, ugly building, on the
banks Of the Seine, and almost under the shadow
OF Notre Dame. This is the Morgue-tne dead
house Of Paris Here, on marble tables, Pov-
erty, misery insanity, and despair take tne'r
last look at the living--hold last grand ieyee
whore como all, old and young, delicate ana
brutal to gaze, laugh, or cry, ana tnen forget
French people commit suicide. With them
Il i the great remedy for all life's evils. The
pangs Of despised love are drowned or smother
ed the debtor wipes out all scores; the vexed
husband or wife finds here the only divorce; the
Young, too full Of hope, one would think, seek
Il eagerly; the aged veterans Of thousand ills,
and near the house Of death by the courte Of
nature, impatiently hasten the end. The very
children, dreading punishment or having lott
q bun, take flying leaps from bridges. IL IL
sA.. ~ E----l-~ 49, r.s-eshis-s. ID 10
French passion--a French belief. An Ameri-
can would consider it about the worst arrange
ment no could make--about the absnrdest
compromise with his troubles. But the French,
who have no clear ideas of life hereafter, grow
disguised with this, and no process OF reason
ing can convince them that another may DO
worse. A French writer has ingeni0usly put
forth the doctrine, lately, that the schooling
the nation has for ages received from wars and
revolutions has created . national popularity
constitutional trait born with moro or less
force in each person. Well, it may be 30 but
it sounds to me like the reason given by Mrs
Il ~ L. lad rha~
seeing three different accounts Of shoemakers
in Paris committing suicide, |" | declare, all the
sh0emakers committing suicide. Well, it must
be something in the leather The truth ia,
the victims Of suicide are persons without homes
and without rsligion--causes enough for insan-
ity, Heaven knows
Reading the daily papers in the column de-
voted to such events, one sometimes laughs and
sometimes sighs. could fill dozen letters with
the strange, amusing and horrible instances
have clipped from the journals
Strangers mounting to the top Of the many
columns or heights at Paris such az Vendome
Arch Of Triumph, and Notre Dame, will be
surprised to find themselves closely followed by
q gen d'arme, who never Tor q moment removes
his eye from the person 30 pursued. Such es.
pionage is disagreeable in the extreme, but
has il origin in the fact, that for long time
il was the favorite mode Of suicide, to throw
ones self from these monuments. This for time
seemed to supersede the insidi0us chafng-dish,
or tho waters of the Seine. Having climbed
to the top they had an opportunity of taking
last lingering look at beloved Paris, before
launching 30 abruptly into tho other world,
where Pariss arc not. The guards on the mon.
ument exhibit quite knowledge of physiogno-
my--pursuing some much more closely than
others. A friend of mine, with lantern. jawed,
desponding countenance, one in fact that has
suicide written upon il, was terribly annoyed
by these watchful guardians; and he has told
mo privately that he is actually tempted to
commit suicide, il only to escape from their
surveillance There il quite method in these
suicides-they diminish after the opera opens
and charcoal takes tho place Of drowning af
ter the cold weather sets in.
Quite singular story appears among the
Journals to which have alluded, of q man
who, when about casting himself from the
Arch of Triumph, was caught by the guard
ON duty, aud for moment held suspended
above the fearful abyss, when the guard re-
marked to the unfortunate, that he could not
hold him any longer. "Then, let go,n said the
man, which the guard did, from necessity.
whereupon tho unfortunate, shouting "gare"
look Quit TO the passers below, was dashed to
pieces ON the pavement. The poor fellow
probably remembered an instance, published
an the papers few days previous, Of woman
who threw herself from the same place, but
falling upon the backs Of two workmen, nearly
killed them, herself escaping
Here Is an item that will come under the
head of amusing: A couple of Parisians un.
happy in their domestic relations, determined
to break up housekeeping, have an auction,
divide the proceeds and separate. After the
sale, upon counting tho money, they found il
far less than they had reason to anticipate
Filled with despair, their second remedy was
quite in keeping with the first-they resolved
TO commit saicide, by drowning Arriving at
the banks Of the Seine, the wife feeling timid
the husband after tenderly embracing her, set
= courageous example, by plunging boldly in
Quite accustomed 10 water, he Owed to the bot
tom, and remained rome time for his wife 10
join him As she did not come, however, he
retained TO the surface, and there saw his
better half still ON the bank, watching, with
considerable interest, tho place where he had
disappeared, "Why do you not jump in7r
he cried HAh! Alphonsc,D she responded,
you swim 30 well, and cannot swim at ALI >
Whereupon, the devoted husband came on
shore and began beating his wife, when both
Wosc - se7A W stic fssss'u, anu thc nUVsc fnctr
disclosed.
Some Of these instances are pitiable in the
extreme as tho following, the length Of which
you must excuse, from the fact that the death
occurred in our neighborhood, and can vouch
20 some extent for its truth
Josephine 5, was the youngest OF two daugh.
tiers Of poon countryman in tho valley Of
Aosee. The cabin OF the good Piedmontais be-
ing camped upon the borders Of the route
which led from Switzerland to Italy, the two
sisters, ~ soon A. spring came, placed them
selves upon the road. offering flowers and fruits
TO travellers The eldest of the two girls was
very beautiful, and attracted the attention and
intsrHt Of French lady, returning to Paris,
Who, gaining the consent Of her father, carried
her home - chamber maid.
The young josephine, from that event, had
but ons wish--thst Of pleasing some rich trav-
slIer, and being also, as her sister, taken into
service; but the poor girl had a physique any
thing bus engaging She was afflicted with