The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-02-16
WASHINGTON, ID. G..
For the National Era.
BELL SMITH ABROAD.
No. XII.
THE POOR OF PARIS.

The same ir;rt when makes IL cicaniy causes
4 f. shrink from public gaze, and ashamed oil
y, great sin, it hides IN cellars or starves IN
,,,rr.ts and never can be looked on with i'm
nn.,fy until Tie fearful morgue has opened Its
n,.-lie laws to expose specimen, dead from
derivation poyertj Is here, say, clcanly
AMI r..t;riau and. but for tie portcnded music
or street orr ans ore, after qaite 3 residence,
r,;yLt bear P.ris. - I'D innocent cd Sir Fran
i, Had with tic belief that the dense popu-
lation had no lower class when Gaunt hunger
and biting Geld makes life miserable. But it
is here police regulations, aided 10y shame,
drive Al nom palace dJors and publio ways, vet
IA spite 81 laws it i 4 abo,i. &c. Shrsf.nglAs
asi,or az pain with complaint until driven
rI!J ami al Europe is astourdrd by revolt
Uha Il destroys G5veImnent' and threatens So
cic.y iieeIE
Il.a disposition to shrink from exposure, or
ap,e.r we'll when discovered, is very striking
H. hen sItieits victims of sudden accidents,
trr carried 10 the hospitals, it makes no differ
elca nov poir they may be, their persons are
c.1u!g and their lcw clothes exhibit scrupu-
Ions caue The professor making bis rounds
WIT, tLe students, finds each patient prepared
Ia r-cave them by proper arrangement
81 re little dress the smoothing the hair, and
H.,shn,s face and hands. Doctor b. related to
ne II instance of this sort, which struck inc
very lorcihly. Ia a female ward OF hospital,
about daylight, the hour at which Dubois with
a class VISITS the place, while they were pass
ing slowly from bed 10 bed upon one aide Of
the long hail. our friend observed a girl sitting
on the little couch, carefully comhin. her hair
sal arranging her dress. He observed this
..,o,.,.-e the grl was 30 ill lac had not expected
tie day boi0ro again to see her alive, and the
Aha IL.
med with grea. effort for she paused frequent
~ and continued with sad exhaustion. The
teacher and pupils passed on. and in less than
an hour retarned upon the side where b. had
Observed the poor girl preparing to receive
Them. She had made preparation to receive
4 greater yisitcr than thay-she had smoothed
her hair and folded her dress FOR death.
This winter 80 far has been severe upon
the poor. Bread is dear fuel scarce and the
weather unusually cold. Fer the first time in
many years, the Seine has been frozen solid
aHi enough snow IS upon the ground for Sleigh
Ia, During the holydays | was confined to
~ room by i'll health, not severe enough for
tie bed, yet shifting me up: and as looked
From my window upon Place ST Sulpice, and
s.g the white lakes rudely shaken down by
the litter north winds said. God helm the
poor. The Place continually suggests the
prayer, ~ It appears In It's wintry garb-an ap-
ied1nce It's architect made no preparation for,
N fact never dreamed of. The immense foun-
tan IA tho centre with its four colossal figures
Cd charch tlgnitaries shcoted in ice, has gro
t"-qnr, oAii.ng appearance; while the huge
hens al tie base seem growing in It ffened
rage a. they freeze to death. The n;liads and
naked gods Of Iuun;2inS and squares look dis
riaiIy "ut Of place through the falling SNOW
J. a ~
49, -'ie't q, ,.''.et sly. as e THIS ou1-Yisagei
Winter were 4 acriuu7 affair, and not TO be
triied with.
The Yci;ures, in 4 long line, seem frozen to
the ground the drivers very fat men, general
j. are Nh,enng upon their boxes, or walk
slowly ah0nt beating their breasts az if en-
Y'g"i ~ az insane attempt to be lively while
M '"ny i"Ts7s humble and snOrc in their
nls'' bags. The winds roar about the great
towers o. ~ Snlpce, and over the many con.
tug s:.:iicd walls; the bright snow dances
down irom heights, which made st. Sulpice
h'cn = inUlc-hill. The fountain of stony di-
Was @Hi c0nchant lions coated in ice, is daz-
mag white The broad sq1are Is white. The
to- ii ancient yultures LOOK Ike sheets The
rIi cl,Hrch y tipped with light ut Thousand
P'n.is pnGihIisrs run n0iselcsasIv, while the
-.hk'ug iiar.cs slip and fall upon their noses,
tLrh ~ sud stagn'r on again. IL is winter
e'"fy ~t"r", bat not cur hearty, wholesome,
berry winter, greeted 10y wild shouts of boys.
'nc set - the music Of sleigh bells: but miser-
a'i'i ul shiverng winter. Way up in 4
--' al" story window, iii old Frenchman, in
70! aIehtrar has poked out his head and said
-crr. He goes in and HOSTS an umbrella,
20 ihr rood leaks IN numerous places and sug
s.s's rheumatism. The withcrcd old woman
so tie corner, watching her haud-cart of or
i-.."- says sScre,' and she too, sets up an
a''r''ni umbrella, which rather makes things
Wore. Tor while it SHOWS above it rains be-
meath her deceptive shade. All Paris SAYS
'l:fe all France says "sacre," to this vile.
stupid winter, which comes so uDcalled for and
brings sr,h IN sery.
All say Sacrcn but the little boy on the
pavement below, and he is too busy trying to
,'n ms lew apples, to notice even his own suf-
i0'lA2'- jeH'S p0mmts meSstsurS ; bellies
f'h'"'''s msr.amcS un sou settlement un son."
comes " through the cold air, thin trcmulous,
nA' "'' '>'nt. had watched that lad three
u.y"' | cannot cell why, but had to look at
'''''' i'-S''h"led although my heart ached as
s1@'d ~ t.c suffering Lille figure. He was
y'"'s. ipte young yet had an earnest,
ISii'i". expression, prenlatur: in The large
cyeS - fs!1Iy cut @! place was the starved look
d""i.t TIE tim liI>, btu. with cold the sunken
checks and slender neck Poor little fellow.
lie miserable, thin blouse hung wet about his
Shilerhg form, willie the old cap had az ugly
Role al the toy, and, as looked down. | could
zee TIE snow FIJI and melt And he never
%'iu IA arple-a dozen withered, decased
'"'"g, certainly not tempting; yet be never
c''A-,.i 10 his earnest Efforts At daylight,
'F'A'h''i, hearing that appeal US the freezing
M''''rr evening swept Down the streets, it was
III" i'St cry to cease.
Ny imagination pictured some sick father.
some widowed mother or sister, depending upon
this feeble effort for daily bread. could not
hr'f ~ the little sufferer any more in uaiet
and 81 sent Naunette with orders to purchase
ne ent're stock OF the little street merchant
aa.ch"d them from the window-thc glad
i.Ent hich lit up his thin, pale face as She
,'"k his aPTlcs-thc eagerners with which
ne brought out an old piece Of brown paper,
,''d insisted in an attempt TO tie them up, are
,'y"hj my telling, as saw them through my
tears. on Nanneties return, | asked her if
'"e Knew here he lived
J" tlnS house, madam"
In tins house, Nannettc -
va, yes. madam, often meet him on the
''"ek stairway. His people live quite up. |
never sc any but him"
ell Nannette, purchase his apples every
Jay and when ) Oa see han passing our kitch-
en-, give him something"
DO not want TO write Of my few charities
'tt cannot tell you clearly my little history
without. The next day, aad the next. nv little
merchant was at his stand In the mean
"i'iH, Nannetta, with the activity peculiar to
lee, lad made fresh discoveries, and was full
Oh information. Tho family above consisted OF
IA CID man, a very ODD man, and his t,so grand
chiidrea-a boy, my little applc-merehant, and
ms sister, sick in bed. They had lost father
ana mother, some months since, Of the cholera !;
'tnl Che old soldier, for such no was with great
E.I LII Nn.n