Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-06
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For tho National Era.
BELL SMITH ABROAD.
No. *.
POLICE AND PRACTICAL.

u
success but the stories arc so strange that II
requires q decided organ of wonder to receive
them with belief. ! was disposed at first to set
the majority Of them to the account OF won
derful tales for strangers; but little event,
lately occurring with us, has opened my mind
TO the fact that an unseen power really sur.
rounds and whether for good or i'll, exercises
startling influence This system, believe,
grew up under Napoleon Bonaparte His his
torian cannot claim the honor or dshonor, just
as one views it, OF being the inventor The
institution, as we would call il, IN tho necessary
part of despotic Government, and existed in
France for centuries. But Napoleon first ar
ranged this strong arm of Government, and,
in addition to using II ~ political engine,
perfected it almost AZ part OF the criminal
code. This, under various forms of govern.
ment has continued ever active and effective.
think it has birth in the popularity Of the
French; no other people would think of this
system certainly no other people would sub
init to such Ii would take up more space than
/ can give you, and call for more postage than
you would spare, to attempt anything like the
details Of this IMPLICATED affair, and besides,
to tell you the truth, do not know them.
We had been in Paris but a few months,
when the discovery was made that our domes-
tho has very improper notions upon the sacred
IAkn6 vi property, auu uppToITihteu
little articles 10 herself We Of course, dis
missed the offender; and about three weeks
after, Lucy announced the fact that piece OF
jewelry, not worth in itself over hundred dol
lars, but valuable to her otherwise az a keep
sake, was among the missing Tho poor child
was in tears, and, ut her earnest request, d.
went to the police with the grievance To
complain Of our late domestic was absurd rs
the article had been missed SO long after her
departure We were satisfied that she had
taken the pin with her, but had no evidence
The Ciisial listened patiently, asked numerous
questions, made q few notes, and then, in an
swer TO some Inquiries of d.. shook his head,
and said nothing. D again called on him. in
stigated by friends who assured us the police
would not let it rest, but received no encour-
agement, and we let the matter drop Some
time after--so long, indeed, that we had for
gotten the domestic, police and all--I.ucy sud-
denly rushed into the dining-room with the
missing jewelry. She had found it, carefully
wrapped in paper, lying upon the table in her
room. Between the time Of the loss and re-
covery, we had removed to distant part in
Paris from our first residence, and again
changed our domestic. d. Immediately called
upon the police tfficer, who smiled when he
saw him enter, bat gave no explanation of the
mysterious return of the missing trihe.
Another instance was related to me lately
An American lady hired coach she met in
the street, and kept it four hours. After re-
turning to her hotel, she found she had lost a
valuable watch and chain, and, satisfied that
she must have dropped it in the COACH she
gave information to the police, but could not
remember the number OF the carriage. and as
she had engaged it in the street, had conse-
quently no clue to the stand or stable. She
could not even remember o popularity about
horse, carriage, or driver The officer had only
the part of the street where the coach was
first engaged, and the fact that the driver on
being dismissed, had turned round and driven
in an opposite direction from the one he came.
This was exceedingly slight material to 60 on,
yet in five hours her watch and chain were re-
turned uninjured.
Mrs. r., while walking on the BouIevards.
dropped her pockctbook. She missed the ar.
ticle within five minutes Of its loss, and going
immediately to the nearest police station, stated
her troubles At the conclusion Of her short
description, the officer quietly opened drawer,
and handed her the missing port monnaie. 1t
had but q moment before been brought in BY
q street cleaner-contents untouched Resi-
dents and visitors at Paris will give you any
quantity of instances such as these But it il
rs q political machine that the system appears
the most startling. To believe all ono hears is
10 put faith ia necromancy. We do know,
however, that suspected persons have no So.
crets, and no life out of the keeping of the
powers in existence. His apartments are open
to the police--when the lodger il out, they are
in. His property is closely inspected--hs
trunks, drawers writing desk, cupboards, and,
in fact, every re :ess known or attempted to be
hidden are opened, and written inventories
~of. nfo all Il Al -
spection and consideration of their masters.
Nor will any attempts at ordinary conccalment
serve the purpose. The suspected cannot take
q walk to the post office, that the spies are not
ct work--piercing clothes with long needles
knocking at the furniture, pounding on the
walls, and rafting at locks. Shonld Monsieur,
the suspected, return unexpectedly, the cen
cierge keeps him in conversation ON some
trivial pretence, until the agents escape FP.
our friend who took 80 active part under the
Republic, and is now in consequence an exile
said the Provisional Government made some
amusing discoveries---and he, to his astonish
ment, found even copies Of his love letters on
file. What was remarkable under Louis Phil.
ippe is twice 80 under the present Emperor.
have blamed myself for not writing yon
since first took 10 ink, the thousand and one
things woman observes which almost every
one Wishes W knoW-the little matters which
are generally considered beneath the dignity
of . foreign correspondent but which are so
useful and, in most INSTANCES pleasant How
do you live, aud what is the cost Of living
are the two questions most frequently asked by
Americans, and 80 rarely answered satisfacto.
rily To the first answer that much depends
upon the purpose with which you come t.
Paris--if for that Of study, il certainly offers
advantages not met with probably anywhere
else The grand old cathedrals, palaces, paint
ings statnary--the vast libraries--the schools
established and supported by Government
many places covered with historical associa.
tsOns, offer advantages Of snch character that
ons can undergo many privatons for the pur-
pose Of enjoying them. But if comfort or en-.
joymeut Is the object Paris is the last place to
seek for residence. Comfort is out Of the
question, and the eujoyments are traditions