Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-11-17
SIGHTS IN PARIS.

John Matthews, writing TO the n. L. ScGlpef, !
gives some vivid pictures of Partisan life,
from which we make a few extracts:
The shops of Paris, for the sale of fancy ar
ticles and every variety of alimentary pro-
duce, exceed in variety of contents any SINH
lar establishments in the world. a family can
buy at one of these establishments, complete
dinner, ready for the table, including every
thing from pickle to roast turkey. In the
pastry shops, which are separate establish
ments from those retailing confectionery or
bread, the number of cakes is almost infinite
Was astonished to see the operation of cook
ing poultry carried on in shops open to the
street, where the public who were curious
could have fair chance to see the mystery.
The novel manner of cooking the birds, was
indeed well worthy of moments inspection;
the cooks who were dressed in snow-white
caps and aprons, presided over large pan of
boiling tat in which they fried the poultry, in
the same manner that doughnuts are cooked
at home. The baking of cakes, the frying of
potatoes, and the manufacture OF confection-
erv,. may here be seen accomplished In the
streets by numbers of itinerant cooks. Some
of the female cooks are conspicuous for their
huge caps of muslin, several feet in height
which are furnished with white wings stifiened
with wires.
Nearly all the boOt-blacks here are men
have not yet seen boy at this occupation
Contrary to the custom in London and New
ork, neither this class nor the hack-driverS
solicit customers. Several women who black
boots have their stations on the bridges. On
the first week OF my arrival l saw woman
stop and have her boots BACKED at one OF their
establishments, and it seemed to attract no
notice.
During nv search for rooms, | saw several
of the large hall doors of dwellings draped
with black in the hall was bier covered with
a pail by which stood lighted candles and ba-
sin of holy water; all the passers-by in the
street raised their hats as they passed, and
many entered to sprinkle holy water on the
| bier and utter short prayer for the soul of
the departed.
| was passing up the Rue Rivienne with
| young friend, when, seeing the crowds which
| pressed thro' the narrow gates of the Bourse,
! he proposed to enter and get sight OF the
moneyed men of Paris, TO which L agreed SO
| we each paid the franc demanded at the gate
and passed in with the crowd. As we entered
| the fine hall, the yelis of five hundred voices
| saluted our ears, and for moment we were
| stunned and confused with the incessant din
which was kept up. At first we thought 1t
| must be some extraordinary occasion. but
| found it was only an ordinary business day.
| Within a railing moved about twenty members,
| attended by a number of police, who in dis
| ordered manner carried messages to and from
| the persons who were crowded on the outside
of the railing The eXtravagant gestures and
| grimaces in which these persons indniged, for
|
tions of the inhabitants of the wire cage in
| the Jardin des Plants, in the shade. These
| excited beings, bulls, bears, Tstock- gamblers
and brokers-some pale with anxiety, others
flushed with excitement. were continually yell
ling as loud as possible, and exhibited in thelr
faces all the worst passions which agitate the
human soul. | have yet seen no place where
the anatomy of expression could be studied tc
such advantage. 1t is little wonder that women
should be excluded from such a scene; par
| ticpation in its excitement could scarcely fai
to deprive any woman who possessed any lem
mime qualities, or retained any of the sensi
| tiveness of the sex, of reason, and to create
frenzy by which am sure many of the indi
viduals we saw at the great gambling-hous
| would not object 10 profit. We both shouted
as loudly as could, but the confusion wa
so great that our voices were lost amid th'
prices, fractions, and units of the boisterou
r and excited crowd.
1 attended the balls at the Grand Opera du
ring the Carnival, on Mardi and Jeudi Gras
: On the former occasion it was full dress as
sembly for men, and masks and dominoes 10
women. On the latter occasion, fancy cos
tunes were permitted. The freedom practise'
on these occasions would astonish any one VIII
had been accustomed to the frigid atmospher
of a New ork ball room; and the converse
ton cf the women would shock person VIII
? expected to find the same propriety as is usua
+ in the higher class balls in America. The wo
men were better dressed than at st. Barthem
or the Prado, but their virtue appeared to b
: worth only fifty francs more than at the ball
of the grsetteS and students. The spasmodl
motions the contortions and grimace, togeth
er with the gymnastics introduced in the dance
were at times carried to such an extent as t
| induce a spectator to imagine they had los
their reason; even decency was at times for
gotten. and more than once ..the police, VIII
are present at all the balls in large numbers
+ were obliged to remind the forgetful partie
. | that they were in public assembly. n
}. formalities were induged in; any lady, how
u ever elegantly attred, appeared to consider
a compliment the remarks any stranger migt
g be pleased 10 make; An introduction was nc
at all necessary to obtain partner for til
. dance
e 1t was my good fortune while in Paris, to al
tend fancy dress ball at which children alon
II participated in the pleasure of the dance.
> have rarely looked upon more fairy INK
!, | scene, when the hundreds of tiny feet beat
q innocent accord to the music at the theatre {
the Port ST. Martin. The ball was held in tn
u daytime and concluded before six o'clocf
II The costumes exhibited were numerous an
IL richly varied. One of the most amusing fe:
" lures was a distribution of confectionery an
bon bons, which produced the widest conf
sion among the little dancers. Soon, stated
d knights of the olden time, incipient Charlt
|, magnes, and jewelled queens might be seel
e sucking away on stick of candy with as muc
!. interest as the persons they represented eve
took in the most urgent affairs of state.
n If a stranger should stroll through Paris,
N think he could not fail to conclude that 1t WI
" city where sensual pleasure had built h
n rest, and that all that is great and good WI
a too often sacrificed to it. Modesty is app
4. rently banished. He will notice the absen'
lie of the higher qSalities in the faces of the me
4