Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-19
THE GAZETTE.
FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 10, 1859.
TO LIVE ECONOMICALLY IN PARIS.

To LIVE ECONOMICALLY IN PARIS.
Anon. other things d A,u,lem int informs
us how people may hive in Paris, one OF the
most expensive cities in the world Tor the
modest sum of eiyAt sous day-icSs than
thirty dollars year Here are the details:
A harlequin mixture Of scraps OF meat
vegetables, and other ingredients, two sous:
\ small glass OF violet colofcd hu'd' called
wiue, two sous. .
Bread, or potatoes boiled in their skins,
two SOUS.
Lodgings in cellar, upon thrue foot elder
down, straw two sous.
Certainly. material existence can scarcely
be reduced to less proportions than these and
SO the author himself observes; but he does
not add how long IL man can live after this
fashion. though it was often his own ordina-
ry. and he barely reached forty years of age
Ii is settled then that this terrible ec"nomy
costs very dear in the end.
The habit of living in this way seems to
have stihed in d Auslemont every sentiment
of disgust. He himself fed upon the riands
he describes and grew accustomed TO them.
lie makes frequent mention Of the word "har-
lcuuin," which, indeed, is similar y supplied
by Eugene Sue, in his famous Mysteries OF
Paris" The name is given to certain
dish in consequence of its being composed OF
odds and ends assembled together at hap
hazard like harlequin's jacket. One OF the
celebrated dealers in this inviting compound
WAS. and perhaps still Is, the Mere Maillard,
of whom poor d'AnslemJnt speaks as having
a regular treat with the sculiions oil all the
principal Partisan restaurants. These TEL
lows whose wages are generally about twen-
ty-fve francs "a month, earn ten times that
sum by the sale of the leavings. which fall
10 their share. These leavings are gathered
together, pell-mell, and are sold 10y the pail
full. Madame Maillard is the purchaser, pay
ing three francs "a pail; and OF the contents
size t,Dricates her "harlcquins." In the
mass is found little vi everything; from
trutfied chicken and spiced game, down To
beef and cabbage. The whole is assorted,
as far as possible, and the various portions
are then re-sold. to people in easy circnmstan-
ces for their dogs, cats, &c, aud tn the poor
for their own uvurishment. Is IL not true
that one half the world knows not how the
other half lives?
Nor does this horrible commerce stop here.
Between creatures of the type ot the Mere
Maillard and Il certain class Of cheap reStaur-
ants, there Is Il constant exchange "l all s'rts
ofrubbish. lfpeople, who possess the means
of living well, but who patronise third or
fourth rate eating houses from motives OF
economy. only knew mhat they eat, their hor-
ror and disgust would prevent then, from ever
again crossing the thresholds OF spch places
The proprietors of these garSottes. rs they
are called in Partisan parlance, purchase the
choice morsels, from the Mere Maillard, to
be served up as fresh to their own customers
from Papa Desharies they obtain, newly
killed and skinned, their supply of b"Sh eeis
which are paImed Oft as having been caught
in the Seine; and from Madame Nanard they
buy the lemon peel used in making various
meat-sauces, and picked up nobody knows
where. As for the rabbits which figure in
the tempting pot pies ofthese establishments,
man is employed to hunt them. in the
perilous warrens. bordering the roofs OF Paris.