Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-08-14
d0lOrtester @ailg SPY.


From Paris Letter TO Saturday Evening Gazette
PARIS, july 1S6l.--It is said that there are
in the $4,000 houses which form Paris iyou
must remember we live herring. fashion here.
mean as herrings live after they have been
baTreed and mummied for table usel 75 OOO
libraries, containing from 100 to 10000 vol
umes. The best library in town belongs to
Mons. Victor Cousin it contains 10000 vol.
umes. Mons. jules Janin's library ranks
next, and contains 10000 volumes. Mons.
CremieuX has only 5000 volumes, but they are
selected with exquisite taste. There are
three members Of the French Institute who
rent Two suites OF rooms: one i'll the centre
for their families, another in the remotest
streets ct the capital for their books. (Are
there never any-any-a y-litle-.French-
'mllllners-behind--the - screens p But Ii
6raries are disappearing from the furniture of
Paris houses we can scarcely cover oar pre-
eious selves with r0oi-as for our books.
housing them when the meanest cupboard
(which an American housewife would disdain
to use for Il trasllroom y in the highest garret
rents for something like $50 year. Then the
expenses of Il library Il don't speak of buying
the books) here are enormous, especially when
moving day comes. Mons. Abel Hugo, the
eldest brother Of Mons. Victor Hugo, said re-
Gently to one of his friends u had, six
weeks ago, library of 5000 volumes 1t was
L
nave carried it with me wherever have been
it has followed me about Paris for the last
forty years 1t has been lodged in every
quarter OF Paris, and has made me drive more
nails into Partisan houses walls than there are
stars in heaven. The other day, when made
my last move, found house rent had risen so
high l was unable to lodge it in the only
rooms my purse can afford. determined to
sell it. 1t cost me $4,000; Ipaid $1,000 in NOV.
ing it from place to another; | sold it
by auction for $500, and | think never made
better bargain" Mons. Abel Hugo was (let
me defend my nearest friends y mistaken
No man can part from old companion be they
men, or women, or books, or animals when
he has passed the afternoon Of life without risk
OF existence. How manJ husbands follow
their old wives 10 the churctyard before the
sexton has turfed the hepmate's grave! for
man is bundle of habits, and one gone
strength disappears with union Six months |
after Mons Hugo sold his books he was buried
at Pere la Chaise. saw somewhere recently
droll complaint Frenchman made of the
expenses necessary TO keep library. He
SAID My books cost me in the first place
the support of cat, which takes three sous
per diem lrcm my pocket, this is fifty-five
francs year; secondly, l pay the fees of a
cat veterinary surgeon, which amount in the
course OF twelvemonth to six francs third
ly, maintain mousetrap in good repair,
which is an annual charge on my purse of one
franc; fourthy, require box Of the best
rat poison, which draws six francs year from
my pocket; and all these charges added to.
getler form the grand sum total of eight-and.
sixty tr@ncs, which is money enough to sup.
port with ease and splendor whole family Of
lazzaroni on the beach of Naples" Had this
churl added the inordnate desire for luxury,
for external show which tevers almost every
body here, he would nave advanced substan.
tial ground of complaint The good old times
when plain pine library shelves were known
here (which is thirty years ago) saw libraries
common; now none but confessed book. worms
admit walnut shelves, shopkeepers stick TO
mahogany, but nobody WHO respects him
self (that is, who uses his neighbours eye for
mirrorl will lodge his books in anything less
than rosewood or carved oak, which are both
extremely expensive.