Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-31
ABsINruE DErHErNe IN PARIs.-A few years

ABsINTnE DRITKING IN PARis-A few years
since, another young and popular Parisian
author, Alfred de Musset, died suddenly and,
about th9 same time, another, Gerard de
Neryal, was found hanging one morning to
the window of his garret These and others,
OF greater or less literary fame, all died of Ab-
Sinthe Before | came to France, ! thought
that people here drank nothing but wine, and
that the abuse Of strong liquors was almost
unknown here. Two years observation has
shown me how lallacious is the idea In
Paris almest everybody drinks Ajsjntbc--a
vile, green looking stuff, which purports to
be made of woymvood, but which is really
said to contain great deal of sulphuric acid
On the Boulevards, on a fine sunny after
noon, about four o'cocil you will see, seated
in front of the cafes, hundreds of persons sip
ping this yillainous compound, which is snp-
posed to he tonic and is taken as an appe-
tizer for dinner. 1t is considered great art
to mix it well, as it seems to have natural
anGpathy for water, which must be let into
it drop by drop, before it will unite; and here
people sit for hours. mixing and slipping this
vile stuff, which is said to have very de-
iiciousy stimulating effect upon the brain,
but the use of which produces taste for it.
self which soon becomes mania-and one
which when once acquired is almost impos-
-ihle to overcome or destroy. Insanity or
death is the certain result, and a physician of
celebrity assured me. a few days since, that
he seriously believed that about one-half of
the adult male cases of the former in Paris
were the result of MISUNDERSTANDING and
that to il were due a great measure of the
horrible crimes " hich we daily read of being
committed in different parts of France. Its
horrible effects are confined to no class of So
ciety. Gentlemen drink it, and loaiers drink
! it; literary men, ard laborers ladies, even
it is said indulge in the seductive draft and
! brilliant men become insane and die of it, as
did de Musset, Nerval and Murger. And vet
in my daily walk upon the Bouevards, do
not notice that the crowd of Absnthe drink
! ers perceptibly reases-PdriS cor. AHa
FREeHEy ITEMS The American river ae
cording to the guage, has declined about
eighteen inches since Thursday evening and
has commenced backing up, the Sacramento
being still the highest We visited the ere
vase at Mrs Mex cons ranch yesterday, and
found a very strong current setting out Of
lhe slough into the river The cut is anpn-
rently a5oEt twelve feet deep and quite wide
We doubt not the water in the slough, on the
falling of the river, will be as low as usual.
The scene of the flood presents sad picture,
fences being PROSTATE, the gardens and orna-
mental house yards which bad been cultiva-
ted and improved with great pride and care,
utterly ruined. John Chinaman takes the
matter very pAilosophieally, having already
commenced repairing damages, and seeming
determined that there shall be no let up on
the garlic crop. has gone 20 work resetting
them. During the night another section of
Swif''s bridge seeded. The proprietor, TO
guard againgt such an accident had attached
hawser to it, very wisely it seens, as in the
morning it was discovered riding at anchor,
and secured. In the morning, about nine
clock, "A house in which Mr.. France had
placed his bee hives, commenced settling,
and Lut for timely notice, would have entail
on hin severe loss. 1t seems that the OBJ
ject of inning the road near the Battery
Hotel, was 10 prevent the washing ont of the
water mains, which appear to be all right
Sac NenS.