Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-27
Award of Prize for t.emaIe vir.u

Award OF IA Prize for Femaic virtue.
All Paris turned out week or two ago TO wit
ness the bestowa Of the prize OF female virtue,
and To gaze with rapture on the female who won
il. 1t was given at Nanerre, aud Is an iUstitu
ton which has been contested for:
"All honor To Nanterrel The commodity has
never failed, the virtue has never been wanting
aud, unlike the late verdict of the Academy In
the case OF the Bardu prize, il has never been
withheld IN consequence of Us unsatisfactory ia
ture. Prize plOws. prize oxen. prize pigs. and
prize babies have been invented in America, but
France alone has produced the prize virgin.
whose virtue, pronounced OF better quality. war
ranted 10 last longer, and declared superior ih
every respect to that OF her neighbors. carries
away two hundred francs in specie. dozen Of
spoons. a beautiful chaplet OF roses, a long-wind
ed exhortation on the part of the Mayor. a kiss
from the MsyOtess, aud sermon from the cure
OF Nanterre "a reward for the virtue which.
after all must OF necessity. be relative. a thing
of comparison. IA the matter is put TO the vote
aud the prize adjudgcd 10 the most vrtuous
The discussion IN council must bo one ol The
most curious kind The exhibition of self con
hdenee and ltith IN self IN every member of The
municipal assembly OF Nanteue must be per
feclly refreshing to behold However, the oerc
mony IA iuleresting cnuugh 1.-THE gay diesees and
happy dcmeanorH of the excited Paris crowd
laughing at each other with that charming. witty
hall careless mifth half sad philosophy, which
belongs 10 the national temperament. the spleu
did atmosphere. the beauty of the lfesh. greeu
foliage through which "the viftuous woman IA
escorted Ia grand ceremony FROM het home TO
the church, all combined on sunday 10 render the
holiday one OF the moat intefoatnR nature The
church WAS crowded with all those 90 whom the
sight 0t vtu0us womtn is rare aud curious
the quolikds ifesh from Paris llew round oven
before the very altar aud Ia presence OF the good
egfe himself, Who, with All The brnev0onoe aud
boahommie 0t his Glass, preached tlll be- wac 90
/ tuaily huafse With the heat aud the excitement
Ia ptuve that The Vittuaua woman owed The
I growth and maintenance OF bot virtue enuftl, 10
abstalnlng itom the pefuaal of the pefnleious
no,ela oi The day "a temptation OF the devil as
1 Stunning literary torn
This simple rhelore OF the honest eufe waa
\ rather unfortunate, Zoe above the crowd reared
| the wopily head ot Alexander Dumas, drawn
! ihllher bY curiosity hni lpsald HIN ln an M
atAnt were all eyes turned Perhaps foe the fret
! lime ~ hs life did he feel embartasfed, for hf
was ialn g. qul the church Many people 10
! eatel that lhe sight OF virtue bad alarmed him
] for he had never before belod it, aud the shane
! Ia which u appeared, being that OF peasant
woman 81 the enylfous at Paris. h anything bat
encouraging large female, bfouEed and
iteekled by the fun, With snub noes and small
grey eyes. whose reant hair, starting from be-
heath the cotton handkerchief laid hat upon the
cop at the head, gave her an indescfbable la
| dicf0us aspect when the wreath OF white roses
wa placed above the whole, wss not en engag-
log object, and ol course, with the snferng Parl,
world, while exciting veuer,iion aud respect foi
hes yirtue. created uo astonishmeut.
The ceremony Is always q popular one. an,
belongs 10 IL chronicle of the tirnes. because al
such observations tend 90 display the peculiar
idlosynorasy OF a naion and this material 20
ward Tor "a immateral excellence, IL ha'
been wickedls designated by one OF their 0wI
authors. being peculiar o. France. will alway,
create perpeNity in the mind Of a native OF an,
/ other land