St. Mary's gazette., 1866-05-03
LIFE IN \ SLLM.


alley known by the name Of the "Ruelie
Coutanchcz. This alley no longer exists,
having been removed for the improvements
Of the town.
1t was double row Of houses, leaning
one towards the other, and leaving between
them just room enough for narrow rivu-
let, which was called the street BY
stretching the legs it was possible to walk
on both sides Of the little stream, touch
ing with head or elbows. os you went, the
houses either on the right or the left =
These old relies of medieval Normandy
have almost human interest Tumble
down houses and s9rcerers always 90 to-
gcther. Their leaning stories, their over
hanging walls, their bowed pent-houses,
and their old tAicl;-set irons seem like lips,
chin, nose ana eyebrows The garnet
window IS The blind eye The wall is the
wrinklel and hIotchy check The oppo-
site houses lay their forcheads together AS
if they were plotting some malicious deed.
All those words Of ancient villany like
ut-throat, slit wcazaud and the like
are closely connected with architecture OF
this kind
Ont these houses in the alley the lar
9cSt and tn most famous or notorious
was known Nv the name Of Jacres,ade.
The Jacrcssado was d nghousc for
people who do not lodge. In all towns,
and ra tc*llsrly in sta-ports, there is al
WAYS found beneath the lowest stratum OF
society sort of risiduum vagabonds who
are more than a match for JUSTICE roycrs
after adventures chemists Of the swinl-
liug order, who are always dropping ihcir
lives gain into the mclting-pot people in
RAGS of every shape, and in every style of
wearing them withcrcd fruits of rogue
ry bankrupt cxiStcnccs conscicnccs that
have filled their schedule gentlemen who
have failed III the houscbrcakmg business
for the great masters of burglary move in
Il higher sphcre) workmen and workwo-
men III the trade of wickcdness oddities,
male and female men in coats out at ell
bows scounurcls reduced 20 Indulgence
rogucs who have missed the wages of ro-
query men who have been hit in the Sc
cial duel harpics who have no longer any
prey: petty larccncrs ; gHcHr IN the dou-
lie and unhappy meaning of that word =
Such are the constituents Of that living
mass Human intelligence is here re-
lucrd 10 something bcstiul 1t Is the re
fuse Of the social state. hrapcl up in an
obscure corner, where from time to time
,;esccuds that dreaded broom which is
known by tho name Of police.>~m st Malo,
JaercSsa. = w4s tht naluo Of the corner.
! is not in dclIs Of this sort that We find
the high-cliss criminals the robbers, for
gers, and other great products Of i5uor-
snce and poverty. f murder is repeated
here. it is ncrally III the person of some
coarse drunharl; III the matter of robbery.
the company rarely rise higher than the
mere sharper The vacrant is there, but
not the -highwayman 1t would not, how
over be safe to trust this dis inction This
last stage of vagabondagc may have its ex-
trcmcs Of >counJlrei>m. 1t was on an &C.
casion, when casting their net, in the Epi-
>eir- which WAS in Paris what the Jacres-
>ade waN'in 81 Molo- that thc police cap
turel the notorious i.aeenairh
These lurking places rctusc nobody
To fall in the social scale has tend,ncy
to bring mcu to one level Sometimes
honesty in tattcrs found itSelfthere Nir-
tur and prob;ty have been known before
now to be brought 10 strange passes We
must not Judge by appearances, even. in
.he palace or at the galIeyS. Public re-
~rcrt, As well rs universal rcprohation, re-
qujre testing. Surprising results some
times proceed from this principle. IN an
gel may be discovered in the stcws q
pearl in the ,lurl@-hil Such sad daz-
zliug discoveries are not altogether un-
known
The ,Tacr,Ssadr was rather a courtyard
than 4 house and more of a we'll than q
courtyard Ii had no stories looking on
the street. Its facade was simply high
wall, with a low gateway. You raised the
latch, pushed the gate, and were at once
in the courtyard
III the midst u this yard might be per-
ccived round hole. cncircled with a mar
gin Of stones. and even with the GROUND
The yard was small, the we'll large y
broken pavement surrounded il.
The courtyard was square, and built
round ON three sides only. On the side Of
the streeSYas only the wall facing you
sS YOU cMtSred the gateway stood the house
the two wings of which fbrmed the sides to
right and leg
Any one entering there after nght-fa
at his own risk and peril, would have
heard a confused murniur of voices and,