The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-10-11

franconl's amo"g the spectators, very Gle.
gantly dr. ssed, with hat and gloves
When he gives his peri rman ces, he gen.
orally wears a blouse He sits on small
stool, and has in trout of him large pa.
wing stone, and the hundred ob!igato spec
tators ar"uud him. He takes out of a
bag pebble about the size of his Gst,
with which he intends to break it AT
least he says so, and offers wagers which
no one Is prepared to accept, and ut length
demands ''rty sous, which are gradually
c"lrc'ed During this time he sands the
pebble round for inspection it is an or
d'pary. smooth, round gray flint, with
nothing remarkable, about it, so that the
ass rtipn that i, has been b,oken with a
hammer and then clrverly mended is not
tenahle. Our man then takes the pebble
"a clever substitution l. i,npuss, bic, as
| two hundred eyes are fix d on bin aud
watch all his movemen Stays it on the
paving-stone aud turns it in all directions
ill it is in suitable position. Then he
raises his hand, reflects, wipes his fore
head, shakes his head az if he bad pro,n-
ised too much Gall this hocus-pocus is part
of the performance, then suddenly smart
blow, and the pebble lies before him bro.
ken IN IA hundred pieces. AnV one who
caa get hold Of a bit takes it for further
examination, which, however, explains
nothing. The pebble-mau has risen,
lights cigarette, leans gracefully over
the parap t of the quay, smokes and
troubles himself about nothing. The
cr'wd disperseS, but in half an hour new
one has assembled, aud the performance
begins again. Whether the thing is real
ly as it looks, or whether there is any de-
crption IN it, no one has yet been able to
detect
We must not forge the autograph col
lector al the PoiDte ST.. Euslache he is
really an original, and h,s trade, at the
same time, quite novel. Whether his au.
tosraphs of Gel brated pen are all authen-
tic is another question, or at least it ad-
mits of no question at all, for they are de-
cidedly furgeries. But what matter we
do not buy them, and, indeed could not
buy them, for the prices are enormous !;
we only wish to look at tn m, and We have
this pleasure for sou Here is Santerre's
letter to The National Convention, in which
he states that all the preparations have
been made for the execution of "Capet ci-
dtvant roi de France" (the horrible scenes
of the FIRST Revolution still retain all their
power of atraction) there letter of Louis
Philippe, In which, as scnoolmaster in
Switzerland, he begs his landlord to be
indulgcnt about the owing rent, and hopes
for better times; in another case is the
well-knowD billet of Talna, in which e
great artist wrote the words: "Laiss,z en-
trer Monsieur Bcuaparte dams ma loge" !;
verses by Beranger and L,martiue, let ers
from Noltaire aud Rosseau, a love-lelter
OF Rachael, and hundred similar rarities.
Most Of the spectators know that the
whole thing is only an amusing humbug !;
but for all that they honestly listen.
The principal omnibus stations in Par
is are constantly tbr,nged with passcn-
gers; on Sundays, especially, you may
wait an hour befnre you ger seat
Everything, however, is done iu a most
orderly manner the clerks issue tickets,
aud everybody waits without murmuring
till his number is called Gentlemen,
moreover prefer seat on the imperale,
or, as We call it, the knifeboard, but there
are only twelve of these TO each omnibus,
and the latter only start every FIVE min
utes. 1t, then, you have No. IS or 81,
y"u can learn the value of patience till
your turn comes But there are always
gamins to offer US, under he rose, their
t'ckets-No. 5, or 7, or 1l-which they
have bought on spec. We gladly give
them double the price, or six sous instead
of three, so as to get away soon. Are not
six sous very cheap for riding from the
Palais Royal to PAssey2 At times they
ask more for their nun. Der, but dare not
make disturbance; for if the clerk catch.
es them, although he i. well aware of this
little trade, he has them locked up-so, at
least, are his instructions, but he compass
slonatoly winks at it.
This smuggling in sests extends to the
churches and whenever a celeb ated
preacher is to he heard, YOU are safe to be
addressed at the church door "Monseur
desire une bonne place? En- face du
predicateur, tout pres lie da chair p etc.
1t is worth while pay ing franc or two to
hear DupanIoup, Lacordaire, Raviguan,
"r Pere Felix, especially if you are a
stranger aud Your time in Paris is limit
ed. Our seat-seler gives us number,
with which we easily fud our chair in the
church, FROM which his accomplice, who
has hitherto coupled it, at once rises.
s6s~The Rrussels Sanitary Conoress de