Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-11-16
Tie French r fugees in Flanders
Frightened Parisiaus in Belgium.

The majority OF tne prosperous classes
iu Northern France, writes from Roubaiz
a correspondent OF the Pail Mall Gazette
are prepared for the worst All sorts OF
negotiable property have been sent owe,
to London and Brussels, and houses have
been already secured on Belgian territory
for occupation at q few hours notice. TIC
say nothing of those who have actually
left France, and who belong chiefly
| TO the central provinces, Belgium must
be prepared to receive at least
smother fifty thousand Frenchmen, as
soon as the news spread last night at Ollie
about the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
marching on Roubaix becomes more con-
sistent with reality. In all the frontier
towns and villages house are let or are
placarded as to be let. The nearer the
place is to the frontier, the more it is
| crowded with French families. Menin,
I Herseaux, and Espierres seem to be the
chief refugees of the lower middle-class;
while Ghent, Tournai and Courtrai are
crowded with well-to-do people both of
| Imperialist and Royalist persuasion. The
emigrants chiefly consist, of course, of
women and children, with the addition of
few old men; but occasionally one meets
| those stout, healthy. middle-aged men
with very young wives, who profess that,
| under the present dreadful circumstances,
| they consider it their most sacred duty to
put their ladies beyond danger, and to re-
main by their sides to protect them from
the risk they might incur in a foreign
country from their youth and inexperience.
1t is strange that there is no particular de-
nomination for these gentlemen, for they
are to be found everywhere.
The immigrants have rendered life in
Flanders a little more lively than usual.
Pretty faces and charming dresses are Of
ten seen in the streets of these exceedingly
clean but exceedingly clumsy towns. In
many house is music to be heard; and
the melodies of Ambrose Thomas and
Gounod, as we'll as those of Chopin and
Herr, are becoming quite familiar here
The young ladies having much time to
spare, devote it chiefly to their toilet, but
still do not allow themselves to wear any
thirg but black. little ribbon of some
bright color in the hair is all that shows
that they are not in mourning. On Fri
days the dinner table at the more respect
able hotels is divided into two parties-the
fasting and the non-fasting almost-all the
French mothers occupy with their daugh-
ters fasting places. The dinner is not
much worse, still these French ladies
think it their duty to exchange several
courses of meat for as many courses Of fish.
And if you compliment them on this effort
of virtue, you hear that since the daugn-
ters of France are powerless to help their
country, the least they can do is to pro-
pitiate Heaven by fasting and devotion.
Sometimes you may trace amid these
anti Republican, religious and distin-
guished emigrees, the presence, or at least
the passage, of persons more disturbing.
In the travellers book, at several frontier
towns 1 saw the names of several well
known Republicans. who were on their
way into France. I found, also. in one of
the hotels, big ''Carte speciale du thea
tire de la gurre, indignant les places forti-
fees" which map was embellished with
the hkenesses If all the European sover-
eigns; and, judging by what las happened
to the ikenesses of Napoleon and King
William, I take it that some highly refrac-
tory politicians have lately visited this gen.
ers.Ily imperturbable part of Europe. The
face and head of Napoleon was covered
with red cap, and a string was drawn
around his neck; as to King William, his
face was skilfully transformed with few
strokes of the p neil into deaths head.
to which the Inscription of lie Roi de la
Mort" waS amended