The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-23
PARIS.
Life In the BesIe9ed City

Balloon Letter No. to London Dditg NelCs.
CREDUIrTY OF THE PoPULACB.
The siege is one long holiday to the working
classes. They are as well fed as ever they were,
and have absolutely nothing to do except to play at
the villages within the FIRE Of their FORTS they
under the deluson that-to use the favorite express
ally but surely being enlarged. WAS this morning
buying cigars at small tobscconists. "Well,"
said the proprietor OF the shop to me- $50 to
destroy the Prussians in twenty days" Greatly"
] said. 'Yes," he replied, 81 was this morning at
s mat theT cond not ee mea
functionary-got upon stool. Citizens and cti-
zenesses he said '6e calm continue to preserve
tion of the world. l give you my honor that
arrangements have been made to drive the Prus.
slams away from Paris in twenty days. Of course
added my worthy bourgeois, this functionary would
not have spoken thus had the government not re-
vealed its plans to him." At this moment we'll
dressed individual entered the shop and asked for
subscription for the construction of machine
which ne had invented to blow up the whole Prus-
sian army. l expected to see him handed Over to
policeman, but instead Of this the bourgeois gave
him two francsl What ask is to be expected of a
city peOpled by such creduous fools, and the govern
ment fools them to the top OF their bent?
RED RIOTS ON OCT 31sT.
had General Trochu been wise man, he would
have anticipated this movement, and not rendered
himself ridiculous by being imprisoned with his
council OF lawyers and orators for several hours by
seemed only to be actuated by wild desire to fight
out their battle with the Prussians and not to captu-
late. They seem to wish to be led out, and imagine
that their undscplined valor would be a match for
the German army. They showed their sense by
iD the new GoVernnent. @ He is not a demasogue, @ e.
he has written no dispatches, nor made any
pseeS S noT OF his ANY gspan o
them he is practical man OF business and this the
working men have had discernment enough to dis
accepted literally the rhetorical figures Of Jules
Favre. When he said that, rather than yield one
beneath its ruins, they believed it. l need hardly
say that neither the Government nor the bourgeois
have the remoest intention to sacrifice either their
own lives or their houses merely In order 10 rival
Saragossa; They have got themselves into ridIcu
have Welcomed NJ rhers as an angel I rog sn
heaven, because they hope that he will be able to
save them from cutting too absurd figure.
ment continues to resist until the town is in real
danger or has suffered real prvauons. II the
Parsiens take it into their heads thai they will be
able 70 palm themselves Off heroes by continuing
for few weeks longer their passive attitude OF
opposition, they will do so. What incnes
them to submit to conditions now is not so
much the capitulation Of Bazaine as the dread
that by remaining much longer isolated, they will
entirely lcse their hold on the provincals.
SIEGE PERFORMANCE AT THE THEATRE.
Like all others. the Theatre Francats has been
c.osed since the Prussan investment became GER
tanty, and its foyer has been turned into an
ambulance. Some hardy spirits have timidy sug-
gested that the mere fact Of the Prussans being out
SIDE the walls constitute no reason why We should
be plunged into unredeemed melancholy Within and
the performance was the first step towards admit
ting the possibility OF little recreation. Like all first
steps it was very short one, and bore absurd air
Of compromise. That boring old gentleman, NJ.
Legouve favored with conference, which
means that he sat down behind table and spoke
to us speech OF the feeblest description, nserlarded
with small jokes and pointless anecdotes Then We
had scene "Pour les Besses," as well played it
could be 10y Fayart and Coquelin, an act OF Horace
and two acts of The MisanthrOpe. The actre sses
wore morning DRESS and the actors the tat-c oats
and white Kid gloves OF society, the effect of which,
when imported into classical plays, was extremely
| depressing. Maubaret, struggling In such a cos.
| tnme with the part OF fine old Roman father, was
painfully Ill at ease, and the Illusion OF the scene
! was of course entirely lost. Madlle Agar brought
the performance 10 close by singing the Narseil-
laise' as she alone can sing it, though she toe
evidently felt the loss OF that conventional cos
tune which, as neighoor remarked to me
''makes her show her fine arms " The manly and
moving strains OF the great chant seem particularly
appropriate In Mad'le Agars mouth, for, with hel
swarthy skin, burning black eyes, and wild gestures
she looks the very impersonaton OF that spirl
which Rouget de Plse first translated into melody
Many times day has the song been heard during
the last three months, but 1t has lost none OF 10
! effect, and the audience visibly trembled with ex
ctement when the trumpet-like chorus arose. A
| an experiment, the opening OF the theatre was
| great success, so great that not place was to b
had three hours after the performance had bee
|