Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-17
Paris as 1t Is = Edmund About
Comes Back to Paris-He Finds

From Le S0lr.J
| brought back to Paris a provincial
specimen, or rather torn, blood-staineC
rag of an invaded province The mass
of the public took Some interest in the
spectacle. The delicate and susceptible
found it little raw. | have been told
that all truths ought not to be told;
answer with General Trochu: OmRiC
Uerq diceRdq j"
To-day | would show Paris to the
provinces as she laoks to me after a
month ahsenoe-Paris transfigured as
by fash of lightning, and stirred up
from her depths. We do not render an
account of the changes in ourselves.
Paris, like the eye, does not see herself.
find her anxious but firm. The prov
ince, and above all the province in
vaded, has but two maledictions, one
against the Prussian, the other against
the authors of the war Making myself
the echo of discomfort which philo-
sophie polite Paris postpones; act like
true provincial. TheFe are names
which Paris does not pronounce any
more than if they dated from the twelfth
century, First, the Prussiansl When
the invasion is driven back, we shall con
suit and reckon up, and make our dispo-
sitiogs. Aq~irable wisdom, and new
among usl If it would only last, how it
would simplify things and abridge the
great crisis. The pleasures which were
formerly the grand business pleasures
of Paris are so no more. We take exer-
else, we work, we mediate, but we have
neither tine nor inclination to amuse
ourselves. The capital ef European
cookery, where Mr. Hausmann brought
together all the drinkers, all the eaters,
all the fast people of the known world,
hasassumed Spartan physiognomythese
days. The theRteFs are all closed except
four or five, which play TO empty benchesi
costume is dark and simple; a snowy
toilettee strikes among the crowd like a
false note. To finish painting this proud
and consistent metamorphosis, l would
say that Paris, once rich, has now be-
come snddenlV HQar. All the portable
property, those BITS Of paper, blue, rose,
and green, that M. Rouher used to esti-
mate pompously at forty thousand mil
lion in the lump, have come down to
their real gslge, The banknote itself
has undergone depreciation iron, lis be-
ing made legal tender; gold and silver
are rare, and every one keeps the little
he has for unforeseen events. A whole
population which lad adopted tho foolish
habit of living on their capital, of dis
counting the future, Of abusing credit,
returns now to prudence, to thrift, to
that downright simplicity which made
the strength of our ancestors, and,
!or us, makes the strength of
our enemies. For twenty years past we
have been thinking ourselves rich; luxu-
~ has been imposed upon the most mod
est natures and fortunes Shoddy taking
the lead, il was alnost discreditable not
to spend a hundred thousand francs a
year. War re-establishes poverty it is
possible TO go afoot; one is not afraid to
ask four friends to eat piece Of beef
and potatoes. When 1 think that last
winter, not six months ago, the smallest
tradesman in Paris would have lost his
character if he had not set before his
gues,s make believe Chambertin, imita-
ton Yquem, and pheasant stuifed With
bogus trufiles. Misery is good, if IL
only renders us more wise as we become
more manly. Paris is beginning to find
out that dinners githolt trufiles can be
eaten; that a woman is as pretty in a
City franc dress as in a flowing muslin
at thirty Louis We shall get out Of the
crisis better than We got into it, and
France viii gain in depth what she loses
in surface.