The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-10-03
CECIL COUNTY.
Correspondence.
Letter From Europe.


Mr.. EDITOR: Two of your papers came to
hand this morning. | have been some time
without one and have been suffering accord
ngly.
Having just returned from Paris, must give
the benefit of some Of my experiences. | went
over ten days ago, by way of New Haven and
Dieppc. Left London q A. NJ, and reached New
Haven, about 60 miles, at s O'clock; went to
that place by rail, and went at the risk of my
life. They have an accident now regularly every
day on some of the roads, and usually manage
to smash up several people. At New Haven, |
found over 400 "Pilgrims' on thcirway to Parry
Le-Monial, France. must here tell you that
q lot of English Roman Catholics have made up
a number OF religious excursions" to the above
place, and go down there to pray for the con-
version of England to the Romisli Church All
who so are let off from certain duties, conse-
qucntly great many go. They get cheap re-
turn tickets, and as the route is though Paris,
and as they lay over there for day or so, they
have pleasant time of it.
Well, at New Haven, where we took the steamer
to cross the English Channel, we found all this
crowd. They were divided amongst two steam.
crs, one Of which got on, and as the steam
crs are small and the sea usually rough, partcu-
larry so that day, we had gay old siX-hour trip
Ofthe $50 people can safely say that five other
men and myself were the only well ones aboard
|, fortunately, never get sea sick. You can't
imagine what Il row, neither can describe the
fuss caused by $50 sca-sick people on a small
steamer. The bridge was the only safe place
and even up there Il lady came very near chuck
ing up in my over.coat pocket. After six hours
of that sort OF thing we reached "Dieppe" and
| walked along with the pilgrims to the station
where we took the cars for Paris at p NJ. The
pilgrims are mostly Of the lower classes; though
there was some kind of II Lord with them this
time
unfortunately got into a car with four pill
grims and two priests; and we had no sooner
started than they took out little books and be-
gan kind OF Litany, which lasted an hour;
and then much to my astonishment they pro-
dGced various black bottles containing wines
and whiskcy, and all took Il drink, politely
Offering some TO me; and that alternate
praying and drinking was kept up all the
way to Paris, where we arrived about $50
L. NJ, having travelled about 100 miles, and
where, much to my relief, bid good bye TO the
"Pilgrims.n
But to arrive at station in Paris at night, and
not be able to speak word Of French, and to
ma no one who could speak any English was
very trying. lbcgan at once to hunt my trunks,
and by means of signs and dangling my keys,
| at last found them had them examined by the
Customs officer; found porter to whom
said "llotel Chatham" aud he put the trunks
on cab. | gave the porter frame, and he said
something that sounded like asking for more, so
| gave him another; bul no doubt lie was thank
ing me for the first.
AT last | got to my hotel, fixed up n little, and
started out for walk; got lost, could not ask
my way, so got cab and said to the driver,
'Ilotcl Chatham" and he took Inc there
Paris is the most pleasant place in the world.
l think cvcrythingis delightful. thought Lon
don was clean place, but Paris is cleaner All
the main avenues are very wide, and are line d
with cafes; and when you want something to
drink you sit down in front of these places at
little tables right on the sidewalk, and the wait
or brings it you. had great difficulty at first
in asking for what wanted, but | soon began
n hn n nel.; g.,
rious wines, brandies and beer. You get a pint
ofgood claret for Is cents of our money Bran.
dy costs 2 cents glass, bcer2 cents, champagne
costs about ST. per quart bottle. | believe |
had one drink of water while was there not so
little from choice, because am very fond DIVA
ter, and you know it cheers without mebriating,
but because it is very dangerous to drink it :; It
is about half chalk. They give you ice water
in heavy glass decantcr, half the water frozen
in solid lump. 1t takes few seconds ! be-
lieve to freeze bottle, and is much cheaper than
buying ice; 1t Is done by some patent process.
Everything in the way of feed" costs about
half as much in Paris as in London, strange to
say, because with us after our war; everything
advanced i'll cost, and there is no reason as far
as can see, why provisions in London should
cost more than in Paris. 1 got elegant dinners
for about one dollar; soup, fish, an cntree, a
roast salad, vegetables and fruit for desert, and
quart OF clarct The same dinner in Baltimore
would cost $500.
l visited all the important places in and
around Paris, rode on the omnibuses in the
street cars-American railroads as they call them
saw lots OF fine pictures, the battle fields thea
tres, and in fact saw everything; none of which
will attempt to describe, because it has been
done dozen times over, by people much better
able to do it than am.
went to the cirens and laughed very much at
the jokes gotten Off by the clowns, though did
not understand word, but | laughed T'when-
ever thought 1t was time" l went to the
"Mabile" several times. / won't describe it on
account of your lady readers; the gentlemen
will have to suffer on their account as they al
ways do. AT the "Mabile" had nv hat Kick
ed off by young lady, dressed in the height of
fashion, and who had beautiful ankles, which |
was admiring at the time she elevated my ''tile.n
suffered in silence, because | did not know how
to swsar in French.
There are probably dozen parks and gardens
in Paris, where military bands play every after
sic, and thousands of people go to hear them.
The French women arc always at some needle
work. Even the ladies, they sit around under
the trees, listen to the music and work away as
If their lives depended on it. Even the little
children sew One little thing about three years,
was sewing away for dear life at piece ofwhite
paper, for about an hour. was forcibly remind
cd of home.
Little French babies and children are all yery
clean, and nicely gotten up. All the young ones
wear little white muslin caps, and the women of
the lower classes wear, all of them, white caps
III fact every one, no matter how poor, is clean,
while here in England the lower classes are ali
dirty; SO dirty that often walk in the street
rather than brush against them
The parks and gardens in Paris are filled with
nice chairs, and as you often feel little tired, |
you sit down in one, and before you are fairly
'fter paying that, you can sit as long asyou like