The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-04-30
PARIS IN 1898.
Vivid Sketch OF the CITY from Victor
Hugo's Last Novel.


Very few of the largest shops were
open. Peripatetic haberdashery and
toy-shops were dragged about by wo
men, lighted by candles, which dropped
their taIlow on the merchandise. Open
mir shops were kept by ex-nuns in
blonde wigs. The mender, darnin9
stockings in stall, was q countess
that dress-maker n marchioness. Ma.
dame de Boulllera inhabited garret,
from which she could look out at her
own hotel. Hawkers ran about offer.
ing the "papers of news" Persons
who wore cravats that hid their chins
we're called "the scrofulous." Street
singers swarmed. The crowd hootod
Pitou, the royalist song writer, ord "
y"il"hU in"u III uio boreoin. They
danced the carmagnole in sronL nirolos.
They no longer said gentleman and
lady, but citizen and citizeness. They
danced in the ruined cloisters with the
church lamps. lighted on the affairs,
with cross-shaped chandeliers hanging
from the vaulted roofs and tombs be-
meath their feet. Blue "blue tyrant's
waist-coats " were worn. There were
liberty-cap shirt pins, made of white,
blue and red stones. The Rue de Rich
elieu was called the street of law the
Faubourg of Glory statue of Nature
stood in the Place de la Bastile. At the
Invalides the statues of tho saints and
kings were crowned with Phrygian
caps. They played cards on the curb
stones at the crossings. The packs of
cards were also in the full tide of revo-
luton; the kings were replaced by
genii, the queens by the goddess of
liberty, the knaves by figures represent
ing equity, and the aces by impersona-
tons of law. They titled the public
gardens; the plow worked at the Tuil-
cries. With all these excesscs was
mingled, especially amo G the con-
quered parties, an indescribable haugh.
ty weariness of life. A man wrote
to Fouquier Finvile, "Have the
goodness to free ne from exist
ence. This is my address," Newspa-
pers appeared in lcgions. The hair
dresser's men curled the wigs of women
in public, while the master read the
Moniteur aloud. People went to have
their fortunes told by Martin, at No. l73
in the Rue d'Aujou. there was a lack
of bread of Goals, of soap. Flocks of
milch COWS might. be seen coming in
from the country. At the Vallee lamb
sold at fifteen francs per pound. An
order of the Commune assigned a pound
of meat per head every ten days. Peo-
pie stood in rank at the doors of the
butchers shops. One of these files had
remained famous; it reached from Il
grocer's shop in the Rue des Petit Ca
neau to the middle of the Rue Monitor
gueli. To form a lin was called "hold.
ing the cord" from long rope which
was held in the hands of those standing
in the row. Amid this wrctchedness,
tho women were brave and mild. They
passed entire nights awaiting their turn
to get into the bakers shops. Wood
cost four hundred francs in coin per
cord people could be seen in the
streets saving up their bedsteads. In
the winter the fountains were frozen
two pals of water cost twenty sous
every man made himself water carrier.
A golden louis was worth 1890 (paper)
francs. A course in hackney coach
cost 600 francs. After days use of
carriage, this sort of dialogue might be
heard Coachman, how much do /
owe you ?' "Six thousand francs" A
green grocer woman sold 1000 francs
worth of vegetables day. A beggar
said L" Help me in the name of charity
1t took 230 francs to finish paying for
my shoes" There was no hattcring
among this people. There was the SOM
bre joy of having made an end of
thrones. Volunteers abounded; each
street furnished battalion.