, 1875-07-25

Paris letter: The disaster caused by tho inun-
dations are still the most important items in our
daily budgets Of news, and there seems to be. 3
sort OF fascination in these dreadful details. Let
me give aa example Of them: A baby in q
wooden cradle was found floating down the Ga
roune, the little creature being fast asleep aud
perfectly dry. There waa nothing to indicate
whence it came, and il the parents hkve been
drowned. as is supposed, the Identity Of this lit
tie waif may never be established. At Toulouse
laboring man, with his wife and baby five
months old, vera upon the roof Of their house
waiting for help, when 9 friend came floating
down the current, and managed to climb up be-
side them. He WAS good swimmer and thus
kept himself above water. But in short time
the house began to crumble, and suddenly fell,
throwing the party into the water. The work.
man swan about for moment in search Of tho
rest but could not find them in the dark, and
came to the sad conclusion that they had been
crushed BY the falling stones. Ho managed to save
himself, but believed the others lost, In the
morning he met his friend who told him that he
had saved his baby. and had left it at the
hospice during the night. The wife WAS
drowned The poor man ran to the hospice to
ask for his child. Immediately on receiving tho
they had been stripped Of their wet clothes,
and The clothing Of all had been sent to be
washed and dried No one thought OF marking
the clothing for tho purpose Of Identification.
The father found that all tho babies OF
months looked so nearly alike that ho could not
pick out his own, and every day since he has
spent hours in the hosplce trying to find which
Of the children saved belongs to him. At ono
moment he believes that instinct has guided
him to the right baby the next he picks out
another, and then another, until himself con-
fuaed. mother would doubtless recognize
her baby by many marks familiar to her, but it
is not easy for the father, who knons less OF
his child8 body than OF the clothes it wears.
Very many stories OF this kind are told, and
some Of them are very touching.
Another Paris letter: III. Venillot, of the u
tramontane organ. the Uj1irers. thinks the
inundations judgment sent from God, and
mainly because the people do not pay their church
tithes as they did during the last century. After
few more such Affections, he declares the peo-
Pile win come to their senses, and be only too
glad to return to the dime. Nearly all the
clerical organs look upon the ipundations aa the
work Of Providonce, but they differ as to the
particular sins which made 80 great q punish
ment necessary. The Gazette de Mines says
that lit is probable that the foundation OF
Toulouse is terrible punishment sent from
Heaven after the scaudalouB affair Of the statue
OF Germaine every one knows of the shame
ful conduct OF the municipality OF Toulouse
on that occasion. II the Council had voted the
sum demanded for tho said purpose, Divine
Providence would not have treated with such
severity the capital OF Languedoc-" In all parts
Of the country similar journals attribute the dis
aster to some special sin, just as the Jesuits OF
Belgium attributed the burning Of college to
the wrath OF God because = youngster had im-
piously taken wafer from the holy communion
and eaten it before breakfast The Municipal
Council did in fact refuse to vote funds for tho
erection of statue to GeImaIno Cousin, shep-
herdees OF Ribe1ac, who had celestial visions like
Marie Alaeoauo, Of the Sscre-Cnur. Is it not
singular that seemingly intelligent men should
have 80 little respect for God IS to paint him
With the worst OF human passions