New-York tribune., 1876-01-22

soniers powers should not possess-a want Intel
lectual moral spiritual; hardly know what TO call
it, He resents the attempt to interest him so closely
in costume and type and he privately clamors for an
idea. 1t is this idea" that is somehow conspicuous
by its absence in NJ Messoniers pictures; and yet
in SO eminent painter you cannot help looking for
it, But TO my sense. they are dry and cold Look
at them beside Gerome, indeed. and they seem to
bloom and teen with high suggestions; but look at
them beside Delacroix or Millet and they appear
only brilliantly superficial. 1t is difference ike
the difference TO the eye between plate glass and
gushing water
But why should talk of pictures when Paris IL
self, for the last few days, has formed immense
and brilliant picture French babies, believe,
hang no their stocking-or put shoe into the stove
on New Years eve; but Christmas, nevertheless,
has been very good humoredly kept. have never
seen Paris so charming as this last Christmas
day. The weather put IN a clam 10 share III the
fun, the sky was radiant and the AIR as soit ana
pure as a Southern Spring 1t was day to spend IN
the streets, and all the world did i passed it
strolhng half over the city and wherever turned
| found the entertainment that pedestrian relishcs.
What people love Paris for became almost absurdly
obvious; charm, beguilement diversion were
stamped upon everything. confess that, privately,
kept thinking of Prince Bismarck and wishing he
might take "a IuTu upon lie DoultNdiun. 4No' 'h'''
they would have hustercd him much suppose, for.
after all, the Boucvards are not human but the
whole spectacle seemed n supreme reminder of the
fact so constantly present at this time to the retoc-
tive mind-the amazing elasticity of France.
Beaten and Inundated n scale without precedent,
despoled dshonored, bed to death fnancially-all
this but yestcrday-PaIis is to-day in outward
aspect as radiant, as prosperous as instinct with
her own peculiar genius as If her sky had never
known a cloud. The friendly stranger cannot re-
fuse an admirng glance TO this mystery of wealth
and thrift and energy and good spirits. don't
know how Berlin looked on Christmas Day. though
Christmas-kceping is German speciality but great
ly doubt whether its aspect would have appealed
irresstbly to the synpathes of the impartial Oh
server. With the approach of Christmas here the
whole line of the Bouevards Is bordered on each
side with row of little booths for the sae-for the
sale of everything conceivable. The width of the
classic asphate is 30 ample that they form no
serious obstruction, ana the scene, in the evening
especially, presents picturesque combination of
the rustic fair and the highest Partisan cviza-
ton. You may buy anything in the line of triies III
the world, from a cotton night-cap 10 an orange
neatly pricked in blue letters with the name OF the
Young lady-Adele or Erncstine-to whom you may
CALAMITY desire to present it. On the other side OF
The crowded channel the regular shops present their
glitterng portals decorated for the occasion with
the latest refncmens of the trade. The confection-
ers in particular amazing; the rows of marvellous
bonbonai6res look like precious sixteenth century
caskets and requares. chiseled by Florcntinc art
ists in the glass of great museums. The bon
bonnre In its elaborate and mpcrtaent usecsSness,
is certainly the consummate flower of material
luxury it seems to bloom, with its petals of satin
and its pistis of gold, upon the very apex of tho
tree Of civilization.
walked over to Notre Dame along the quays and
was more than ever struck with the brilliant pic
uresqueness Of Paris as from any point opposite to
the Louvre you look up and down the Seine. The
huge towers of Notre Dame rising with their blue
gray tone from the midst of the great mass round
which the river divides, the great Arc de 1Homphe
answering them with equal majesty in the opposite
distance, the splendid continuous line OF the Louvre
between and over il all the charming cOloring Of
Paris on certain days-the brightness, the pearly
gravs the flicker Of light the good taste, it werc,
Of the atmosphere-all this is an entertainment
which even custom does not stale. In the ndst of 1t
the good people were trudging in thousands, on
their various festive cTrands, well dressed ana well
disposed. Every tenth man one sees in the streets
At present is a soldier, and though this fact has
doubtless melancholy meaning in the moral scale, II
has high value in the picturesque. The cuirassiers
light up the crowd. The mass of buildings in front OF
Notre Dame has been removed within the last couple
of years, and the open space across which you ap-
proach the church is of immense extent 1t is quite
the ideal "chance" for a great cathedral. NOtre
Dame profits by it, and her noble FACADE looks more
impressive than ever. j went in and listened 10
vespers, and watched the sounding nave grow
dusky and the yellow light turn pale on the eastern
clear-story and then wandered away and crossed
the river further, and climbed that impcrceptIblc
eInincnce known as the "mountain" of St. Gene
yieve and bent my steps to the curious Church OF st.
Etienne du Mont-the church that hides It's ilorid
little Renaissance facade behind the huge neo-clasSlc
drum Of the Pantheon. Here was only in time for
the sermon, but, with all respect 10 French pulpit
oloquence which often has a most persuasive
grace, il was time enough. | turned be
fore long, a deaf ear to the catcgorics
Of virtue and vce-t was like the dreadful nomcn-
clature of chcinstry-and wandered apart TO the
shrine of ST. Genevcvc. The bones Of tins holy
woman TcpOse in "A great brazen tomb in one Of the
chapels, surrounded with votiye tapers The scene
was very picturesque. number Of women were on
their knees around IT, in the ilumlncd dusk, present
ING various objects 10 be blessed. young priest
opened sort Of circular lid in the scpulchcr held
the object down into the hole, murmurcd something
over il, and restored il. Some OF the articles OK
posed to the influence of the bcatfc ashes were
singularly prosaic One, for instance, was n clean
shirt rigdly plated and starchod. The motive Of
this application puzzled me; was the applicant
aundressi She was probably the piOus relative of
a sick man who contemplating a change of
linen. In either case seemed to have walked far
away from the Boulevards and from the Christmas
Day of 1875. HENRY JAMEs, JR.
THE AMERICAN FLEET ABROAD.