The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-05
THE STUDENT Nv Paris.


skctrhrd u the spot the physiOgnomy and gen
cral work ing d tails Of ti,c library Of the Brit
ish Mus 'um in London; to day. from my post
in PARIS I propose to make the American
reader equally If home with all that would con
ccrn him should he propose to dive into that
great literary ocean, the Nat. Onal Library OF
France.
Let me say parcnthctically. and speaking MS
an Old resident that for those TO whom money
Is nm Object to Dc considered bc!orc i is spent
there is no { me like the present to begin resi-
dencc in the Gaiuc capital. The long vacation
IL Just beginning in all colleges 0nd schools
several OF the theatres are close for the sea
son the ar,stocrais OF tue Fauhourg 81. Ger
main are of to the watering places. aud apart
mcnts 20 a-heggng. twill give an oXar idea OF
the present pr .cs Of lodging here 10 sny that the
franc tsomcthing like twenty cents goes fur
Their In Paris to-day than the dollar does in New
York. unfinished rooms are IL; only 10y the
tt7D,e Of three months. and The tenant must give
nix weeks notice OF intention to leave; fur
nlshed lodgings are generally taken by the
month. and can be thrown up on a weeks no.
tice. Within circle OF a mile or So either OF
the Pantheon. ON the left bank Of the Seine. or
OF Notre Dame de Lorcttc on the right bank
the rent OF one or two unturnishcd rooms
range from fifty fran $40 "a qua rtcr 10 stAty
francs Tor good accommodation on the Second
ilNcs IN garnet at twenty-five or thirty francs.
As b. Turn shed aparimo mis-. attendance in
rludrl the prlcr per month Will vary from fiji
teen iran 5 or even lrss ~ the top story 10 thirty
iran = or forty iran VA the tara and scronI
HpurS, ia quart r. whcrf no sn-i" g nti"man
not m.luunuirr nv"d bc ashamed to rrceiv"
MS friends. A. iu restaurants. iish and low.
tue pri',s run prrtty niu ia as ~ New YORK. hut
III a very marked degree. Clothes. VINES ci-
Ears ar thrd cheaper than on the other side
ui tur Atlantic.
To return to our National Library. whose
name. Toy the by. Is ns variable ~ is
BY the nsbt quivcrins as,. n made"
or rs the form OF Government IN France, It's
roots are sud tu run back to Charles '. Under
Francs !. nnd Henry II. the rOyal COLLECTIONS
h 'gau b. br known ~. the Library of the M
AMI to hay" Officers who drew salaries from the
Sifte. toib'u, tho famous Minister oi Finance
under Louis NIL. WIS perhaps tho first to
regularly devote lnr.e Gums oi pulilic money to
the purchase Of books Tor what now BEGAN to
assume "A sem pubic cii,trl ter as the ROYAL
Library. II grow and grow But il WAS only
uhu'f llr ffrh'i rrlubli' Liu this product OF
the uuniF purse be anne in any real s'us pub
It property. Speaking without book. and trust
saviug that It was III 1892 that the privilege OF
r"din- the books aud manuscripts OF tn" ma
uon-a prvil"g" hitherto confined to few mo-
tiles and prl"sts-wHs declared open u all Of
whHi-N' rinS who "oul give any lnir guaran-
the newly baptized National lAhrarv were then
thrown wide open. not ouiy 10 tnc Frrn Ia ma
ton hut To TIE world. Except on holidays or
Under IN. FIRST and second Er,ttr,. tn,, nam,
was changed to intarmi iinrnry. and the n
ui the NapplrOns ann ured here "a elsewhere
IN pars Oh al TIE wal T. only to give pla e one
more ia 1870 ~ the ndue MAI on ii, D." and the
omn present ms 'ription. Liberty, Equality
Irut'rnity.' Of the republic.
The building. though sad to be the largest OF
the Kind IN the world. Is too small, and ~ in
consequence under. ninS extensive alterations:
meanwhile the reader ls subjected 10 many in
conNrntcn 'rs which cgnnot hc r.medied. Let
Us first V.s.t thu Srllc puthque. winch IL ALSO
iutsly tree. without ticket demanded or qurs-
haVrs h M 1T ar herself ia a decent and or
derry manner. Thc temporary cItrnncc To tn =
reading room IL hv No. 3 Hue Co,p-rt. on the
right as cnr asrruds thc Hue Rchr.cu, IN the
ncAt block north 81 N" puuis husAl You pass
the inevitable soldier whose ria with fixed
bay on"t IS twice hs h.- rs niins ~. and the m
.,iiiiui" litr policeman in ctnVaa trousers
\ u enter a door above which nputs the flag OF
tlc republic. exchange YOUR stuck or umbrella
Tor d urass ch,'H ~ iiur window ia tue iet
mount several Nights 81 rou.h los siuirs and
cnt r long and very SHABBY room. At The
r.Ent OF o." door. inside, sis an OIL Ia VITA
m"oi-rrd waist'oat and u mousirN u 60 sod
bat. ia which p" might safely cross uio Atlantic.
ifrIr" u" i"rre md wnrllk' loot ~ his hat
ana muu-ia mes. you ar" encouraged to Hp-
pspa 'h hin 10y ~" met That he ~ 4 nrrt.iy busy
~ SURF puii"Ua WAY al L. 81 Of fJ'dgc.
warm 4NNN IN a iIuli state. cDilSufftrd witt q.