The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-08-21
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS

PARIS, July l6, 1878.
Fps CLARION Losing several hours
by waiting for day Wight and tide, we at
last wound our way into the nitric ate
bsrbor of Havre, about 10 o'clock A. NJ
July 18th, having crossed the ocean in
less than ten days. We have thus tray
alei about 5000 miles in less than II
DAYS. of which four days were spent in
New York 1t rained the morning of
our arrival, spelling for us the sight of
land and view of Havre, and rendering
the turmoil on deck and getting on shore
It'll more unpleasant. The hiuging
about of big trunks by jabbering French
men and custom house officials, and the
anxious crowd to get off, made an I'M
pleasant picture, while waiting for ones
turn Flying through the suburbs Of
Hayra and the country, felt again the
indescribabe vague impression of being
in another hemisphere. Though not an
agriculturist, have always taken a deep
interest in geography, topography, and
botany, and thus the change Of soil, the
very grass and hundred different wild
flowers, plants and trees, called up recol-
lectious of boyhood days, and, that this
was indeed, Europe.
We succeeded in getting a room on
the second floor at the " British and
American Hotel" for 81 80 head per
day and breakfast, but with another
meal or two and the trimmings" gen
orally made Paris very expensive. The
FIRST evening we visited the place de la
Concord" LA Madalane Church."
purely Greek structure and one of che
most complete and grand specimens of
that style Of architecture in existence,
and soon Stumbled" into the "Jardin
Mobile attracted thither by very fine
music. lie Jardin Mobile" the place
where nobody should go and everybody
does 60" [ heard afterward. However,
We did not stay until "the hour" of the
French and fancy dances. The word
fairy scene but family describes the gar
den illumination, the music and the large
open stage in brilliant semi Chinese col
owing and ornamentation. The back
ground of the stage is composed of i'm
mense pannels of plate-glass mirrors, ar
ranged so as to double the number of
ballet dancers, fairies and hundred
lovely "pantominic characters" and as
also to reflect brightly the brilliantly
Illuminated trees and foliage of the gar
den.
Sunday II, to Versailles; that his
toricartstic ;e,thetic and magnificent for
mer abode Of the Kings of France. Here
among this grand conglomeration of fault
less sculpture, architectural grandeur,
andlovely garden, park and water scenes,
the German conquerer had his headquar
ters in 1871, and here was proclaimed
aud crowned Emperor of Germany. All
over the magnificent grounds the Ger
mans bivouaked-but not a single object
was damaged or stolen-they came and
went a. true soldiers | may as well
mention here that there is no place in the
world where the presence of statuary and
scuipturing strikes the eye with such in
credible lavish abundance, and all of such
magnificent execution, as in Paris, Yer
salIes, etc. Every god and goddess with
their semi gods, trambants and trains, that
Grecian and Roman mythology has ever
invented; every king, hero historic ce-
iebrltY or personifcation of science, art
or industry, single or in groups are here
ln and around Paris) represented by
hundred thousand statues, executed in
the highest and purest school of art,
mainly in white marble, but often in
stone or bronze. Generally life size
mostly. in magnifed size, to please the eye
at certain distance, and very often in
colossal proportions, but ofperfect harmony
and symmetry. Those few of the intelli-
gent sight seers who really have learned
enough to know that they know nothing
stand in awe and admiration before such
skill, genius and persevering labor which
the least one of these works of art have re
quired.
1t would lead me too far to more than
mention the enormous collection of fine
and costly oil paintings in the Palace of
Versailles, many measuring 15x2O feet
and each representing a hundred or
more life-size figures, grand tableaux OF
historic or battle scenes, some having re-
CURED years of hard work and all the
genius of a born artist.
We worked hard all day to make the
most of this rare chance, to feed the
mind and heart on the expensive array
of the beautiful and rare in this place.
In the evening, the grand fountains all
began their Aquatic display, and IA
nous Paris orchestra swelled its magic
mnsic over the grand and dense old
park, the vast open stone terraces, and
the lakes and cascades, with countless
marble statues in the brilliant light of
the rosy evening stood out in bold relief
against the dark foliage and seemed to
Partake of the life and animation all
around.
The ExPoa1rIon preferred visit
lng this immense shoW . mans genius