Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-06-05
PARIS, MAY 10.

Paris Letter,
e PARIS, May 10.
II have spent but two days on the expos
e ton grounds, my time having been take
k up mainly in securing lodgings, and wit
:, the many things that green America
e has to contend, on entering, for the fir
/. time, Il new country; which, no matte
| what may have been his preparation, h
: will find sufficiently confusing to give hil
Y some annoyance, and cost him som
4 money. For the present, shall write {
5 things as they appear to me, after n yer
i imperfect examination, and try to reflec
the impressions they make upon me. This
t | am persuaded, will he n safer role tha
II were TO attempt, after four days resi-
dence, to write as one perfectly familia
/ with this great exposition, great city, grea
people, and, of course, fail.
}, The exposition impresses me, at frs
sight, as being even more distinctiyel,
French, than was ours American; more O
a national fair, and less of worlds fail
than we had at Philadelphia. 1t will h,
remembered that, at our centennial. W.
took the trouble to translate circulars
notices, signs, directions in the street ears
ETC., into the French, German, Italian, anC
Spanish languages. Nothing of the kind
is done here; although there are, perhaps
IN ftrls, fifty times as many people igno-
rant OF the French language, as there were
IN Philadelphia, who did not know Emo.
lish. The French are the least polyplot
OF all civilized peoples; their vanity will
not allow them to admit the existence of
any other language. But the spread of
that language which philologists, of what
ever nationality. have prophesied, will one
day be universal, is felt powerfully in
Paris. If shop keeper has salesman.
saIeswoman or GRAND boy, that can speak
ever so little English, he is sure to write on
his window, in large gilt letters, ENG.
fish spoken"
The exhibits Of other nationaities have
the same general features that character.
lied them at Philadelphia, and, in some
Instances, the precise articles. This is
particularly noticeable in the department
OF line arts, where those who were at
Philadelphia in 1876, will see some famil-
lar pictures. The French art section. am
told by one who is familiar with the sub
ject, presents rather series of revived
memories than of new sensations. Very
few actual novelties are shown, but the
gems of the last decade have been collected
from the different salons, and distributed
in the galleries Of the exposition, with
dazzling effect. The gallery of the Lux
umbourg has been robbed of its latest
acquisitions, and no effort has been spared
to make the French section eclipse every
other. The American art section. like
nearly all the sections of the exhibition.
art or otherwise, is in Il state of incom
pleteness, nor can it be regarded as fair
representation of our national art. Owino
probably to the shortness of time allotted
to our artists for preparation, but few of
our prominent painters are represented |
The visitor sees nothing national or dis.
llnctlye in this section, and in American
nothing that reminds him of home or
country. Our artists seem to have Dor.
rowed all their inspiration from foreign
scenery, and foreign subjects, and not to
nave found anything worth reproducing at
home. Our section is fortunate in pos
'essing two such fine works as tie Flu
neral of II Mummy" by Mr.. Bridgeman,
md 1.-The Death of Vandean Chief" Inv
Mr.. Wylie. But one cannot help asking
Why could not the artist have wreaked his
genius on the Funeral of I'm Indian Chief,
subject quite as rich in picturesque aud
element. And what is there
more tragic in the death of Il royalist OF
"a Vendee, than in that of the man who
Yielded his life in faith or flnatcism for
my other cause? Will we never excel in
he production of anything but plows, and
)rima donnas?
will write more in detail abont the ev.
position when have had time to give if
more careful study. To Americans dis
'osed to come here this year, Punch's ia S
nous advice about getting married is
,ood: Don't" The wonders of the ex.
position are little, when compared with
he wonders of Paris, and Paris can be c
cen with much less expense in year |
rom now. Prices, everybody tells me,
ave been doubled. 1t is not necessary to -,
ay more of their exorbitance than that :
hey are higher than they were at Phila- I
elphia the first few weeks of our centen-
lal. Admission to the exhibition costs !,
My twenty cents, but the visitor will
carcely get out without having paid d
lore. 1t would sound ridiculous. and t
OF nice, to tell of some of the things for II II
'hlch these upernaturally refined French. v
len charge. cas- n