The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-11-05
ghe 9ailv Argns,
PARIS LETTER.
"
The Other Side.
Regular Correspondence

PARIS, Oct. 18th, 1878.
had glance of the worse side o.
farlsian life the other day on the Boule
Vard-a glance sudden, momentary, but al
completely lucid and comprehensive al
that afforded of landscape by fash Of
summer lightning on a moonless night
1t was two o'clock in the afternoon, and
raining heavily. | was standing on the
curb, just In front of the Cafe Richie, In
that state of dolorous dubiety to which
people are subject who continually carry
an umbrella, and who never, save rnder
the strongest compulsion, open it. An
umbrella may be companion, friend, a
staff, a protector, weapon, an adviser, an
indicator, and when it rains the best use
you can put your parapluie to is to hal
the nearest cab or omnibus with it, But
there was no cabs TO be had that afternoon;
the Paris omnibusses do not stay in their
wild career to take up stray passengers
and |: had hegun to think that there was
no alternative between putting up my
Robinson" as the French, in affectionate
memory of Robinson Crusoe, term an
umbrella-when there stopped right in
front of me the smartest Of smart
broughams. A Peters, possibly, or g
Laurie aid Warner, to Judge from the
| lightuess of the wheels and easy balance
of the springs. A Binder perchance, to
Judge from the harmonious lines of the
body, and the gentle concavity of the roof.
Pair of coal-black steppers, exquisitely
matched; viscount's coronet on
! the panels: similar heraIdic de-
vice in platInated bronze on the
harness. Lamps perfect Coachman
clean shaven, curiy-brimmed hat, white
cravat, black frock, bottles .polIes with tops
for which oxallc acid could do nothing
more. Footman identical with coachman:
only-mark the art of this-a shape
younger and simmer. ln brief, perfect
equlpage. Two persons inside. NJ, lie
| vlcomte, fawn colored ulster, vanished
| shoes with dove-colored CATERS, lemon
kid gloves, spiky monstaches, rose in his
| button-hole, and cigarette;second person
lady, but whether she was Madame Ia
| Vicomtesse or Mademoiselle Amenaide
Sanspapa of the Bouffes Parisiens, I am
not prepared to say; suffice it to remark
that she was beauteous, that her hair
was of the hue of newly-stacked barley,
that she was radiently clad, that she was
brave in diamonds, and that from the
superb chariot there exhaled an odor OF
jockey club, frangipane or opoponax-I am
sure | don't know which not being learned
in any perfumes save that Of the VaeIto
de AbGjo. an odor very popular in the
Island of Cuba, where the names of the
principal perfumers are Cabaua, Parta-
gas, and Cavargas. Still, the occupants
OF the smart brougham were evidently
two very Important persoBages indeed
Stay, there was third; A snow-White
little Maltese dog, with two sparkling
black eyes and crimson satin bow at his
chin. He battled with his paws, and
barked, as though the braugham and the
coal-black steppers aud the servants and
the lady IN diamonds-t0ut le treDzbei-
ment, enfu-beonged to him. Who knows?
Perhaps they did
Hastily aliehtiug from his carriage. to
keep an appointment with friend at the
Cafe Richie, M. lie Vicomte let
fall from a plumber of documents which be
held in one lemon kid. gloved hand some
thing like letter in an envelope. 1t fell
face downward, In the smooth black mud
Of the gutter. Instantaneously-I never
saw anything quicker-a lean young man,
with white pock-marked face, faded
ragged blouse, reaching scarcely below the
waist, deplorable pantaloons, shoes like
miniature coal barges past service and rot
| ting in a ship breakers wharf, and a cap
| that looked like one Of the late Daniel
Lam bert's grey wolleu stockings with the
top cut off, darted forward, went on his
hands and knees, grovelled in the gutter,
erappled with the paper, which was fast
noatlng towards sewer grating, picked up
the document, rose and with a fawning
mein, and a look in which cupidity and
hope shone like flame, wiped the paper
| with his ragged elbow, and presented it to
the gentleman. "Ce ~ est qua une earel-
oppe, mon ami. quoth M. lie Viscomte
airily, aud without taking any more notice
of the poor wretch, he tripped blithely into
| the cate Richie, 1t was only an envelope,
| absolutely without value now that it was
soiled, that had fallen in the mud, | have
heard good deal of bad language in many
| dialects in my time, but do hope that
| shall never again hear curses so fearful as
| those which were uttered by the lean
young man with the white pock marked
| face. de had expected reward. The en-
velope might have been full of thousand
! franc notes, and here he was left with his
treasure troye, hungry aud with muddy
hands, He shook his fist at the lady In
the brougham shook it SO savageiy that
she pulled up the window IN a hurry to
the great discontinue of the Maltese dog
land then the lean young man, changing
| his tone, began to murmur, "MdlIseur,
| na0thear, pas meme sthe piece de ciagndnte
eentinaes. And then. it is wretched and
shocking to relate, he began to whimper,
and a. last to blubber as though be had
been child of four years old, A police
man came up and made him move on with
the usual admonition of Plus rite que ca
quicker than that-to hasten bis gait;
and then put up my umbrella, and, going
on my way saw him no more. Very pos
slbly he was loafer, an idle scamp, amen
cumbrance aud a pest to society; still to
me he represented very suggestively in
deed one squalid and lamentable scrap oil
the other side. G. A. S.
The ARGUS JOB PRINTING Rooms
turn. out Cards, Circulars, Note Heads
Bill Heads, Law Briefs, and all other
kinds of Printing, in the highest style Of
| the art and IN the most reasonable terms