Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-17
CORRESPONDENCE.

CORRESPONDENCE.
 Some of the Sights Seen by Lady in
 Paris.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL COURIER:
 A lady (not resident of this city), who is spending the winter in Europe, occasionally favors some of her New Haven correspon- dents with familiar and unstudied descriptions of noted places which she visits, and of her personal experiences in foreign lands Let ters of this description are often more inter esting than more labored literary efforts pre- pared for the public eye, the pictures being more vivid. here take the liberty to en- close to you some extracts from one of her recent letters. that many of your untraveled their perusal afforded to those for whose benefit alone they were written. c. l.
 PARIS, Thursday, Dec. ?, 1880.
 We spent eight weeks in London, and saw so many things of interest, and were so pleasantly quartered, that, despite the melan- choly weather, I reluctant to leave. Now we have been two weeks in Paris and are quite wonted not only in our hotel, but in many of the neighboring streets. We are in most central and delightful part of the city, midway between the Column of Ven dome and the Tuileries Gardens, and but
 
 dow we see over the leaf1ess trees of the gar den and the gilded dome of Napoleon's tomb. The latter looks near, but found it quite walk when we went there the other day. It is magnificent. The in- scription at the entrance of the tomb is touching The words are Napoleon's: s1 wish that my ashes may rest on the banks of the Seine, among the French people that have loved so much.
 Every day since we arrived most of our time has been devoted to sight seeing, and while very much that is new to us remains to be seen, many, and in fact most of the nota- ble places that we have visited have even stronger attractions for us than they had at first It is not enough simply to see them they require to be studied so that they will ever hereafter be, as it were, part of us, and we can carry them away with and dwell with them evermore.
 We are greatly impressed with the health and cleanliness of the streets, the regularity and symmetry of the long blocks of white stone buildings, many of them with arcades, which, when lighted at night, as, indeed, at other times, are pleasant promenades. The parks also, of immense extent, full of statu- ary and abounding with fountains, 8 marked feature of the city. The river Seine is crossed frequently by beautiful stone bridges which look so substantial
 The ravages of war in the French capital are repaired except in the case of the Palace of the Tuileries, the walls of which are standing
 We have been to Versailles and to St. Denis, and intend going to St. Cloud well as to Sevres, where we hope to see the pro- cess of manufacturing the beautiful China for which that place is distinguished.
 At the Madeline, the other day, we saw the funeral of the Duchess Montmorenci She died at the age of thirty-fye, and her hus- band and son followed the coffin into the church. The interior of the immense build ing was hung with black cloth, and the cat afalque, placed in the center, was covered with black cloth ornamented with silver stars and silver fringe. The church, which is windowless was brilliantly lighted both by gas and hundreds of candles placed about the catafalque. And such profusion of ele- gant flowers I never saw before There were immense wreaths of white camelias and sweet violets, at least two feet across; others entirely of pansies crosses and bouquets of the choicest plants-cart loads Of them all pots of white chrysanthemums and prlmroses and other white flowers were putin every con- ceivable place about the catafalque. The coffin, covered with purple velvet, upon which the choicest rosebuds were scattered, was rolled under the catafalque. The music was most grand and solemn. The aid of fine singers from the opera is secured for these large churches, and one hears grand music in them.
 During this solemn ceremony bridal par ty-the bride in white satin with orange buds and long veil-came into one of the side altars, and the candles were there light ed and marriage ceremony performed, while imposing religious rites and funeral honors were in progress for the dead duchess. The contrast was striking-a bridal and burial service in the same church at the same time felt sad for the bride at this unfor- tunate coincidence, but the gay and festive marriage party did not seem to mind 1t. If ocfo disposed to yield to superstition, I am sure I would have retreated.
 The church beadles, who are usually dressed in gay military costumes, were in solemn black with knee brooches and long black stockings.
 We are struck with the attention paid to the dress of the different classes here. For example, the waitresses and all common wo- men wear the cleanest white caps and no bon nets. The wet nurses are distinguished by cap surrounded with bows of broad ribbon, with long ends hanging down the back. Ev- cry sunshiny day the parks and gardens are full of children with their nurses, and peo- pie of all ages and conditions. The French are light hearted people. They seem hap py as you see them in the street-not care worn One sees pictures and statuary every where in the churches and galleries. We are quite near the Louvre, but have been there but once as yet. Then we saw Murilla's I'm maculate Conception and Raphael's Madonna enough for one day.
 This old world is so full of history that one is almost oppressed with the magnitude of the events that have taken place here. For instance, we were in the church of St. Ger main PAuxerrous the other day and were shown the door where Catharine de Medici rang the bell as the signal for the massacre of St. Bartholomew; and in walking through the Place de Ia Concorde, where Marie Am toinette turned to take 8 last look at the Tuileries as she put her head on the block. So this beautiful gay city is full of reminders of sad and terrible times. On the corners of fiowers-not the fabled pretty flower ven ders we read Of It is not very cold here as yet, but should it become so we will go on to Nice. stopping for a few days in Marseilles.