Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-09-09

and gsity of the city, and others approve
for more solid reasons.
1--WE neither receive anything from nor
give anything to England now" said
Dennis, our intelligent Irish oicerone.
"We're on our own feet intoirely. An II
yez want u.s." he added with shrewd
look, "Ye've only to hould out your
hand"
But imagine Dennis is no good Judge
on that point and was speaking far from
the truth. He was evidently one of the
mslcontents who were sorely displeased
by the withdrawal of Lord Dutferin and
the substitution of the favored noblenau
whom be irresereptly calls ''this Other
man." He even had his fling at the Scotch
caps which are the fashion among the
youth of the city, IL compli ment, he
averred to the Governor General. Ms
little enjoyment they'll get out o. their
STYLE" said Dennis bitingly 'Ivry CON-
monest by in the city'll have one on his
pate directly"
But the family squabblea between
English, Irish aud Scotch are slight In
comparison with the broad line of demar
cation that divides them oil from the
French inhabitants, ana which years seem
to do so little to face. To all intents
and purposes Quebec is French town
and the English speaking people are only
encamped in their borders. The French.
Canadians keep to themselves to their
own customs and their own language, and
there are quarters of the town where not
one in hundred understands word Of
English. The farmer peasantry OF the
vicinity seemed to be entirely French.
We saw them every where; in the lower
town, in the market, driving through the
streets in their rough but strong little &c u
veyances, old men with gnarled, peculiar
faces, deep. grooved with the idiosyuciasies
which each generation increases rather
than dimiuishes women with worn and
weather-b beaten faces under their broad
mushroom hats of black straw, lighted up
generally, however, by pair Of lively
black eyes Among the younge. people,
especially the girls, there is good deal
of beauty, and many of the children are
real little cherubs.
Readers of "a Chance Acquaintance'
will understand the special interest with
which We followed Kitty Ellison into the
narrow and picturesque street of the lower
town, where Mr. Arbuton had his adven.
ture with the dog, II is as quaint and
uhiIuW hhi picturesque anu uu-iIuBilsu
now as then. II the girls who watered
their flowers and leaned laughing from
the windows of their dark old houses
have grown older or passed away, their
places have been supplied by just such
other groups, But, let the lovers of the
picturesque hasten TO seek it now at the
foot of "Breakneck Stairs" for, even
into Quebec the hand of modern improve
meHt is penetrating, and these queerest of
queer old houses, from which bright eyes
and teeth shine out at us as We pass, are
doomed to pass away. Built as they are,
at the bottom Of the preoipitous cliff
which rises behind them to the crown of
the citadel, more dangerous dwelling
places could scarcely be found. Winter
SHOWS heap themselves to the roof on the
side adjoining the cliff, or descend in
sudden avalanches, sometimes with fatal
result; spring thaws loosen the rocks with
their strong wedges leaving great frag-
ments ready to descend at the first great
shock. At one place yawns gap in the
street, where thirty houses We're
crushed in one such descent OF the
loosened cliff; at another Two are missing,
where Dennis helped bat few years ago
to dig out eight corpses from the ruins
For years the Government has tried to
secure possession of this dangerous tract
in order to remove the houses, but still
the custom loving people cling like lmpets
to their native rock; but now, ut last the
purchase has been concluded, and another
year will probably see the tangled places
of Champlain street and Breakneck Stairs
smoothed out and opened to garnish
modern daylight
A similar gain to convenience and
safety, at the cost Of great loss to the
picturesque and to old associations, ha,
been made already in the removal of the
Prescott Gate and Hope Gate, whose mar
row portals, through which hut on,
vehicle could pass at q time, gave very
limited access 10 the upper town. Tn,
st. Johns Gate is this only one left o
those old guardians of the way. On Tia,
side Of the rampant the way IL left clear
on the other side OF the town two new an,
very handsome ones, called the Dudsrit
} and the Kent gates, will sooa be opened I,
the public.