Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-14
FROM PARIS.
FASTING AND pRAYER-rEE PORK
GINGERBREAD FAIR.
The Trouble With Tunis-The Positions of
France. Italy and England, as
Viewed in Paris.
PARIS, April is. 1881.

PARIS, April l6, 1881.
We are just finishing les jours nadigres,
and it is easy to imagine what relief it
will be to all good Catholic souls on Easter
morning to inhale the odor of meats and
abandon fasting and prayer, to which they
have been devoted since forty days past.
The butchers all closed their shops on
Thursday at 2 o'clock, and until this
Saturday morning not pound of meat
could be had for love or money. Very lit
tie sincere religious belief is to be found at
present among the French people, but none
are to be found who will eat meat on Coed
Friday, if only to prevent bad luck follow
ing them the year round, for such is the
belief that misfortune viii pursue him who
INDUCES in meat on that day; conse-
uuently the butchers consider 1T useless to
Kill their beef and stand with folded arms
behind their joints, and closing their doors
they spend this forced holiday each ao-
cording to his peculiar taste. If the day
be pleasant they will HE to the
fields to enjoy the delights of a
spring day, and whatever may be
your occupation, whether lawyer, doctor
or journalist, should you be seen outside of
Paris with smart clothes on, the inhabi-
tants of the country around are sure to
take you for member of the butcher fra
ternity, As the SHELTON remains after the
soul has left the body, SO the form remains
long after the spirit has departed. How
little the true meaning of Lent is under
stood in this Catholic county. have had
occasion to visit the most religious families
during this period aud found them exceed
ingly rigorous as to fasting, never eating
meat, les jours mdigres, and generally but
one hearty meal during the day, yet prob.
ably that same evening the whole family
would attend come charity ball. Indeed
never during the whole winter were SO
many balls given
IN THE NAME OF CHARITY
As during.Lent, and the fair sex, in attend
ing the sermons at the church in the day
time, never neglected to be as punctual in
attendance on the ball in the evening.
Each ACCOMPLISHMENT gives its annual ball,
which, of course, takes place in the winter
time, and they are generally held in the
richly-decorated ballroom of one OF
the large hotels of the city Aside
from the high price paid for the
tickets, personal cards can only be
obtained, which fact renders the gathering
select and enjoyable, and all lovers of the
dance profit by these occasions. Nor do
these pious souls deprive themselves of the
pleasures attendant on theaters they will
strengthen themselves with quantity Of
eggs, mushrooms and other light food, so
as to be able to attend theatrical enter
tainment of the most frivolous kind. The
churches themselves present theatrical
aspect and it is more a fashion than re-
ligious duty which sends thither the great
number of ladies, who are generally de-
voted 10 the handsomest and most eloquent
priest and are glad in turn to be looked
at. Until there is separation of Church
and State the Catholic religion forms part
of the government, which the latter is
bound to countenance and respect; and ON
last evening OF Good Friday all the suo-
ventioled theaters were closed-that is,
the Grand Opera, Opera Comic, the Thea.
tire Franchise and the Odeon, or second
Theatre Franchise. The Others continued
open as usual, and it is probable expert
enced no diminution in their receipts
THE FoIRE DE JAaIBoN
Lasted during three days of the week, bat
the attendance was smaller this year than
the preceding ones, for the Parisians have
not yet recovered from their fright with
regard to the trichina, although their fears
were somewhat allayed by articles by diff.
ferent physicians published in the journals
and stating that that very horrible disease,
trichina. had never been witnessed by
man, and did not in fact exist. II was
worth while, running so many ehGscutiers
without any reason This class of mer-
chants hsstened in increased numbers to
the foire, armed with their very best hams
and sausages, in the hope OF retrieving a
portion OF their lost fortunes. The in
spectors went around as usual, three in a
group, and with their long steel needles
| pierced ham after ham, TO pronounce all
good and IN healthful condition, to the sat
isfactiou of both sellers and purchasers.
If the ham and sausage merchants did not
fare quite so well this year, the other mer-
chants OF the foire have no reason to com
plain, for the amount of old iron purchased
AS well as other articles OF cheap mate
rial-was something marvellous. A mum.
Der OF the old inhabitants OF Paris do all
their shopping Of the entire year on this
occasion, for they have inherited the Gus
tom from their ancestors, who had no other
means of supplying their wants, and
although these goods are carried oat of the
different shops at Paris, these good people
imagine they must be superior, sold thus
outdoor in the bright sunlight, and pre-
pared for the inspection OF piercing, criti-
cal eyes.
| The fore de pain d'epire, or ginger bread
fair, usually opens on Easter Sunday, but
| for some reason it was installed and pre-
pared for visitors on Sunday last, although
! business this first week must have been
slack, for French people do not like to
] change their habits, and if they are accus-
toned to attend this fete on Easter Sun
day, nothing can induce them to arrive a
day sooner. As Easter Sunday is the
GRAND GALA DAY,
And it sometimes happens the shows and
booths are not in good working order for
that occasion, it may be. that these various
merchants and popular showmen have
chosen to begin earlier this year in antici.
patton OF more successful career after the
season has commenced. Tomorrow all
Paris will be moving towards the Place du
Trone, and gensdarmes will be placed
along the Boulevard Voltaire and Rue st.
Antoine, 80 as to protect the pedestrians
from being harmed by the numerous car
riages. All the cheraatr de bois will
be in motion to the sound OF
their different hand organs or bands
of music; the ginger bread merchants and
owners of the different booths will join
their voices to the din, while the clowns
will perform antics on the platforms before
| the show tents, and hundreds OF people
will be drinking lager beer or wine, eating
pretzels or cakes, all laughing, talking and
enjoying themselves to such an extent that
it would confuse your senses to either hear
or see them. All this, provided the weather
be pleasant, for sunshine is necessary &C.
compartment to good humor, and the
weather at Paris is as capricious as its