Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-29
HOLIDAYS IN PARIS.
THE LITTLE MERCHANTS OF THE BoULE-
vARDS AND THEIR GOODS
New Years Day Customs Relics of Royalty
-BonDons and the Days De-
mands-Presents.
PARIs. January 8. 1851.

PARIS, January s, 1851.
This winter in Paris has presented so I
great contrast TO the preceding one that |
in the absence of cold weather and snow it |
scarcely seems possible to realize that the
holidays have come and gone. For many
many days before Noel was to arrive the
rain, without falling in torrents, kept the
atmosphere in a constant state of moisture,
and the dull, threatening clouds excluded
any idea of the suns near presence
g Bad luck for the little merchant ;" was
an exclamation heard on all sides, for the
holidays in Paris would not be holidays at
all if all the boulevards were not lined on
both sides by little booths filed with
cheap TOYS, and that which the Parisien
brain has created for the happiness of the
little ones during the past year, besides
the vendors Of these objects, whose voices
extend the whole length of the b0ulevards
from deep base to high treble. and all
of them exercised TO the fun capacity of their
lungs, are not the least partof the attraction
The g bad luck for the little merchants,
although expressed III rsgretful tones, was,
as was easy TO understand. not SO much the
little merchants disappointment which
was IN question, for such aH amount of pity
would not be expended on HIM alone, and
while one-haH OF the regret was FOR him,
the other half was for the promenader On
Christmas Day, the Sunday following, and
on New Years Day, the boulevards are so
CROWDED WITH PEOPLE
Buying, but more particularly looking on
and admiring that circulation is almost
impossible, and you are carried along in
this compact stream at rate that would
throw any one into despair who might not
be disposed to spend four hours IN walking
three squares. On no other occasion proba-
bly, during the whole year do all classes of
the gay metropolis so closely elbow and
jostle each other. The wares contained in
the booths are intended for the masses, as
they are all OF the cheapest kind, and ii
is rare 20 find an object costing more than
fifty certs, whereas hunc reds are found in
one booth for two sous apiece. Thechildren
Of the poor are therefore not neglected, and
although Santa Claus may have already
filed the little shoes, some aunt, uncle or
cousin accompanies the family on their
promenade so as TO allow the little ones to
choose the presents to be given them by
their relatives. And even when there is
no one to give, the chilaren must he taken
on the boulevards to get peep at the vast
sea of toys. The children OF the rich,
through strange peryersity, throw aside
the elegant and costly playthings given
them by wealthy relatives, and find real
happiness in visiting the little booths and
choosing such things as appeal to their
childish fancy. Scarcely any carriages are
to be seen, they are generally left at the
entrance of the boulevard, and their own
ers with their little ores led by the hand
mingle with the crowd 0ne reason that
the progress Is slow is that when you see
clear space before you and hasten to profit
by the opening, YOU ere sure to have your
legs seized, and on locking down find them
in the possession OF little folks endeavor-
ing to work passage through the wilder
ness of black pants ana dress skirts. Each
little one must be raised in his parents
arms to see theneW veiocipede, two riding
abreast, or the punchinello of long tradi-
ton and the constant JOY of jnfantile
hearts Sometimes the little ones cry for
things which meagerly hnod purse must
refuse one little girl l saw
WEEPING BITTERLY
For a franciscan priest which Suddenly
disappeared in box on the appsri5iou OF
policeman, but the poor widow mother
could not satisfy her. A gentleman passing
by learned the cause OF the distress, and
bought the toy for the child, much to her
Joy and that of the mother. So it is that
many a kind hearted being with stanch
purses purchase for themselves a great
amount of happiness in expanding sous for
TOYS fer the children Of the poor Some
French poet has said that toys are the food
of children's souls, and 1T is easy to believe,
for how many in possession OF a coveted
object, the delight of their eyes, experience
no necessity for eating, drinking and
of animal existence. As good for
tune would have 1t, although
it had rained until s o'clock Christmas
morning, stiff breeze then blew up, dried
the mud, froze the atmosphere, and
forced everyone to draw forth their packed
furs and rugs, for Noel has indeed arrived.
Il6 CAL lLudElAS Tie dLlVAlb u GiDlGEldEJ
required on the part of the good old man
to induce the elements to consent to a
respite for ore short day. Just think OF
the eioquence he must have displayed as
he pleaded the cause of the little ones how
could he, with his reindeer and robes,
travel through dense clouds and over slip
perry house tops? and nov was he to carry
his toys packed on has back, with the rain
beating down upon them? Besides, all the
children had been very good this year
had learned their lessons and obeyed their
parents, and deserves so many good things
IN return that he scarcely knew now he
should carry them all And then he had
right to his own weather that day, FOR
during all the year he never once bothered
the barometer, which. as far as he was con /
cerned could freeze people and burn
them up both within twenty.four hours,
but on his day-NoePs day-if not entitled
TO a good snow.stoEm, he ought certainly
not be obliged to drag himself through rain
and indictments SO foreign TO his dy-
nasty. The winds came to old Noel's as
sistaBce, and that Is how we happened to
have a dry,
PLEASANT CHRISTMAS DAY
At Paris. Every living creature except
the rats crawled ont into the sunshine.
and every human being, on legs aud on
clutches, found their way to the boule-
wards. All beggars at Paris must have
license. else they are arrested when appeal
ing to public charity, but on Christmas and
New Year everyone disposed to beg can do
so with impunity. Judging from the num-
Der of solicitors for sous stationed on all
the street corners and hugging church
stems 1t was cay to imagine one half Of