Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-08-16

the arches, monuments and tombs. A
night the city was one magnificent blaz
! of light. The Seine was covered wit
boats and barges, decorated with tn
national colors, the Place de- Ia Con
corde was absolutely dazzling wit
| light and color. The lanterns in tn
trees about the city we're made to rep
resent gorgeous tropical fruits; tn
heavens were illuminated with fir
works of every color and kind, Thinl
OF this if you can, and add 10 j
,la whole world of peOpl,
upon the beautiful, smooth, broat
boulevards, the streets, the parks, tn,
gardens, the housetops. the avenues
the byways-everywherel | sat upor
the grass in the garden OF the Tuil'
cries, looking up at the front of the
gray, ruined palace and seeing it take
on an artificial splendor from the bril-
liant lights hat flashed into the SKY
above it aud then were gone; and as
looked upon it, the whole scene was
typical of this gay, laughing, sunny
people, possessed of all gifts but one
the spiritofrest. There were no vehicles
on the street that night; no policemen
in sight, and, what seemed most
strange, no disorder of any kind-no
drunkenness, no rowdyism, though
the people surged in great, black
masses in every direction throughout
the vast city. Music Aoated in the
air--the "Marseillaise" was heard at
every step we took; young people
danced in the streets every place OF
amusement was open. free; young boys
and girls we're dressed in the national
c%olors; old men and women, and mid.
die aged, everybody wore a knot OF
the red, white aud blue-our c%olors,
too-and so it was not very difficult to
imagine it a great, magnificent nation
al TMardi Gras" in one of the Ameri,
can cities Of the future-rather it
would not have been, but for the
freakish people all about us, with
their French language and ways. But,
may We be spared the sight of CHASTITY
ruins, such as here tell a story of
wanton destruction, dissertation and
cruelty. The bright little girl whom
| have the good fortune to have
along--"Peggy"-sai the other day,
as | pointed out to her the
black work Of the Commune, and told
her the story: Il should think they
would forever hang their heads in
shamel" They are the very. essence
of volatility The great Napoleon
sleeps here in the most royalty mag
ni6cent tomb in the world. The
monuments Of Kings and Queens are
on every hand, Louis XVI. and
Marie Antoinette we're Id to TIE
scaffold; their memory is loved and
venerated; people visit st. Denis,
in which they are entombed, as
a precious shrine; a beautiful expiatory
chapel has been erected to them. But
above all, a Republic has been reared;
how long it shall last none dares to
say. 1t seems to me a dangerous
experiment, but what other suits them
better?
The beautiful gardens of the Tuiler
les and the Luxembourg, once sacred
to the tread Of royalty, are now open
to the public; the palace Of the last is
a museum of fine arts for the cultiva
ton Of the people; the first is a mass
of ruins. The Louvre, once the seat
of royalty, is now the most magnificent
gallery of art in all the world. SO
much are they doing now of all that is
best in art and culture, but one
trembles to think of what they may do
tomorrow. As | stood, the other day.
in the Saint Chapelle, that most per-
feet little gem of Gothic architecture,
and thought how narrowly it escaped
destruction in those fearful days of
II, | solemnly said, Would it we're
oursl" Now, am | indulging in a bad
habit of self-glorifcation2 Am
u forgetting those other dark
days in our own history? Days
so sad that we cannot forget it if we
would. Mol But that was only once,
and it Eill never be again. The dear
boy Who grew tired of Brother Jona-
than's rule, was soundly spanked
and put to bed by kind and judicious
mother. When he awaked in the
morning the air was full of sunshine,
and the trees Of tw~ittering birds. Put.
ting his arms about his mothers neck.
he said; II will be q good boy, moth
err" Then wiping the tears from his
eyes she smoothed his drenched hair
with her soft, sweet touch and pressed
upon his lips the kiss of forgiveness
and reconciliation. He has never
forgotten his word; he will never
again venture ont on the stormy seas
in his little States right" boat.
Brother jonathan, too, has learned to
behave himself. And there is no
better boy In all the world than the
big rebellious brother way down
South in Dixie" G. G.