The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-11-14
Paris Marie Antoinette Josephine
Napoleon.

Z - % -. -. r aikneTt Of Ripley MISS,
has been in Europe during the past sum
mer. and has contributed to the South
eTn Sentinel series of most entertain-
ing letters descriptive Of the places Wis
tied By himself and party. We hope
these letters viii BE preserved in book
form. They would make a readable
and saleable volume. The following is
extracted from one Of his letters from
Paris:
Il What shall say about the French
metropolis Everybody goes into ecsta-
eies about beautiful Paris In point of
i fact it is fashionable for tourists to make
fools of themselves about it, unless ma
ture has saved them the trouble. | like
the French people very well indeed, be-
cause they are 50 uniformly polite and
kind to visitors As strange as 1t may
sound to the reader, | must tell the
truth; have been smitten With spell
lofpoIiteness since my arrival. How could
a reasonable man beimpolite when every
body else is smiling and bowing to him
as II he was an emperor. | have fallen
4 into the habit of lifting off my hat to
every man ] meet. / do not allow a
dray driver or 3 street sweeper 10 pass
without bowling low with uncovered
head The habit has become 50 deeply
imbeded in my nature that ! not unfre-
quently lift my hat to passing dog, IN
nv absent mindedness, mistaking him
for man. Yesterday ! found myself
howing and ,seraping to a marble statue
1 of Apollo, in the garden Of the Tuil-
| leries. did not refuse TO recognize him
merely because somebody had stolen his
clothes. Disearding all jokes, do most
seriously say that the French people can
and do surpass all others in their uni
form courtesy and politeness to strang-
ers Ii there Is any rudeness in man 5
nature, 4 constant association with them
] will make him ashamed to show it.
! They are especially kindand attentive to
Americans They take particular pains
TO, aud never fail to make one feel at
home amongst them.
PARIS
Is the best governed city on the COnti-
nent. has the most efficient police. Ii
ruiiian breaks your head, they put him
in the station house and have your head
mended in the hospital. If a man
breaks yonr head in London, they put
YOU in the station house and reprimand
| the other fellow. In Rome the police
don't interfere with either party, be-
cause they are asleep. Yesterday we
had a delightful carriage ride out to
Versailles, over q charming road that
penetrated a wildnefness of pretty shade
trees. Artificial lakes whose smooth
waters were covered with inumerable
aquatic fowls, fountains spouting sill
very spray high above the earth, broad
acres of fragrant flowers, outrageous
vines and rural grottoes, appeared on
aginable style, filed with the elite
of the city dasEed past like an express
train. Bugges drawn by bob-tailed
trotters yefit with electric speed, male
/ and fetasfe equestrins. darted along with
/ a speed that would win money on race
feodrse. The ladies have strange habit
j Of springing up 10 or 15 inches above
the saddle every jump the horse makes.
/ They evidently do more work than the
horse think 4 lady would make bet
/ ter show if she would sit erect in her sad
die and let the horse do the jumping.
OF cource everybody that goes to Paris
visits the grand and pretty Trianon at
Versailles. None but crazy people can
fail to appreciate visit to those places
where so many historical incidents have
had their origin It was in the lit.le
Trianon where the beautiful, frivulous,
but unfortunate,
MARIE ANToINEFIE,
spent the happiest days of her girl-hood,
/ surrounded by score or two of her
female attendants. Here it was where
she had a little theatre built, and em-
ployed the happy days in managing and
training her amateur troop, often APP
pearing on the stage herself in the role
of love sick milk maid. 1t was here
where the young queen played the dairy
maid, not on the stage, but IN reality.
All the implements which she used in
her dairy are to be seen there Just as
she left them a hundred years ago,
amongst which is milk strainer that
must have cost more than a thousand
francs. All the pals, pans, and other
vessels which she employed in her mini
ature cheese factory, are either lined
with gold or silver. The furniture in
Def UeQ SbetliOo t1CLC JuSb fto II
stood when she occupied the apartment.
The initials Of her name is wrought in
gilt letters on the chairs, while the silk
counterpins that was made 100 years
i ago, still covers the bed where she slept
the happy sleep of youth. A dozen cosy
little rooms where She used to lodge her
frolicsome associates may be seen with
all the furniture preserved, which as
vet show no signs of age. Her sleigh, a
} duaint-iooking thing gorgeously wrought
} With gold and shiny brass, silk cushions
] and gay trimmings, was pointed out tc
US. A melancholy interest seems tC
+ cling to every article that once belonged
| | to Marie Antoinette. The sad fate thai
! eventually overlook her, the romantic
| incidents that intermingled themselye:
: with her history, will naturally carr,
our thoughts back to the timt
5 when she was a happy girl, an honoreC
; queen, and a contented wife. She wa
5 the daughter Of a king, the wife of ;
r king. and one of the most beautiful
E women in Europe. When she was mar
t ried to Louis XVI, twelve hundred peo
0 nle were crushed to death by the vas
: crowd that had assembled to honor her
!, How short was the brief space of tim
e after that when her head rolled in tn,
e dust under the bladeof the guilotine, OF
the yerv spot where the multitude col
: leeted to worship her. That broa
It white brow, on which crown of dls
II monds did SO often sparkle, fell into
$ pool of blood and dirt, amidst tn
I hisses and groans Of i frantic mutt
$ tude. No doubt that multitude wa
d lareely augmented by the. very me
= who had trsnned others to death viii
n endeayoring tosee the Young bride. Sh
1t was the daughter of Maria Therisa
1f Austria. who, when embracing Mar
It Antoinette at their parting, said, N
q mind is troubled with a mysterious for
a boding Of coming evil that is to owe
II take my beloved child. What II
st French love to-day they hate to-moTro'
y What they hate they destroy. He
a true did the mothers predictions pro-
q to be. II was the influence OF mar
al Antoinetts that induced the King
le eive his sanction to the treaty of al
II snee with the American Colonies. du
lg mo the struggle for independents
II Her execution has cast : dark stain
n The fair fame of France, similar TO tn
be which the judicial murder of Mrs. sur
x hos fixed that of the United Stats
ch Roth of these innocent women were p
lc- 81 death bv an unlawful tribuns
as They were murdered for crimes COZ
no miffafl bv Others. They were execut
ne n the name Of liberty, under clrenl
or stances that would cause the goddess
re- liberty to bow her head and blush
IS. see such vile crimes committed n 2
IN, .araa The secret skair case thFoul