Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-10-05

should be cleaned with oil and whiting
put on with flannel, then rubbed with dry
whiting and soft rags and polished with n
leather. Plate is best washed Mt once in
hot water and soda and cleaned with
rouge rubbed off with the hand and pol
ished with n leather. 1t should be rubbed
with leather whenever it lis put on the
table.
THE CATACOnR Rs OF PARIS.
Mysterious Chambers which are RIVAL.
cd Only By Those OF Rome.
At the mention of the word catacombs,
our thoughts fly back to those early ages
OF the Church when the first followers of
the doctrines of Christ hid themselves
from the fury of the Roman Empcrors in
caves and dungeons of tho earth, since
then known as catacombs, and OF which
many specimens are found in Rome. But
the catacombs Of Paris mean nothing Of
this kind. 1t is comparatively OF recent
date namely, under the Empire-tlnt
the removal of the bones from the over
crowded cemeteries and convent burial.
places to these subterrauean passages.
earnedlfor them the name of catacomebs.
These so-called catacombs form but
small portion of the immense excavations
part of Paris These vast quarries, Of
ancient date, from the white stone of
which rose the beautiful city Of Paris, have
been from time to time the rendezvous Of
| thieves and smugglers, who maranded the
capital, retreating to their dangerous hid
ng-plaees, whore nonedared attack them.
highly interesting novel styled Lies
Catacombes de Paris, written some years
since, which though somewhat colored
with the sensational excitement necessary
to attract the interest of the public gra-
phically describes these gloomy vaults
as having been for some days the prison
OF young and beautiful girl, who was
seized and conveyed thither on leaving
the celebrated convent of Val-de- Grace,
under which these carrieres extend. The
lady Is sought for in vain AMI at length
the distracted lover penetrates into these
dark caverns, where he discovers his
tiance among gang of counterfeit coiners,
who for years have been the occupants of
these gloomy dungeons.
During the period of the first French
revolution numbers of people fed fer
safety to these vaults, to seek refuge as it
were in .ho bowels of the earth from the
political strife and crime at that time SO
fercely contending in the gay capital
We see in the Catscombs the remains of
the chapel and high-altar erected by these
refugees, where, with sorrowing hearts,
they attended daily the service of the mass.
A little later an alarm is given the bcauii-
full Palace OF the Luxembourg, under
which these quarries extend, has been
seen to totter and in or'ler that the loo
ed palace of the Medici may not be en-
quilted in the abyss upon which il has
been discovered to stand, steps are taken
to form q complete staff Of workmen,
whose sole duty consists in inspecting
these anciont cavities and keeping them in
thorough repair. Permission is not easily
obtained to visit the whole extent Of these
carrieres. Those only who have private
interest can penetrate into these dark
abysses, which for the most part are CON
sidered unsafe for the public. The por-
ton, however, known as the Catacombs is
visited largely on the first and third Sat.
urday of every month by numbers of
foreigners, who, attracted by the novelty
OF such sightseeing, go in crowds to await
their turn OF admission. Application hav-
ing been made, either by letter OF in per-
son, to the Ministre des Carrieres, card
OF admission is forwarded, requesting the
visitor to be at the place of rendezvous
generally near the Barriere dEuter-pre-
cisely at 1-15 n. m.
On arriving at his destination the vis-
tor finds himself i'll n courtyard facing tho
entrance, and one of a crowd of several
hundreds of persons. Each awaits his
turn OF admittance within the little barred
door, near which stand the ticket collec-
tor, the officer employed to count each in
dividual who descends and duly register
the total in his ledger, and the bright-eyel
little French woman who provides each
visitor for a small gratuity with the nee
cessary bongie (candle), without which no
one is permitted to enter and though
roughly fixed at the end OF Il
long wooden handle, it helps to cast q ray
Of light into the darkness within the silen.
walls. There is II babel Of voices all
around and it is some time before the
crowd OF visitors, with the guide at the
head holding aloft his haring torch, are
fairly launched into the Catacombs.
After descending fifty or more stone steps,
worn and slippery with decay, We pass
through long narrow passages apparently
hewn out of the stone. We dare not lin
ger, but follow rapidly the long line Of
igures vending their way through those
lark vaults Here and there in the long
corridors are passages barred off, and
AhoWh no AZ SSita4u NdiNtS
and corners, asentinel, with torch upheld,
'tands to call out in deep sonorous voice
"A droite tonjours" keep to the right;
and we all hurrying on to We hardly know
what, find ourselves in u square vault of
height, along each side OF
which are stacked the bones of those long
,ince departed. A weird sight High
born descendants of noble houses may be
iere yonder skull may once have worn
he regal crown OF France, forge. ten and
unknown, beside whose remains may rest
hose OF the poor beggar-boy, who came
o beg his bread at the convent door, and
he'd there, tended by the Sisters care.
The taste displayed in the arrangement
4 the bones il truly wonderful. There is
Nothing to offend the eye. In perfect or
lar, not one out of its appointed place, the
ireary spectacle Of human ncthingness
3 there presented; and as we pass from
me spot to another along the almost in
passages, the eye ceases TO be
ihocked by the CHASTITY picture. Upon
zach side, from time to time, a tablet may
10 seen, describing the locality from
which the bones were taken, and date
After having wandered among those
lreary vaults Of death for two hours or
more, we find ourselves at the point from
which we started, and ascending the mar
ow staircase, rejoice onece more in fresh
'ir and genial sunshine.
-FOUR POPULAR SONGS OF FITALY.