The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-03-29

be at the disposal of those whose only other OPP
portunity is the last day of the carnival. This
opportunity is by no means wasted, and the pro-
cession Of Sunday and the Sunday confetti
throwing were this year, at least the most
spirited of the whole festivity One odd little
feature of Sunday was the enthusiastic partici-
patton of a jolly negro courier who wore neither
mask nor costume, but went into the fight
with will, stationing himself ON the sidewalk
and receiving with Unfailing good humor the
volleys poured from passing carriages at his
beaming, sparkling face. This man speaks
French fuently and makes his headquarters
a1 6 -" of the favorite Anglo-American hotels
at Paris in the intervals of his tours as courier
1t was funny to hear FrenI..,, maid who had
seolded him violently for pelting her with Co
tett1 say respectfully moment after, in an
swer to a question, Oh, yes he is very we'll
known; he is a very proper person, that gentle
man he is a courier who chooses his own
travellers" To large class of travellers a
courier is a necessity; and the good service
which courier may render Is suggested by the
fact that the English cemetery at Cannes con-
tains monument erected by an English lady
TO heF Swiss courier in memory of many years
of faithful service The colored gentleman in
question was great help to the enjoyment Of
the Sunday of the carnival of ali those who
came into his neighbsrhood, and the feeling Of
good fellowship with which he was received
showed that We Americans might have another
lesson FROM the French if ne were so inclined
Ii IS not only that France gives fine university
privileges to women whom we exclude from
Harvard and the Johns Hopkins University:
france gives to the negro all that we do and
good fellowship in social life besides 1t would
be well for Us to look to our laurcis in the
matter of hberalityI
THE CLOSING FESTIVITIES.
Monday Is given to a repetition Of the Battle
of Flowers; and Tuesday, the closing day, is a
repetition of Sunday Tuesday night, how
ever, Is an exception to the rule that the even
ing must be spent indoors, on the Riviera; for
the whole pOpulace Of Nice seemed to BE-
crowded into mile Of the Rue st. Francois de
Paule at ten o'clock on the Tuesday night
which closed this years carnival. This street
presented curious and pretty spectacle. The
poles and banners which served bv dav To mark
the route OF the procession were supplemented
at night by myFiads of delicate red glass and
clear glass cups containing lights This delicate
but abundant illumination gave rich rose
color to the white walls of the houses which
line the street, and an appearance of unreaIity
TO the multitude which sWaTmed up and down
It's wide, level pavement. Horses and carriages
were banlshed everyone was on foot nearly
everyone in costume, and ali the world bent ON
a frolic. John Bull and the Turk were here
walking peacefully arm-in-arm with q gawky
NN's%-SA " oAAe-~~A-SA.
small white clowns went tearing down the
middle of the street, each fellows hands on the
shoulders of the fellow in front, and all shout
ing merrily. The annoying confetti was BAN
ished, and the masRers InerriIy moved about
enjoying the pretty light aud each others
grotesqneness, until ten o'clock, when the
Prince of Wales, who had taken part once or
twice in the carnival, proceeded to open its
closing ceremony by lighting the first of the
fireworks. By midnight the carnival was
over and Ash Wednesday ushered IN Lent
and the next morning a DRILLING rain
made Nice desolate and filed the streets with
mud composed chiefly of dissolved confetti
Life brings good many holidays to the French
workman and in the south of France he is
careful to grasp them all. Thus, no work is
done on the last day of the carnival, and Ash
Wednesday Is q church holiday, when it would
be wrong to work. Lent begun, work begins
again but at Mid-Lent there is a break of two
days again, and. at this moment, the Prone
made DIES Anglais is lined throughout its whole
length with procession of carriages moving
slowly in each direction, repeating the Battle
of Flowers of the Carnival The bands are
stationed again, a host of little boys run about
picking up fallen bouquets; multitude of
women and children have rented chairs for the
afternoon, and are sitting along the roadside
walk watching the pretty pageant. A carriage
has just passed under the window, bearing slowly
along an Austrian noble family, the pretty
daughters tossing bouquets across to the side
walk among group OF strangers. And so this
Mid-Lsnt fete viii continue until tomorrow
night. A large part of the crowd of watchers
is made MP of workingHlen, and their air of
leisure is delightful to behold Perhaps, their
wives wish they were less leisurely; perhaps,
If there We're fewer holidays there might be
more chance of escape from Old Nice TO whole
somer homes and better life. Meantime the
scene IS q charming one and the mixture of
people of all sorts and all garbs goes to show
that at Nice life is more democratic than in
democratic America, for here all the world en-
joys itself together, without needing centen-
NAL exhibition to induce it to do SO. Indeed,
the deliberate way in which the pOpuiace sets
about amusing itself is very instructive. 1t is
assumed that recreation out of doors is a part
Of every ones life, and that it must be ealeu-
lated upon rs much as bread and butter. More
over, there is no attempt to make recreation
exciting 1t must be moderate wholesome
and pretty; if it gives a chance for display, so
much the better. Accordingly, one holiday
does not imply succeeding days uselessness,
as many employers find the case In America.
On the contrary, French holiday seems to
leave a general sense of contentment and Will
ingness to get back to work. FIX