Morning journal and courier., 1884-09-02

of an impervious nature and obtuse to all abuse or impoliteness. This guardian genius often carries away the blessings of anxious wives and mothers.
 Parisians have a mania for collecting curi- osities, and they are the oldest assortments to be found. Some of these are private and others seen for small compensation if you can only stumble upon them in out-of-the- way places-old clothes worn by celebrities, wigs, chessmen, even buttons, trash of all sorts venerated with antiquarian fervor. Old paintings are great treasure, and the mar vicious quantity found in the collections is wonderful. It has been suggested that some of the old masters must have lived one thou sand years to have painted all the pictures ascribed to their names. The owner always puts implicit faith in the genuineness of his treasures, and an experienced, wary picture dealer often realizes large sums on an ''old master" when he has vamped over a modern daub by some trick of his trade. A French paper tells of finding a skull of Cardinal Richelieu, and another remarks, 'ENo wonder he was remarkable statesman, as several of his craniums have been unearthed."
 Among the odds and ends the second hand book places on the quays near Pont Neuf are very interesting and amusing. You can turn over books to your hearts content, and book worms and students avail themselves of the privilege. It was customary several years ago to have auctions at night of these collec- tlons. Sometimes casual purchasers have found themselves possessed of treasures or remarkable curiosities in literature. French translations are very funny snd frequently convey different idea from that intended by the author. The absurdity of some transla- tions of Shakespeare have been frequently commented on. 'fOut, brief candle!" trans lated ''Partez a la porte, petit morceau de chandelle''- "Begone! to the door, small piece of candle!n
 Ioc.r ,eI ill variety of ways, and though they have been in a measure suppressed by the present system of police, they still amusing and interesting feature. They practice men dicancy as @ fine art, and instances have been well authenticated of successful decep- tlons carried on for years. One man with distressing ulcer on his leg, who for a long time excited disgust and compassion, was found to have two healthy members. He had his limb painted and swathed to repre- sent disease in manner that defied detec ton, and a blind beggar with two disfgured and swollen eyes had been for years "doc tored" so as to carry out his deception. A poor, lame and apparently distorted crip- pie was one day the butt of some aggra- vating gamins. Suddenly he raised the crutch he always had beside him when sitting apparently helpless and straighten- ing himself up fled after his tormentors and displayed to the astonished passers-by straight ana actlve hgure. It Is almost incredible the way these mendicants can distort and disfgure themselves to excite compassion, and many prefer it to obtain ing livelihood in an honest way. There are artists in 'deformities'' who make money by their curious and repulsive art, and some excel in their skill, and the beg gar will counterfeit the same deformities for years with persistency worthy of a better cause. There are classes and occu- pations belonging only to this metropolis, and it is truly a study to find out the un- dertow, as it were, of this social current. Wheels within wheels and every one dis tinct in his quarter and occupation