The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-04-18
The Reggars' Ball.

One o. the curiO sights of Paris is
the '.Beggars' Ball." his nteres ing
event takes place regularly in he some.
w at distant and hut little known dis
irict situated between the closed arches
o tie incenn Railway viad ct and
the gray walls of the Ma as Prison
There, several times a week. the
Partisan beggars meet to have a
dance and forget for moment
their hardships in the joys o
the dan e. They live in an I'D oin-
i'm str ct or alley, almost entirely
peopl d by those VIII SUI sis by aims.
It is their stronghold, their lair, their
place of ABODE From it they eme ge
in the morning, and to it they return in
the evening. There ] YES in arts sew
eral classes of beggars: Fl st. those
VIII are allowed to stand in the rect
a a given tine and place hese the
passers b.; have known and seen or
years. Second, tn Sc VIII, creep a d
crawl intermittently along the boule-
va DIS and highways Of the f'r, nch capt.
Ial Third those who take up their
station under tn doorwa :. and sell,
as q pretext, pencil S or writ NC
paper. Fourth, those who shun
the crowded. pathway fer the quiet
courtyard, where they sing. or speak,
or p ay to the octupan of tn sur
rounding windows. ] his is the class
o. begg IS who d-port themsel, es upon
tie Slight f3ht.stic toe" III Sc
particular beggars have ce tain pc
tensions to the fine arts. They wish to
lie understood to cultivate music sing
inc and eloquence. They ask aims in
the names of the Muses.. Others-those
who fire. u mt the doors of the urcheS
speak of the virgin Mary but these
invoke Erato, Euterpe, and the d vine
Polvmnia. Some of them attain a GER
tain degree of proficiency, and reap a
rich harvest the eby. Their voice has
a tragic ring, thei gestures are moving.
Their ballads enchant seamstresses, ser
want maids and children at the open
windows, and down come the co u ers
on the pavement of the court Glow.
{ Their beg ars of this class attempt in
strumental recitals songs or spoken
appeals. only to fright-n their be lrer
an levy blackmail on UNIV ling audi
ences. Their plan is to excite to re-
bellion, and their harvest, too is rich
one. richer of course than that of their
frllows, who give at least something in
return.
hen the professional day is finished
the small army of beggars regain their
quarter for the night From all parts
or DO hts of the "brick and mortar
houi4on'' they may be seen vending
thei. way homeward, their pockets
well filed with sros sous. Their fare
at dinner, or rather, su per, is coarse
but plentiful, save in certa n ca rs
where the begga thinks himself a
gourmet, and, as such, INDUCES in deli
cacies.
I cir ball is tri-weekly. 1t takes
place at one of tn wine shops near the
crossing of the two boulevards, Diderot
and Dunmesnil. This last name is ap-
propriate, or the brave and gallant
General who bore it had like the first
Ma quis of Anglesea, lost ''hslf his
understanding" in The war; of the first
Napoleon and said he would su render
the fortress of Vincenues 10 the enemy
vhen they had given him b ok b leg.
We say appropriate, TOR this particular
class of beggars are mostly MANNED.
Manchots, or one-armed m. n, are in the
ma ority: but there are also lame fid
dlers and blind singers, together with
he partially paralyzed, who appeal to