The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-26
GOSSIP FROM FRANCE.

There IS agitation among the royalists on account of proposition now before the council, to demolish the expiatory chapel on boulevard Haussmanr. and
 self the lot which belongs to the city and IS very valuable one. This chapel was erected in 1920 to the memory of Lotus MI. and Marie Antolnette, whose re- mains were inferred on the spot, (then
 the bufying ground of the church of the
 Madeliene) after their execution in i7q,. There they remained until 1915, when
 they were removed to the royal vault of St. Denis, where they now repose. The
 chapel IS Tn the form of a Greek cross,
 with portico, and is covered with
 dome. It contains two groups in marble;
 one represents Louis XVI. and an angel
 who addresses him with the words, Son
 of St. Louis, ascend to heaven w Below
 IS inscribed the kings will. The second
 group represents the queen supported
 by Religion, a figure which bears the
 features of Madam Elizabeth, the kings
 sister, who was guillotned the year fol-
 lowing the execution of her brother. h.
 scribed on the monument is a letter said
 to be the last one addressed by Marie
 Antoinette to her sister-in-law, dated al,
 the conciergerie where she was impris-
 oned, October 10, I7g5. The original
 letter IS preserved Tn the national
 archives, together with the kings will.
 though the genulneness of the two docu-
 ments IS doubted by many the letter
 does not bear the queens signature.
 Should the visitor desire to see the
 very spot where these royal victims to
 popular rage were buried. he can descend
 a staircase in the chapel to crypt which
 occupies that locality. In front of the
 chapel IS court ianked with galleries
 m imitation of ancient tombs. and in- tended as monument to other victims
 of the revolution. But all this is destined
 to disappear. The u,ilitarian spirit has
 much 10 do with the movement, for. ac- cording to its interpretation, a most yalu- able spot of ground is suffered to lie idle and unproductive. but there is something
 more than that in it. Reverence for the
 memory of dead kings and po,entates is dying out in republican France. Even
 live king is not sure of respectful treat ment, as Spain's Alphonso realized. Such monuments of dead royalty as the the expiatory chapel are doomed to dis appear gradually, never to be restored.
 They belong to the past as much as do the old feudal castles with their meats and draw bridges, and their men n armor. You will not see France rebuild ing the palaces that have been destroyed. Rieh and magnificent palaces are only built under despotic power. when the people have no word to say regarding the disposition of the revenues. Of the once splendid palaces of the ruileries nothing now remains but some heaps of rubbish. l. IS said that the mob were partly in- sPlred to burn the palaces together with other costly editices during the day of the commune, in 1871, by belief, cultivated by their leaders, that they would be re- built thereby aifording employment to an army of workmen. imagine, how ever, that the fell spirit of destruction swayed the rabble more on that occasion shan any other consideration. II was li- oense run mad. It IS safe to say that the Tuileries will never be rebuilt, unless the country falls back under the sway of lux urious kings. The historic palace of St. Cloud Is an example Of the popular in- difference. It twas burned during the late var with Germany by shell hurled from Fort Nalevier, by the French themselves. intended to dIslodge the foe who were erecting earth works back ot the palace. Nearly twelve years have passed ard there has been no thought of rebuilding the palace. On the other hand there Is proposition to clear away the luins and erect on the site, which Is a magnificent enc, crystal palace similar 10 the one at Sydenham, London. A company is forming for that purpose
 Paris IS the great center of all the world for children's toys, and the display in the shop windows of these articles of luxury are among the sights of the great city d, the present time. Children pict- ure books are marvels of beauty in print ing and coloring. have just been turn- ing over the leaves of one entitled, His tore de Pierre ct de Son Theatre" Pieue IS a little orphan boy in the noun Ia ns Savoie. robbed of his parents when only eightyears of age by an avalanche. i Kind friends take Pierre in. but seeing their poverty tbe spirited boy determines not 10 rest burden upon them, so he starts out 10 make his own fortune in the world. One day in his wanderngs he encountered poor, hungry dog, with  whom he shared his crust, and the grate- iul animal never quilted his side after. 1 Being dog of puck intelligence, Pierre taught him to perform numerous anus ing tricks. with which they entertained the people who were kind to them and | furnished them with food. As the dog added to his performance, money began 10 flow in. and Pierre realized ,ha, his pet could be made source of income. Need less to describe all the process by which the orphan developed into snowman the end was tha, at length he owned a regular theatre of trained animals. with I portable building to exhibit them in. and travelled about from village to village with his own caravan of horses and wag- pms. When he had become rich he re- turned to the mountains of Savoie, hunted up the poor peasant who had taken him put Of the avalanche; made him com Iortable for lie and married his eldes,