The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-12-04

NIGHT HOSPITALITY.
4 MANSION WHERE UNFORTUNATELY
IN PARIS FIND SHELTER.
A Night for the Penniiess Laborer or tie
Mendicant - Sadly Characteristic
Types of Humaaity-Letters.
Prayers, Good Night"
Paris Cor. New York Sun.l

n. de Lamazs founded the first Of the
three houses Of the Hospitality of Night
now existing in Paris He selected the site
Of the Boulevard Vaugirard, because from
that central spot divers long thorough
fares which lead on all sides far into the
heart Of France. He purchased the build
ing number @i4, I" and opened 10 as an hos.
telry for tbs dsstituts, where the penniless
laborsr or the mendicant could rest his
bead and gather strength for the next morn
ing's wanderingS
Toward the close Of each day through
these endless approaches gather the guests,
creeping In from the suburbs, from
the outlying villages, from the re-
mote.t fringe Of Paris A blue lantern
swung over the door Is the star that
guides them. They group themselves under
the lantsrn or occupy the benches of the
boulevard till the hou: Of admission strikes.
In the big iron gate is another smaller
door. through which can be caught .
glimpse of a side wall painted green. with
the trained branchs Of a psach tree trail
ing over it At Z o'clock preci. ely the lit
tie door is thrown open. One by one the
waits silently enter, and turn, at the inyi-
tation Of guardian. into an ante room on
the right, where their feet are wa,hed.
Many of the wanderers are foot sore, and
low sigh of relief escapes them at the
grateful contact Of the tepid water.
REGULATION QUESTIONS.
At the con clusion of this ceremony the
men are marched to a long, low, dismal
building. against which stands a sort Of
sentry box, or small Office, provided with
two pigeon holes and desks. At the first an
official puts to each conner the uniform
question: @Have you bssn here beforel"
When answered in the negative, he passes
him on to the next desk, where he gives his
name, surname. assumed or real, and the
place Of his last domicile. No information
is asked as to his religion or nationality.
The dreary process ion passes on in Indian
file through heavy atmosphere Of gloom
accented by dead silence.
The types Of humanity marching past are
sadly characteristic. On the same day you
can see, now man barely answering the
regulation questions hoarsely asking for
q MUNICH OF bread in which his
teeth fasten ravenously; he has just
been acquitted Of a charge Of vagrancy,
and has been directed to No. IA by the po-
lice. Now a lad of n, of preposssssing
manners, a confectioner from Nice. Then
q swarthy and powerful man, with iron
gray moustache, a captain In a sailing ves-
sell Behind him Is a little warped figure.
crafty and wrinkled. who might be any age
up to so, but who calls himself 10, AMI de-
clares his profession as picker up of cigar
ends" which he calls gathering orphans"
Careless and cynical, he passes with his bat
tered straw hat cooked over his left eye
In striking contrast with the Paris agemin"
is gentleman buttoned up in q worn frock
coat with a portfolio uader his arm. He Is
a Prus.ian, and the editor Of . German
newspaper
Then the review ends, the light fades, and
the visitors enter the long hall, furnished
with narrow forms, like the classroom of
a school, and permeatsd with the fumes Of
a strong disinfectant Suddenly a voice Is
heard in the gathering darkness; "Msssieurs.
there Is no one to register now" The word
gentlemen" addressed t. such . miserable
crowd sounds oddly enough. but 1t Is sug-
gest,d by the almost divine tact Of charity
anxious to clothe with self-respect the hu.
initiation OF aims accepted.
LETTERS AND PRAYERS
The men then collect around large table
at one end OF the hall, and feverishly in
dite appeals to their relations to their
friends, to those who have already assisted
them, or whom in happier times they have
themselves helped. When the letters are
written they are carried back to the office
at the door. where by another provision
they are stamped and posted.
The superintendent nov makes his ap-
pearance. few Of the guests greet him
with @Good evening, captain" He Is in
deed the commander of that raft Of
humanity, and has the gruf, honest. open.
military bearing Of a soldier. NJ Thircius,
ex captain Of marine infantry, brings t.
his present post the same energy AMI con-
scientiousness that distin guished him in the
service. He inspires involuntary conf.
dence, and finds no difficulty in managing
his motley crew. Before calling out the
names preparatory to giving each man tbs
number Of his bed. the ca plain ascends q
rude platform at one ,ide Of the room, reads
out the regulation, and hegins the evening
prayer. In that uncertain light. between
those rough. white-washad walls. under that
sioping roof, among tho-e iil-clad, travel
stained occupants, a vision arises of the
stable of Bethlehem.
The captain appeals tp the Pater and the
Ave. None l. compelle. to bin. but the
rules insist upon the common courtesy OF
standing barehesded; SO they appear, tho
sbadowy pupils Of the weird classroom,
ranging from IL to 80, unknown to their
comrades. unknown ta their host. shoulder
to shoulder for one brief hour, never, per-
haps to meet again or be.seen under the
roof that sheltered them. At the close OF
the captains prayer. the men are drafted
int, the dormitories; a few whose outward
appearance neces states bygienic cleansing
pass into the purifying room, where, in ex-
change for their clothes left to bs fumi-
gated, they receive the clean nightshirt in
which they sleep. ....
GOOD NIGHT, MEssIEURs."
There are four dormitories. placed like
wards Of hospitals under the invocation OF
. patron saint. Each bed bears the name
Of the donor or subscriber to the charity.
At one end OF the dormitory gas burner
turned low glimmers like a star; IL sheds
white rays on the turned-down sheets, and
family outlines the numerous dark and un-
ksmpt heads resting above them. Itreveals
here and there the lingering scowl Of bru-
tality, the contraction of despair. the dull
misery Of look or lip, or the senselsss smile
OF habitual degradation.
Once more the captain appears at the
door. He reiterates his injunctions Of de-
csncy and discipline, and concludes with .
CHEEKY @Good night. messieurs." 1Good
night, captain" echo the weary tramps, in
tones which seem to rise from the ground,
and for seven or eight hours there Is rest in
the house of the Hospitalite de Mutt