The Grenada gazette., 1886-01-16
A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
Alone with a Madman on the Col
unn Of Vendome.

'iHt4' u OiiIC' upch tiV otldSIOl y
visit to Paris, to ascend the Ncndom,
column for the purpose OF contempIHt
ing the city from lofty elevation. A
my feet was spread out the busy pan
Drama of the people moving across the
place, or oRtcringit it from the contiguous
streets, the Rues de la PaiX and Cas-
uglionc,
How long had been there do not
know, for the time passed very quickly,
absorbed as l was in gazing at the
points Of interest in the great city; but
[ WAS aroused, after while, by feeling
, gentle tap upon my shoulder.
At thi, .ouch. a little startled as I
was. | turned and looked behind me.
Near enough to admit of my touching
him, had | desired to do so, I saw a
man Of grave and somber expression of
countenance, and with long, flowing,
gray beard
As I locked at him quessionin ely, a
smile came upon his face, and for a
momentimparted cheerfulnsss to it,
Almost Immediately upon my observ-
ing him he advanced to my side.
Pardon" he said. "for thus inter.
rupting your meditations You are a
stranger to Paris, presumsa"
Yes.
AN Englishman. perhaps?'
mo, An American
All"
Then he gazed at me with what
seemed to me to be curious express
sion in his eyes.
This is favorite place from which
to view Paris he continued, in as
grave manner as had marked his con-
duct from the beginning. II some
times come here mvself-that is, when
I get chance to do so. The streets
are too much crowded for comfort, and
for the streets nothing can be seen;
but up at this height one feels free
free
For an instant, as The stranger
spoke. restless gleam came into his
eyes; but this passed away almost in
stantly, and the somber expression re.
gained it, influence in his face.
You, sir" / remarked, after
slight pause. "are, of course,
Perisian?'
" At present, yes. l have for some
time resided here, and in that sense l
am Parisian. Rather should | say,
however, that | am cosmopolitc,
Indeed! Then. sir, you have been
q great traveller, doubtlessp"
You have surmised correctly, sir,
replied the stranger. Il have been
cverywhere--in every cline. among
every people'' Then he added, with
It sudden energy that startled me:
;. Do I look old or feeble, or wasted
with years?'
:. Not at all, sir--not at all. You
appear, on the contrary, to be very
vigorous man one, | should say, who
could bear great deal of fatigue"
The stranger shook his head
YEARLY.
And yet am very old man."
&c replied.
| did not choose to express any
loubt Of what he had just told me;
nut / thought that he was amusing
imsclf at my expense. As it was, !
vas beginning to feel nervous, situated,
) | was, with man whose manner
'as, to say the least, unusual.
- Yop have been traveller" said
0 him, resuming the conversation;
may | ask you whether You have
yer been to American
Often-vory often. Of late years.
owevcr. | have not been on that con-
nnnt 7 understand that many
Ianges have taken place in that quar-
y Of The globe
I0u have, doubtless. also visited
il. and African | continued
Those continents, too, have l also
ayeIed. My fate has carried me
erywhere-everywherel'
MAY | ask who you are, sir?' l
id, curious to know the name of my
range interlocutor,
tPardonI" he exclaimed, lifting his {
md deprecatingly, Let my name :
unknown to you"