The Washington critic., 1888-02-04

After deieuner and an examination |
OF bags, ETC., we started for Paris,
few hours at Rouen en-
route. The day was perfect, not q
cloud to shadow the bright sunbeams,
and we felt like exclaiming, as did the
inspired idiot, "Throw open tho blinds
and let the sun glorify the room"
The trees and bushes were covered
with q glistening frost, the moss
covered, thatched-roof cottages were
picturesque, and Nature did her best
TO give MS n hearty Welcomes strik-
ing contrast TO tho foggy cities Of
England.
1t is only on reaching France one
fully realizes he is on foreign soil.
Not only the language but everything
is changed. A great cross, 30 feet in
height, with q life-sized figure of our
crucilied Saviour, is the first object to
be seen upon landing. Women are
at the crossings holding flags, while
some are bent over, bearing fagots
upon their backs. A woman seated
ON the frozen ground sits knitting
whilst tending the cows. The work
men wear blue blouses, while the
maids 60 without hats, or with fancy
caps, having full frilling of gay rib
bon around the head and streamers
almost TO the ground.
Rouen is in one of the most beauti-
ful and most fertile districts of Nor
mandy. at the foot of wooded hills,an
is watered by the Seine, which winds
in and out through the city and its
suburbs. The oldest part of the city
Ia Itsflt n tl,.a WIGHT "a thn .sttyar aud
the boulcvards are wide, resembling
somewhat those in Paris. The old,
quaint houses are n great contrast to
the monotony and regularity of mod
ern dwellings. TO give you an idea
of the size of the city IL is sufficient to
say IL contains more than l4,OOO
houses, 500 streets, 30 markets, 200
fountains and but one Protestant
church. There are II number Of man
ufactories, but they are quite a dis
tance from the centre of the town, so
the disagrceable soft coal does not
annoy one. Rouen has the honor of
being the home of Corneille, and
here Jeanne dare was imprisoned
in tower of q castle and burned at the
stake. A fountain with statue in
stone of the celebrated heroine now
marks the spot where her life was
sacrificed. There is one bridge across
the river from which there is q fine
view. Here we saw the wash-houses
on the banks of the stream and count
less women wringing their clothes in
the river. AS our time in Rouen was
limited, we made our way at once to
THE CATHEDRAL,
which is one Of the grandest in
France. 1t was commenced in the
thirteenth century and finished in the
sixteenth. The exterior is ornamented
with statues and elaborate carving in
stone, which show the lapse of years.
The cathedral has three towers, one of
which was erected by those abstaining
from butter during Lent, and is
called "Le tour de beurre." AS you
enter the church the high and beauti-
fully decorated transepts open before
you. We noticed at q glance the
deviation from the perpendicular of
one of the choir walls, and afterward
learned it was symbolic Of the inclina-
ton of the head of Christ upon the
cross. A figure of Christ, with both
hands full of bright-red roses, stood on
one of the side altars.
| ARRIVAL IN PARIS.
After ride Of two hours we reached
Paris, the gay capital Of the world,
where we found cold, clear brilliant
weather prevailing. The, frost in The
air made outdoor exercise enjoyable,
and the boulevards were thronged
with both native and foreigner. The
\ French being accustomed TO cold
houses, do not suffer as much as the
Americans. Why dwellings are not
properly heated on this side OF the
sea we know not, but certainly open
fires at this season afford little com.
fort, and the French seem afraid OF
stoves. The evening of our arrival
we were delighted to see stove, said
to be an American patent, and around
which we gathered, enjoying fully the
comfort ii gave. The following morn
ing it had disappeared, and much tc
our surprise, it was rolled into our
room and easily adjusted to the chin.
ney. This was certainly economy in
heating, as its mission was TO heat
more than one room. When asked
why such stoves were not used in
bedrooms, the femme de chambre,
throwing up both arms, exclaimed
"If you slept with that thing in the
room you would never waken.
There is no one who can &C
ahead of the Yankee for inventinl
home comforts. The shops il
Paris deserve all the admiration
they excite, but the most attractive
just now, owing especially to the con
trast outside, are those of the florists
who, in winter, as we'll as summer
ornament their windows with i'm
mense bouquets wound around will
yards of broad ribbons, exquisite il
shade, and knotted into graceful
bows, which give unusual beauty Il
.the decorations. Novelties are showI
IN the way of gilded baskets, gor
geously plumaged birds and sashes
the rarest flowers, including orchids
arranged in masses in varied designs
oddly shaped baskets and jaunty
wagons, while ornaments of richly
decorated wares are burdened with
lilies of the valley, azalias, roses o
every shade, ferns and grasses. The
effect is such as one might expec
from the artistic hand Of the Pa
risian. b.
ImprovinR a Rare Chance.