The Washington critic., 1888-04-07


vidual in Paris, as is shown by the
following incident: The grand old
man entered mayor $ office to certify
something, when the clerk in charge
asked him il he spelled his name
with n ar"
Relics of the departed poet are IN
great dem Ind. The worshipers Of
Victor Hugo are willing TO give almost
any price for souvenirs of the illus
trious man. In one window of the
numerous curiosity shops which
abound here is a soft felt head.cover-
ing, labeled Victor Hugo's hat
worn by him during the Terrible
Year" In all probability another
as gennine would take its place if this
found u purchaser Victor lIugo's
barber has been literally besieged by
relic hunters for locks of the dead
poet's hair
TnE HOUSE IN WHICH HUGO DIED
will shortly change hands, as the
owner Of the property asks such an
exorbitant sum that the family feel
unable to purchase it. His daughter
in-law intends TO make one of the
rooms in her new house, which is
near the late poets home, an exact
reproduction Of that in which the
author wrote his celebrated novels.
Victor Hugo had two sons and one
| daughter. The mind Of the latter is
impaired, and she is in q private asy-
lum in this city. II is said she can
repeat some of her fathers works
| word for word, and that she always
| reads upside down. She can be seen
walking in the garden with her maid,
| gathering small stones, with which
she fills her pockets. She then amuses
herself forming figures on the gravel
walk with the stones she has col
lected.
THE FESTIVAL or MID-LENT
has been celebrated in most peculiar
manner. II seems impossible for the
Parisians to observe six weeks fast
ing without a day to break the mo-
notony. 1t isunusual to see upon the
boulevards as many brilliantly deco
rated chariots, fresh costumes, and
masks Of every variety rs were seen
last Thursday. And what did the
multitudes come out to see? Not q
reed shaken by the wind, but Il wash
erwoman's festival. There were
countless carriages with men and
women in costume, and the pave
ments were alive for miles with q
merry throng. Many promenaded
in fancy dress, wearing masks, and
children from four years and upward
were arrayed as brides, flower girls,
nursery maids or cavaliers of the time
of XIV. This event takes place every
year, and each district of the city pro.
vides wagon ornamented with flags,
flowers and trees for the king and
queen of the laundries and their at.
tendants.
The queens were crowned and the
maids of honor were decorated with
broad sashes, feathers and flowers
There were forty of these charots
each of which paid visit to the office
of lie Petit Journal. The artistic taste OF
the florist transformed the vestibule
into floral bower. The carriages
stopped before the entrance-the
kings and queens, with their attend
ants, went into the Office.
They then returned to their char.
lots, in which they partook of re-
freshments. Some of the carriages
contained three pretty girls dressed
one in blue, the second in white and
the third in red, symbolic of the
national colors.
Bouquets, palm trees and small
sums of money for the poor and
specified objects of charity, were left
by these royal personages. Bands OF
music accompanied some of the
equipages. In one chariot was al
enormous OK, and another repre-
sented Jeanne dare. During a part
of the afternoon a ball was given in
the corridors and office of lie Pett
journal. The heavens did not smile
upon the strange but amusing caval.
cade, and downpours of rain would
have scattered any crowd but the
washerwomen.