The National tribune., 1889-08-08

OF Brittany and Normandy the peasants,
both women and men, were making hay, and
occasionally a workman plasteripg nm adobe
house. Along the lower Seine, twisting in and
out. like a silver thread. were the quaint little
junks, carrying the tiny brown pots of thick
Normandy cream and delicious unsaltcd but
ter to the Paris markets. The slopes OF the
valley were ablaZe with cultivated fields of
red poppes and yellow mustard, and garden
plats beyond the river spgnmed the cbalky
cliffs like ribbons of contrasting green's and
browns
The beauty of the landscape is heightened
by the contrast between tho evergreen hues
of the trimmed groves and hedges and the
yellow tints of every variety of grains and
animals And then tho picturesque peaked
roofs of the low peasant hats, set in clus-
tiers; the peaceful villas in the hodges of
rose and holly; the clean, narrow streets,
aud creamy adobe bonses One almost forgets
that hero swept the Huguenot wars and the
Revolution; and Joan OF Arc and Henry OF
Navarro took their places among the immor-
tails OF heroic epochs.
The boats check baggage through to Paris in
a remarkable way. The Steward goes around
with little pastepot aud q set of numbers
printed in large red letters on white paper. III
you have several pieces he will give you tho
same number for EACH and charge 25 cents
apiece. Say your number is 20, and you have
three pieces: no will give you one number
marked with the figure in blue pencil, and
put duplicate 20 on each piece. Then when
you reach tho Custom House you take your
paper check, and If your three seventies are not
grouped together on the tables ready to be
opened you have the satisfaction of looking il
up as best you can, slipping pour 6oire into
the hands OF every porter and sub. official of
whom you inquire.
IL you get your baggage, you open IL and stand
guard until the usual question has been asked:
" Hev yew tabac, bran.dce, cigars, whiskeeI"
If you arc smoker, or travel with large
trunk, you stand good chance Of having IL
gone through; otherwise the chalk mark is
other attack Of porters and pour boire.
Why don't the French adopt the American
system of cheeking7" asks an irate country
man. question easy answered IL would DO
an innovation that would disarrangc tho whole
order of things. especially the pour toirc system
What is the pour boire SYSTEM" yon may
ask. And this reminds me Of the bride at Hayre,
fresh from Vassar College, where everybody 10
supposed to speak French. Her husband was
seeing 70 the baggage, aud she was calmly sur
veying the strange scene. An old man bobbled
up aud held out his hand. pale little boy at
his heels Pour boiro." he repeated, pitifuily,
turning mp his bleared eyes 10 the sun. The
bride handed him half franc. In moment
"a cluster Of aiIns-seekeTs were around her all
her and placed her i'm the coach.
Dear" said the Yassar bride as she counted
her change, who would have thought there
were SO many poor boys In France.
The system of pour b0ires Ia as much nm insti.
tuition of France as tho Arc do Triomphe or the
Column Vendome; IL would require rcvoln.
ton 10 sweep it away. A p0ar boiys meaning
" FOR the beer" or 10 buy drink" Is almost
the sole source Of income OF a large proportion
OF the working classes. The coachrncn, portars,
messengers aud walters receive but little in tho
way oi salaries. Unless they are skilled they
pay for the privilege Of filing such situations,
depending on pour boires for their subsistence
Thus, when you ride Ia d coach or cab, you
pay the regular fare aud poar boire 10 the
coachman. When you buy becfsteak or a
dinner. you pay the price and poar boire TO
the waiter When you have baggage or pack.
ages transported, you pay & pour boTe You
pay pour bore 10 your chambefmaid q poar
b0tre 20 the man who blacks your boots pour
bOiTe to the boy who runs errands, pour bofre
TO the man who directs your carriage. And
yet all these things are charged in your bill at
hotels and clearinghouse. Yon know in
Europe you hire your room only, and take your
meals where you please; somet mes Ia cafes aud
restaurants, and sometimes In parlors or gar
dens, or under the street awnings, where you
will find three or four rows OF small tables. oc-
cupied from morn until night with diners aud
wners. All Paris live ont.doors. aud only 70.
tire 10 their rooms 10 sleep when weary nature
Is worn out for want OF rest
THE EIRFEL TOWER.
Suppose you are n Paris for tho first time for
a few weeks and have made the ExposItion
your objective point,
you will first get the
lay OF the land from
the summit Of Eifel -
Tower, which occupies II
tho center of the Ex- #
position grounds. Like VA
the Brooklyn Bridge, Ma
IL is a supreme marvel ~
ofmodern engineering. #A
1t IL, besides the high HHA
est monument erected SiA
hv humaD gkiII E8fFIA