Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
THE LITTLE PARIS.
Lillian Spencer Finds Brussels a
Most Magnificent City.
TIE SIGHTS TO BE SEEN THERE
Living Cheap in the Most Popular Parts Of
Belgium's Capital
FRAUD ON THE FIELD OF WATERLOO

ing more like drowned rats than eminently
respectable American women walking
through Europe in quest OF pleasure, health
and adventure. 1t isn't nice to be wetl
Damp, draggled skirts and soaked boots are
intolerable under any circumstances; but
fancy our predioamenti We had nothing
to put on in their stead; our trunks were in
Liverpool TOR we had not thought of lit
tie thing like rain. In fact, it never oc-
CURED to us that any contingency would
arise necessitating a change Of apparel.
We supposed 1t was always fair weather.
out of New York.
Details are always an abomination, but
We gods, how wet the wet of this country isl
How the water does difuse itself. 1t ran
down in round the hem of my flannel sailor
gown and swelled out my beautiful English
walking boots until looked in
deed sailor--a sailor walking in
boat, or rather a pair of boats.
Health-seeking walkers who follow in my
footsteps may profit by my experience and
send small steamer trunk ahead by rail.
1t won't cost great deal. In any event,
| gium doctors bill. Nothing can possibly
equal that, unless it be the Belgium doc
tors asinlnity.
INTO DRIPPING BRUSSELS.
Brussels was dripping when we entered it.
1t had been raining continuously for three
J days. The streets were overfowing. So
/ were we-with ill humor. But hotel had
to be found, and considerable tramping
done. For once luck favored US. We
stepped into hallway to get breathing
| spell, and there was the sign, "Chambre
Louer." Room to rent.
"We'll take it" cried recklessly. And
we did. The woman wanted francs q day,
and saw perfectly well that the rooms
we're worth it. There were two, parlor
and bedroom, but was savage as Turk,
and stood there and beat her down to ~
francs. Thirty cents! Think OF it, and in
Brussels, in a central location. There is this
| to be said in my extenuation, however.
My haggling was done in French.
1 am not difident on general principles, but
frankly confess shouldn't have had the
nerve to do il in English. You see in French
don't alwaysfquite understand what say,
hence my boldness in saying it. This is
great advantage to me. 1t can't be said that
those who are trying to make me out are
similarly benefited, but that is no business
of mine. hold q trump card. Tplay it.
| Do you the same-in Belgium.
| BRUSSELS AS GOOD AS PARIS.
Paris is, of course, the queen of continen-
tai cities. It is the mecca, the paradise, the
eden par excellence. Everybody but a
tool wants to 20 to Paris. But everybody
can't get there. To those uniavored indi-
viduals let me say Brussels will do just as
we'll. Brussels is a slittle Paris, not half
so expensive and quite as enjoyable, on
small scale. If you have tn. least imagina-
ton, you have only to walk around Brus-
sells and say to yourself, II am in Paris"
and-presto-you are in Paris. You look
at the same white houses, the. same
| gilded dome, the same bouievards,
| the same avenues of spreading trees,
the same smooth, clean streets,
the same superb shops and cafes, all white
and gold and mirrored, and last but not
! least the same stylish women, who are Par
isian from the crown OF their jaunty Partisan
hats down to the points of their dainty high
heeled Partisan boots.
! Besides all these hints of Paris, YOU have
the same language. Everybody speaks the
| French tongue. and the same glum, self
important ponderous coachman, who sits
upon his box seat rs a king sits upon his
throne-calm, unruff1ed, unconscious. He
knows you for foreigner before you realize
the fact yourself, and you might stand and
talk your best boarding-school French to him
|
and glare at you and swear he didn't under
stand his own tongue until he was black in
the face-if such a red face could turn
black out of the hangman's moose.
HE KNOWS HOW TO CHARGE.
Having impressed upon your unsuspect-
ing mind that he can't understand a word
you say, he will drive you about the most
| >uninteresting part of the city at dismal
dead-and-alive pace, and calmly charge you
for two hours instead of one, and double the
rate at that. Then he will wrap himself up
in his own importance more securely than
ever and drive of in quest of another vic
tim.
Like Paris, there are a great many sights
to see in Brussels, great many places to
go and great many agreeable things to do.
Dining at the table d'hote," for instance.
That little expedition consumes an hour
pleasantly. Over the door of the cafe you
will read that there are three "table
d'hotes," one at 1 franc and half, one at
and another at francs. If you are
travelling on an allowance OF francs day
you will take the table d'hote" at franc
and half. 1t will consist of the same
viands as the others, but you will not be
ooliged to tax your digestive organs to the
same degree. for there will not be an equal
number OF courses. And you won't want
LueA, you oIS NV soTmhuu.
am not, and 1 was satisfied
with a bowl Of soup, dish of fresh fish,
roast rib of beef with potatoes, a veal pie
(always eat veal in Belgium and France; it
is excellent), salad, cheese and coffee.
Thirty-fve cents is the bill, with 10 GEN.
times for the waiter, two cents or four at the
most. This is all that expected.
THE KINGS GREAT PICTURES.
After one has fortified the inner man (or
woman. as the case may beg there is the
palace OF the King" to see. And here one
may revel to ones hearts content among
the masterpieces of Rubens. Vandyck, Hob
bema, Franz Hols and Rembrandt. Kings
have too many of this worlds good things!
1t seems to me they might content them
selves with their superb palaces and dis
tribute some of their priceless works of art
among their friends. There is a magnificent
garden connected with this palace. The
Empress Josephine loved it very much. 1t
was a favorite retreat of hers. But
Napoleon loved her at that time and
whatever be gave her found favor in
her ewes. I think it was rather a
nice gift myself, this beautiful palace.
But he should not have taken up his resi-
dence there with Marie-Louise as he did
after he had tired of Josephine and divorced
her. 1t was not good form. One looks for
better things in Napoleon.
Then there is the Palais of the "Comte de
Flandre" with its decorated staircase. its
Van der Stappen sculptuary and Wautus
paintings Above all, there is Its four gobe-
lin tapestries, representing the Elements, "
of a value impossible to estimate; and the
"Palais des Academies" and the ''Palais de