Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-09-15

process through which the kaolin
passes before it is glazed.
There are a few works OF art in
the Paris churches but these seem
rather tame after seeing the much
more gorgeous churches of Italy.
The architecture of the Notre Dame
is considered very fine while its
connection with Napoleon's history
gives interest to it. The Saint
Chapelle, now enclosed under the
same roof with the Palace OF Justice
but once the worshipping place OF
French royalty, has very beautiful
stained glass windows. The music
ofthe Notre Dame and the Madeleine
is very good but hardly so fine as
we had expected.
The government buildings have
been the most disappointing thing
about Paris to me. The House of
Deputies does not compare with the
Capitol at Washington; the various
"Ministries'' are much less imposing
than our department buildings"
and the avenue from the Madeleine
to the House of Deputies is nothing
in comparison with Pennsylvania
Avenue from the Capitol to the
Treasury Department. But further
than this | had better not venture a
comparison, lest | should be forced
to acknowledge that the Pension
building when decorated for the most
splendid inauguration ball is very
tame in comparison with the mag.
nificent ball room now being com
pleted at the Hot de Vile, and
that the presidents reception room
in that building far surpasses the
famous east oom of the White
House. The presence of such an
array of sentinels at every building
and so many soldiers in the Capitol,
does not impress an American very
~favorably, and very naturally leads
one to fear that our sister republic
has not the same confidence in hel
peace and safety which is SO char
acteristic of America. At any rate
an Americans confidence in himself
and his own country is something
wonderful, and our national bigotry
is always coming to the front. Only
last week | heard an American min.
lister, when addressing a French au-
dience, express the hope that "'Paris
and France might soon be as good
as Philadelphia and Pennsylvania
When we get tired of visiting arr
galleries and fine buildings, we US
ually go into the stores and look al
the novelties displayed there. The
mere fact that you speak English in
sures you a cordial welcome, ano
you are Immediately shown every
thing you wish to see without asking
for more than one or two things,
The Paris shop keeper imagines that
you are a millionaire and begins tc
tell you the price of thingsi in dollars
instead of francs. l have found
considerable need of mental arithme.
tic and received a good review of the
same practical study in reducing the
dollars and cents back into francs
and centimes. We were. shown a fan
the other day which the shop keeper
urged us to purchase at the modest
price of $50 francs, but as winter is
coming | decided to wait till next
summer.
Not only the stores but all public
places are crowded with English and
American tourists, who may gen.
orally be recognized at a glance by
their guide-books. They all ascend
Eiffel Tower, whatever else they fail
to do. The men, and all the women
with any historical taste, go to the
magnificent tomb of Napoleon. The
younger women and girls generally
make pilgrimages to the museum
and tomb of the beautiful and I'M
fortunate Marie Bashkirtseff. On
other points there is a DIVISION
some go one place and some go
another. So far as Annie and | are
concerned we have tried faithfully
to see everything that it is possible
for girls to see in the time we have
been here, sc we have gone to all
the places where tourists most con-
gregate.
| shall carry away with me the
impression hat Paris has more of
art and beauty of a certain kind than
any of our American cities can hope
to have for years, perhaps decades
or centuries to come; but while we
are deprived of these things we have
many practical comforts which are
wanting to the great masses of the
Weather citizens of Paris. Much
as | admire Paris for a several
months or even a years stay, |
should not pine for it as a place of
permanent residence. But it is i'm
possible to give you any idea of Paris
and its beauties in this letter, so
must close without saying anything
about a score of places of interest.
Please remember me kindly to all
Mexico friends. Very lovingly,
ALCINDA ALLEN.
French VS.. Fritts.
From the St. Louis Globe Damocr.t