New-York tribune., 1894-01-14
TOPICS IN PARIS.
WINTER ADJUSTMENTS AND ANARCHY \.


Paris December %
Although Christmas has hitherto been r garded
here "A far less important festival thah 'he
Jour de rAn. as New Years Day is called II mas
been celebrated this season with altogether un-
procedentcd popular merriment and enthusiasm
II seemed as if all classes Of Plrisans were bent
on enjoyment and both by day and by night.
especially on Christmas Eve. the principal streets
and boulovards were literally throngcd with
people on pleasure intent. The weather was
! magnificent and not only the shops but also
the five thousand or more "barcGues' or tenn
porarv booths which were erected along the
Boulevard did a roaring business in ginger
breads and cheap toys Paris once more FUR
nished abundant manifestation that she hoids
the second place In the world for the variety
and novelty of her toys. Vienna maintaining her
od-time supremacy in this respect
After promenading the streets and boulevards
/ on Christmas Eve. everybody went To midnight
mass. which was announced. according TO Gus
tom by the big bell of the Cathedral OF N"tre
Dame the most popular church on TINS occasion
being that Of St Eustache. which by reason Of
its magnificent music and its proximity TO th'
IIaIIes or public markets. is always too small
for the crowd that throngs its portals. In each
church were crtches. or cribs. representing the
! Bethlehem manger. containing the Divine Bam-
/ bno surrounded by the Virgin Mother, St
Joseph the wise men of the East and a few
animals Some Of these crtches are real works
| of art. such as. for instance. that OF SAINT
! Supicc. which was made centuries ago, ana was
! saved by pious hands from destruction during
| the great Revolution. just 100 years ago Most Of
| the other cribs manufactured Eere at Paris.
one firm engaged in the manufacture thereof
! being stated to have realized during the past
month profit Of 81 ooc OOo just in this particular
article alone Until ten years ago the Germans
had monopollzed the crib trade. but the French
are now beating them out of the field
Nothing occurred to mar the celebration. not
withstanding the threatening letters that bad
been sent To the Profcct Of Police stating that
an attempt would be made - explode bomb
/ during the midnight services in the Madeleine.
The entrances were accordingly closely watched
by an unusually large force of uniformed police
men ana detectives. 50 serious dd NJ. Lepine
regard the danger f the preparation Of some
sort or ncndish outrage the part Of the An
archists that he remained on dutT az the pre-
lecture until at ? O'Clock i'm the morning. he re-
ccivcd reports that everything had passed off
well. and that no catastrophe Of any Kind was
to be deplored.
The most notable function on the evening #
Christmas Day was the brilliant reception given
famous Spanish Marshal. Scrrano. at her mag
ninc.nt residence in the Avenue dcs Champs
Tlvs6~s There Wa, a Christmas tree gayY
d@clcd not with the ordinary gildcd toys and tin
sci decorations but with jewels and dainty pieces
of artistic brlc-a-brac destined for the guests.
among whom were The Duke and Duchess oi
Morny with their Children the Spanish Ambas- /
sador and Nine. Castillo. the duchess Of +
Iuiar the Mar.hionrss of Nngl's"v and the +
Duchess of Ia Rochefoucauld. Queen Isabella F.,
had promised 20 COME hut was prevented AZ the /
last moment by bad cold which kept her con- +
nn.l to IN" Paiais H. CASTLE.
\ curious case is now under discussion by the /
Council II State. which IS not without interest /
e. thc United states nasmuch as Il may possibly /
result I'm the boqu"st Of a legacy of some twenty /
or thirty thousand dollars 70 one or the other /
~ the Transatlantic scientific societies. About /
a year ago rich old lady died here leaving to
the Institute ~ France legacy of 5000 to b.
given 70 thr person of 40 matter what sex or .
nationality who could lind means Of communicate
ing with any star or planet and receiving an
answer thorefrom The old lady herself suG-
,ested Mars as the planet Offering the heat .
chances ~ success and the astronomers AZ the I
various obseryatofies In France set g. work. /
bat have hitherto tollc1 i'm vain. The Institute .
has now placed IN" question i'm the hands "f the /
Cons-I dEtat. which Will have - decide ,
whether or not the legacy should hc accepted /
In the event f a refusal. the b"queet u.s. i'm 2
compllanc" with the instructions contained i'm !
the lady's WILL to b" offered To- the Institute Of ,
Milan. and if The latter Is unable to comply
with IN" conditions. II is then t. be placed at
the disposal Of scientific societies i'm the United
States. in the hope that some ingenious Amer
lean may discover means Of solving the problem
planets.
There IS no institution that has retained more
Of it's old-time appearance and features than
this Council Of state which Is To all inteurs aud
purposes the Supreme Court Of Appeal Of the
nation. II holds It's session In the Ialais Royal
and all the members of the court arrayed i'm
robes either Of plain silk of silk lined with
crmlno. The phraseoogy. the ceromonious bows
and the strict definition and distinction of the
various grades of hierarchy recall to mind the
past century. There Is dignity. u majesty and
On imprcssiycmess about the deliberations and
the sessions that constitute marked contrast
To the scenes Of Ofenbachian reVclry that for
merly were to bc witnessed i'm thr very same
halls and apartments, which were inhabited dur
ing the reign Of Napoleon III Iy his cousin.
Prince Napoleon. and during the last century
by that equally gay scion II royalty the Regent
Duke Of Orleans.
Among the royalties who have recently ar
rived. and are now established here for the
winter. are Queen Nathalie Of S.rvia. whom /
saw the other evening I'm one of The stage
bOxcs Of the Opera. whore Chabricr's "Gwcndo-
line" was AT length being given for the first time
here. after having been played i'm brussels.
Munich and Carsruhe. The music Is distinctly
Wagneran. and ELECTED enthusiastic applause
on the part OF a very apprecatiye audience COM
posed In the main Of devotccs Of the great Ger
man maestro. Queen Nathalie was accompanied
by the Servan Minister Pcnipotentiary. by the
wife Of the French Minister at Belgrade. by the
cx-Ambassador. Count d. Chaudordy and 10y
the well-known author the Baron de Saint
Amand. Other royal arrivals are those Of the
eX-King and eX-Quecn Of Naples. whO as usual
have taken up their residence for the winter on
L L. Il