The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-08

| uhuo Nno tJTtet on Wnlcn tTNn0A the
BARRIERS shop. and shall call It the Rue Cour-
voisisE " is not far from the Custom House
Post once. that stands like an elephant
begged in the mud and the shop Of the bar
Der is cool cavern. that fronts on a pavem ent
OF damn brick. over which impends an avn
Ing Of striped canvas. There IL . billiard
room on one eide OF the BARRIERS shop in
which the balls click clack all day long. re-
Rsrdsd with grave interest by Americsnized
and phleRmatized Frenchmen Of the kind
who now lnhabit the French quarters. On
the other side lie a shop devoted to the sale
OF curiositiss. some OF them Of the very period
OF Blenville himself. others reminiscent Of the
empire. and few relies OF our civil war.
In big basin in the middle Of the shop OF
the barber. q fountain FLASHES dreamily and
Its temperature aud its smell are those OF the
nearby Mississippi The place. in fact IL full
| OF the odor OF = greenhouse. II one shuts his
eyes and. inhaling IT, listens to the soothing
cadence OF the water. one may fancy himself
on the bank Of rill In n Javaness Jungle In
| the basin OF the fountain are few young ali-
gators yswnng with ridiculous ennui. and
some little fishes that shoot am onR the pigmy
ssurians with an incredible Industry. There
| are. moreover. some rank wa'er plants In the
basin haunted by flies and beetles OF strange
| shapes. who seem to imagine that they are
still in their native swamp.
ihe hght OF the shop OF this barber 10 soft
anu u'n as me hght OF chapel IL nlters
.nIoukn aul green el"ss ana resembles the
,empeieu h'uDinsuon NIaihed oy the IRON
uaso VI oAIou. fascinated marble very dark
! and vsriegsted with age. Is what the floor con-
sists OIL As Tor the furniture. IL IL old and
s"auoy. Iike All tne apphances from Northern
point OF view and conte I'm ptibly antique. Each
esn on.Lon'eu oS mirror IN . frame
VI o,"o'.' VI "h,Gn NJ ieast one-hsit are
'ne ,oN oiu anu incApaoie OF any
'u ~, '"e uu,'eS' Anu na"'est rehectlons'
~ su's ', 'ne shop are al heRroius'
uoou ,oenk 'uaoes' mushrooms oc'o-
Ioo"e' anu o'ner hyorids vi various degrees
y, m,Seekenauon. nthe very hehtest the last
eiaeN u,op anu VI. .as' Ariean uat nave ali
ou' ,anisneo In Tue yer, uarkes. the modify
ing lnnuence Oh inc "hi'e man oloodi Is barely
peIuepuoie
al mess uim nesro'os SPEAK win the syr-
wy eusur,us oI tne true negro. the strange
opla',u u'aioe' VI 'he uh-oiack OF hayti OF
Ssn Dom'neo. Oh Ouoa' anu Oh louisiana.
ihei. VOICES are IKE tue voices heard In ie-
'eleu aresm' tuneo ana tuned 10 the rhythm
Q. ,he repuie-haunteo fountain In the back
o'tne snop breaks out every once In while
s"ranee. sudden cry. IL Is as II some wood
'anu creature OF the tropics began. over and
over again. TO rehearse sylvan summons
only 10 sumo IL In its very beginning. with
s.siueo curiosity one peers into the twilight
o''he rear shop. only 10 see q duil brass wire
cage In whloh sns. Win shouiders shrugged.
Mina pird. he dreams forever OF his native
inuia, pipes MS ioriorn CRY. wakes himself
with 1t looks around anrighted. smells the
tropic atmosphere. anu treasured. straight
way falls asleep again.
III aeustomer oil this barber OF the Rue Cour.
voisier were to close his eyes. with an opium
pipe between his lbs he would infallibly see
the visions perceived by the wonderful imagi-
nation OF De Quincy. For there IL nothing
70 near out the vague murmnr OF the barber
boys and the patrons. the soliloauy OF the tire
less fountain the strange outbursts OF the
Nina bird. II 10 sunday afternoon OF early
March. In Louisiana the earth disdains snow
blankets and sleeps lightly all winter. with no
covering to speak Of There 1t Is only short
nap between the autumn and the spring The
former 10 barely forgotten before the latter
returns. scented and smiling as bride.
How delicious the faint. tmid odor OF the or
anee flowers Just budding! Waves OF perfume.
the perfume OF violets. hyacinths. jsnquils.
opopanax. above all. OF violets. come rolling
down canal rect with every wait OF the wind
All the creoles, brilliant and rastless as hum
ming birds. are on parade The very atmos-
phere palpitates with the symphony OF reviv-
Ing nature 1t is the palpitation rapid and
fairy saehet powder
But there 10 note OF discord In the hum OF
the new birth. painful emotion Is awakened
by the tramp Of the feet OF most diseonsolate
procession that goes by. young girl who
has unseasonAbly persisted In this beautiful
time OF young flowers. Is being borne. with
lameh'at,ons eaau'sHe5 sau ana repressed' 10
s"' VI %, iou's Ahe'o sne WI, soon
~" ru m ~ .no
10y Hnu unxn' anu psume oi tue
anhus' i0ssii VI na'uiS tne ouors arc
,ho ouT's , ., of,aA ihe Nen' 'ne o,esseu' |
nopo'ui hkn' ., "euIihk uAp' AL noarls'
III solees efo ,a' " 'he hHpp'nos. OF .he he"
Uo'u SUNS n, Aoo'o .he ramp i
'no piooeseiou tna' 'ohNeys 'he oenAreu rr-
sin W nor sepu'.nIe, ono uesis 'he arone oi
oIs,An, oikHn, ,no ai"ohiou, VOICES ising
anu isi'ink einSnk anu Seiiink' VI ehor-
'.eIs ne'Knooring cnuich
he oaIoe, ooSe. la%o, IN manu- ron tner